Locking device for tailgate of motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a closure device for a tailgate (21) of a motor vehicle, comprising: a closure bow (11) arranged on a vehicle body (22); a lock (2) provided on the tailgate (21) and having a hook-shaped tongue (4) for engaging the locking bow (11); the locking rod (10) enables the locking tongue (4) to rotate around the swinging shaft (5) in the locking direction and can swing; a pawl (6) which locks the bolt (4) at least in a locking position, in which the bolt (4) has engaged with the locking bow (11), and which can be pivoted by means of an adjusting element (8); the actuator (12) is arranged on the tail hatch cover (21), is connected with the closing rod through a traction piece (13) and can move the closing rod (10) to enable the spring bolt (4) to swing; a control device (9) for controlling the actuator (12) and the adjusting part (8), the control device (9) being provided for unlocking the engaged locking bow (11) to actuate the actuator (12) in order to pivot the locking lever (10) such that the tongue (4) pivots in the locking direction and the pawl (6) is unloaded, after which the adjusting part (8) is actuated in order to pivot the pawl (11) out of the locking position, thereafter, the actuator (12) is actuated to reset the locking lever (10) while simultaneously pivoting the bolt (4) counter to the locking direction and releasing the locking bow (11).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a locking device for a tailgate of a motor vehicle. The locking device comprises a locking bow arranged on a vehicle body and a lock arranged on the tailgate, the lock having a hook-shaped locking tongue for engaging with the locking bow. Background Art

[0002] This locking device is used to securely lock the tailgate of a vehicle so that it cannot be accidentally opened while driving. To this end, the locking device comprises a lock with a hook-shaped locking tongue, which is mounted on the tailgate, and a locking bow, which is mounted on the vehicle body. When the tailgate automatically enters the locked position, the locking bow engages with the locking tongue and is hooked from below. As is known, when the tailgate is automatically locked, the tailgate is moved into the final locked position by means of a closing member comprising a closing lever. This closing lever is pivotally mounted and coupled to the locking tongue, so that when the closing lever is pivoted, the locking tongue pivots slightly further, and the tailgate is pulled even more strongly toward the vehicle body due to the hook-shaped engagement geometry. In the final position, the locking tongue is locked by a locking pawl to prevent it from swinging back, thereby securing the final position.

[0003] In this locked position, the locking mechanism is under stress because, due to the firm tension on the tailgate, in particular the sealing element surrounding the tailgate is correspondingly compressed. This results in forces acting on the mechanical locking connection between the locking tongue and the pawl. This locking connection is formed by a first locking section provided on the tongue and a second locking section provided on the pawl, which bear directly against one another in the locked position. Therefore, in the locked position, the supporting force of the locking tongue is supported by the pawl. If the tailgate is now opened, the pawl must be pivoted out of the locked position by the actuator, but the friction between the two locking sections and, therefore, the supporting force must be resisted. As the lock is released, a noise is generated, thus releasing the tailgate, which is somewhat preloaