Motor vehicle locking device

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle locking device, in particular a motor vehicle lock, preferably a motor vehicle cover lock. For this purpose, the motor vehicle locking device is equipped with a locking mechanism (2, 3) consisting essentially of a bolt (2) and a pawl (3). Furthermore, a lock box (7) is provided for supporting the locking mechanism (2, 3). The lock box (7) is configured to be deformable in response to a force (F) caused by acceleration, for example in the event of a crash. According to the invention, the deformable lock box (7) bears against the locking mechanism (2, 3) starting from a defined force (F) in order to increase the common resistance torque.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a motor vehicle locking device, in particular a motor vehicle lock, preferably a motor vehicle hood lock, which has: a locking mechanism mainly composed of a lock tongue and a lock claw, and a lock box for supporting the locking mechanism, wherein the lock box is constructed to be able to deform in response to forces caused by acceleration, for example in the event of a collision. Background Art

[0002] In the event of a collision or accident, the motor vehicle and the associated motor vehicle locking device are subject to large accelerations or decelerations, which correspond to values ​​several dozen times greater than the acceleration due to gravity. For this reason, the locking mechanism consisting of the bolt and the pawl is usually made of metal, in particular of high-strength steel. This is because the motor vehicle locking device must ensure, for example, that the vehicle doors, the engine hood or the covers fastened to the vehicle body remain closed even in the event of an accident in order to prevent people from being thrown out of the vehicle. In addition, only when the motor vehicle doors are closed can it be ensured that the safety devices installed there, such as side airbags, side impact protection devices, etc., can effectively protect the occupants in the vehicle.

[0003] For this purpose, the prior art of this type according to EP 2 888 425 B1 adopts the following measure: the rotation axes of the bolt and the pawl are additionally provided with a reinforcing plate arranged at a distance from the lock box and coupling them in order to support them in the lock box. In this way, particularly large forces can be absorbed, because the lock housing together with the reinforcing plate provides a supporting structure with an overall rectangular cross section. This has proven to be basically successful, but is complex in terms of structure and production technology.

[0004] In a similar motor vehicle door lock according to DE 10 2019 108 967 A1, the lock box is equipped with at least one connecting rod, which extends into the receiving portion of the additional reinforcement element. Here, the connecting rod is engaged in the receiving portion surrounding it with a predetermined gap to limit possible deformation.

[0005] Alternatively, in principle, additional components, such as "structural rivets" firmly fixed to the lock box can also be used. With the help of this additional component, deformation of the pawl during an accident can be absorbed, as described in detail in another prior art according to DE 10 2016 218 229 A1.

[0006] The prior art has proven itself in principle, but is complex in structure and requires additional manufacturing and processing steps due to additional reinforcements or connecting plates and reinforcement elements. The present invention aims to remedy this overall. Summary of the invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to further develop such a motor vehicle locking device in such a way that high forces, for example in the event of a crash, can be managed in a simple and cost-effective manner without additional design complexity.

[0008] In order to solve this technical problem, a motor vehicle locking device of this type is characterized within the scope of the invention in that the deformable lock box comes into contact with the locking mechanism starting from a certain force in order to increase the common resistance torque.

[0009] The invention is based firstly on the recognition that forces acting on a motor vehicle locking device, for example in connection with a crash, usually lead to deformations of the locking mechanism. This can be attributed to the fact that, in the locked state of the associated motor vehicle door, motor vehicle hood or motor vehicle hatch, a locking pin fastened to the associated door, hood or hatch is clamped by a locking tongue in the locked position of the locking mechanism, wherein the locking tongue itself is locked by means of a pawl. If forces caused by an accident now act on the associated locking mechanism in its locked position, these forces generally lead to deformations of in particular the locking tongue and of the locking mechanism as a whole by means of the locking pin. In most cases, the acting forces lead to breaking forces acting on the associated bearing spindle, by means of which the locking tongue or the locking pawl is supported on or in the lock box.

[0010] The fastening of the support spindle counteracts this force and thus exerts a defined resistance torque, which is provided by the locking mechanism in terms of construction. It is now within the scope of the invention that the resistance torque of the locking mechanism counteracting the acting breaking force can be increased in that, starting from a defined force (and typically associated with a crash situation), the deformable lock box bears against the locking mechanism to increase the common resistance torque. This means that not only the locking mechanism is deformed by the force or a breaking force acts on the support spindle, but also, starting from a defined force, a deformation of the lock box additionally occurs.

[0011] According to the invention, the deformation of the lock box is configured such that the deformed lock box comes into contact with the locking mechanism. In this way, the common resistance torque is increased, which is caused by the resistance torque of the locking mechanism and the resistance torque of the lock box. As a result, the forces that can be absorbed and controlled by the motor vehicle locking device according to the invention are significantly higher than those absorbed by the locking mechanism alone. This can be attributed to the combined action of the locking mechanism and the lock box in the event of a crash.

[0012] In fact, the locking mechanism and the lock box are spaced apart from each other during normal operation, because otherwise it would not be possible to operate the locking mechanism without friction when rotating relative to the lock box about the corresponding bearing spindle. However, now in the event of a collision or when high acceleration or deceleration forces act, on the one hand the locking mechanism is deformed, and on the other hand the lock box is additionally deformed starting from a certain threshold value of the self-force in the following way, that is, the lock box due to the deformation exceeds the spacing relative to the locking mechanism during normal operation and abuts against the locking mechanism. As a result, the locking mechanism is additionally reinforced to a certain extent and the locking mechanism and the lock box act together, so that the common resistance torque provided by the locking mechanism and the lock box is increased in a desired manner as a whole. All this is achieved in a unique and separate manner without additional structural measures, such as reinforcement elements, reinforcement plates, etc., that is, the deformation of the lock box is set so that it (the deformation) is so large starting from a certain threshold value of the self-force that, for example, a protrusion of the lock box related to this reaches the locking mechanism and thus strengthens the locking mechanism. This is a major advantage of the present invention.

[0013] According to an advantageous embodiment, the locking mechanism is deformable up to a first force limit and together with the likewise deformable lock box achieves a second, higher force limit. The first force limit can reach a value of about 4 kN to 6 kN, preferably 5 kN. In contrast, the second, higher force limit corresponds to a value of more than 9 kN to about 12 kN, preferably about 10.5 kN.

[0014] In summary, the locking mechanism is initially deformed until a first force limit is reached and can alone withstand forces acting, for example, in the event of a crash. In the event of higher forces, the lock box is now deformed in such a way that it abuts against the locking mechanism and additionally strengthens it. Thus, the combination of the deformed lock box and thus strengthened locking mechanism can now withstand forces up to a second force limit. As a result, virtually all crash situations and the associated crash forces can be controlled without special structural measures, i.e., no unintentional door, hatch or hood opening can occur.

[0015] In practice, for example, opening of the hood of a motor vehicle in the event of a collision must be avoided for a variety of reasons. Firstly, the hood must be able to function as a "crush zone" together with other structural elements of the vehicle body in the event of a frontal collision. Furthermore, an uncontrolled opening of the hood in the event of a collision not only impairs the driver's view but can even flip over and damage the windshield, thereby creating additional risks for the vehicle occupants. In this regard, it is particularly important to assume and maintain a locked position in the event of a collision, especially in the case of the hood. Similar situations also apply to the tailgate and the side doors.

[0016] In addition, the following design is adopted, that is, the joint deformation of the locking mechanism and the locking mechanism, which are in contact with the locking box, corresponds to an increase in the withstanding force by at least 50%, preferably 70% or more, compared to the withstanding force achieved by the locking mechanism alone. In other words, the combined effect of the deformed locking box and the locking mechanism serves to strengthen the locking mechanism and has the result that the forces that can be withstood by the locking device according to the invention can be increased by at least 50%, preferably 70%, compared to the case where the locking box is not used to additionally strengthen the locking mechanism. In this regard, according to the invention, the locking box, due to its deformation in the event of a crash, assumes the function of an additional reinforcement element, as described in the prior art and abandoned according to the invention.

[0017] In addition, a design is provided in which the lock box and the locking tongue overlap in a top view to increase the common resistance torque, so that the deformed lock box, starting from exceeding a certain force threshold and thus after a corresponding deformation, abuts against the locking tongue and reinforces it. The desired increase in the resistance torque is thus achieved here, since the locking tongue already grips the locking pin, so that the breaking force introduced into the locking tongue via the locking pin is now acted upon by the resistance torque increased by the deformed locking plate abutting against it.

[0018] According to another advantageous embodiment, the lock box is equipped with at least one guide element for guiding the lock tongue during deformation. In other words, the guide element ensures that the deformed lock box is guided relative to the lock tongue during its deformation to a certain extent and abuts against the lock tongue in the desired manner. For this purpose and for cost reasons, it has proven to be particularly advantageous if the guide element is designed as a folded edge / bent edge on a conventional metal lock box. Usually, the lock box is made of high-strength steel, just like the locking mechanism.

[0019] In addition the following situation has been proved that, that is, the guide element overlaps with the stop leg of the lock bolt.In fact, the lock bolt usually has a relevant stop leg and a catch leg, which are opposed and form an entry opening for the lock pin between them.

[0020] Finally, it has proven to be particularly advantageous that the lock box is constructed in an L-shaped manner in cross section with a long L leg and a short L leg. The long L leg is usually designed in such a way that it forms a deformable collision plate extending transversely to the longitudinal extension direction of the associated vehicle. In contrast, the short L leg forms a fixing plate coupled, for example, to a crossbeam of a motor vehicle. In other words, the short L leg or the fixing plate implemented here usually ensures that the lock box is fixed to the crossbeam of the motor vehicle. In contrast, the long L leg and the deformable collision plate implemented here serve as a reinforcement that can be abutted against the locking mechanism in the event of a collision. For this purpose, the locking mechanism is mostly supported on the relevant collision plate, while the fixing plate is used to be fixed to the crossbeam of the motor vehicle.

[0021] Thus, a motor vehicle locking device is provided which can absorb and control the forces occurring in particular in the event of a crash in a particularly simple manner. All this is achieved without the need for additional reinforcement plates or reinforcement elements simply by virtue of the fact that in the event of a crash the thus deformed lock box rests against the locking mechanism for reinforcement. This is a major advantage of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings which show only one embodiment; in which:

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a motor vehicle locking device according to the present invention is shown.

[0024] Figure 2 A force-time diagram is schematically shown, which illustrates the accident process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] exist Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle locking device according to the present invention, wherein the main components are shown in a simplified manner. Figure 1 A motor vehicle locking device is shown, which is designed as a motor vehicle lock, in particular a motor vehicle hood lock, according to this embodiment. Figure 1 The motor vehicle hood lock shown in FIG. 1 can lock a front hood 1 of a motor vehicle, which is only briefly outlined here, and the front hood can be kept locked in the locked position of the associated locking mechanism 2, 3. For this purpose, the front hood 1 has a locking pin 4, which is locked in the locking mechanism 2, 3. Figure 1 In the locked position shown in FIG. 1 , the locking member is clamped in the access opening 5 of the locking tongue 2 .

[0026] In practice, the access opening 5 of the locking tongue 2 is formed in that the locking tongue 2 is provided in a fork-shaped manner with a stop leg 2a and a catch leg 2b. In addition, an ejection element 6 can be seen, which is not particularly important for the following discussion. The ejection element 6 is supported coaxially with the pawl 3. In contrast, the locking tongue 2 has a support spaced apart from it. In both cases, the support is ensured by a corresponding support spindle, which is fixed in a lock box 7 that supports the locking mechanism 2, 3.

[0027] The lock box 7 is designed to be deformable in response to an acting force F caused by acceleration, for example in the event of a crash. The force F involved is a force corresponding to Figure 1 3 and corresponds by way of example to the forces of a frontal collision, ie to forces extending in the illustrated longitudinal direction X of the motor vehicle.

[0028] It can be seen that in this embodiment, the lock box 7 is L-shaped in cross section and has a long L leg 7a and a short L leg 7b. The long L leg 7a defines the impact plate of the lock box 7. It can also be seen that the locking mechanism 2, 3 (and the ejection element 6) are supported on the long L leg 7a or the impact plate arranged there. The short L leg 7b and the fixing plate arranged there are used to fix the lock box 7 on a motor vehicle (not shown in detail). Figure 1 On the beam which is only briefly sketched.

[0029] If it happens now Figure 1 In the case of a frontal collision, which is schematically depicted in the drawing, and in which a force F acts on the motor vehicle hood lock shown in the drawing, the force F causes the locking means 2, 3 to deform in the locked position shown. The force F therefore acts on the locking pin 4 and causes a breaking force to act on the bearing spindles of the locking means 2, 3, which tries to tear one or both bearing spindles out of the lock box 7. The locking means 2, 3, together with the bearing spindles, counteract this with a corresponding resistance torque.

[0030] exist Figure 2 The time curve of the relevant force F is shown in the diagram of FIG. It can be seen that the locking means 2, 3 are deformed together in most cases in an increasing manner up to the first force limit F1. In the range of this force limit F1, it now additionally occurs that the lock box 7 is also deformed as a whole by the force F. This applies in particular to the long L leg 7a which defines the strike plate. That is, since it can be located Figure 2 Starting from a certain force F in the range of a first force limit value F1 schematically indicated in FIG. 1 , the lock box 7 is deformed increasingly, ie in the direction of the locking mechanism 2 , 3 .

[0031] Therefore, starting from the relevant forces, the deformed lock box 7 gradually abuts against the locking mechanism 2, 3 to increase the common resistance moment. In other words, the deformation of the lock box 7 corresponds to the fact that the necessary spacing between the lock box 7 or the long L leg 7a and the locking mechanism 2, 3 in normal operation is gradually eliminated due to the deformation of the lock box 7, especially the long L leg 7a.

[0032] In this way, the deformed lock box 7 abuts against the locking mechanism 2, 3, in particular against the lock tongue 2, and the abutment increases gradually with the increase of the force F. As a result, the locking mechanism 2, 3 is strengthened by the combined effect together with the deformed lock box 7. The following design is adopted as a whole, that is, the locking mechanism 2, 3 can be deformed up to the first force limit value F1, and together with the likewise deformable lock box 7, a higher second force limit value F2 can be achieved, such as by means of Figure 2 As can be seen directly from the force / time diagram of FIG. It can also be seen that the first force limit value F1 is about 4 kN to 6 kN, while the value of the second force limit value F2 is greater than 9 kN to about 12 kN.

[0033] Thus, the joint deformation of the locking mechanisms 2 , 3 against the lock box 7 and the lock box 7 improves the ability to withstand the force F caused by a frontal collision by at least 50% compared to the case where only the locking mechanisms 2 , 3 withstand the force.

[0034] For this purpose, the following design is additionally adopted, that is, the lock box 7 or its long L-leg 7a and the lock tongue 2 overlap in a top view in order to increase the common resistance moment. In addition, the lock box 7 has at least one guide element 7c, which is used to guide the deformable lock box 7 and the locking mechanism 2, 3 to each other. According to this embodiment, the relevant guide element 7c of the lock box 7 is a fold 7c on the metal lock box 7, so that the fold can be manufactured in a particularly cost-effective and fast manner. In addition, the following design is adopted, that is, the guide element or fold 7c overlaps with the stop leg 2a of the lock tongue 2.

[0035] In this way, it is not only ensured that the lock box 7 or its long L leg 7a is guided relative to the locking bolt 2 when it is deformed by the force F. At the same time, this design ensures that the locking bolt 2 and the pawl 3 remain engaged with each other and do not change even when the second force limit F2 is reached, and thus maintain the locked position assumed from the beginning. As a result, the front cover 1 cannot be opened unintentionally, because the locked locking mechanism 2, 3 fixes the locking pin 4 unchanged in its entry opening 5.

[0036] List of reference numerals:

[0037] 1 Front cover

[0038] 2 Lock tongue

[0039] 2a Stop leg

[0040] 2b Capture Leg

[0041] 3 locking claws

[0042] 2.3 Locking mechanism

[0043] 4 Lock pin

[0044] 5 Entrance

[0045] 6 Ejector components

[0046] 7 Lock Box

[0047] 7a Long L leg

[0048] 7b Short L leg

[0049] 7c Guide element / folding edge

[0050] F-Force

[0051] F1 first force limit

[0052] F2 second force limit

[0053] X longitudinal direction

Claims

1. A motor vehicle locking device, in particular a motor vehicle lock, preferably a motor vehicle hood lock, the motor vehicle locking device comprising: A locking mechanism (2, 3) consisting essentially of a locking tongue (2) and a locking pawl (3), and a lock box (7) for supporting the locking mechanism (2, 3), the lock box (7) being designed to be deformable in response to a force (F) caused by acceleration, for example in the event of a collision, It is characterized in that The deformable lock box (7) abuts against the locking mechanism (2, 3) starting from a certain force (F) to increase the common resistance torque.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The locking mechanism (2, 3) is deformable up to a first force limit (F1) and together with a likewise deformable lock box (7) achieves a second, higher force limit (F2).

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that The first force limit (F1) is approximately 4 kN to 6 kN, preferably 5 kN.

4. The device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that The value of the second force limit (F2) is greater than 9 kN to about 12 kN, preferably about 10.5 kN.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The force (F) that can be borne by the locking mechanism (2, 3) resting on the lock box (7) and the common deformation capacity of the lock box (7) is increased by at least 50%, preferably 70% or more compared with the force borne by the locking mechanism (2, 3) alone.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The lock box (7) and the lock tongue (2) overlap in a top view to increase the common resistance torque.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The lock box (7) is equipped with at least one guide element (7c) for guiding the lock tongue (1) relative to each other during deformation.

8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that The guide element (7c) is designed as a fold (7c) on the lock box (7).

9. The device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that The guide element (7c) overlaps the stop leg (2a) of the locking tongue (2).

10. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The lock box (7) has an "L"-shaped configuration in cross section and has a long L leg (7a) and a short L leg (7b), wherein the long L leg (7a) defines a deformable impact plate transverse to the longitudinal extension direction of the vehicle and the short L leg (7b) defines a fixing plate coupled to a cross member of the motor vehicle, for example.

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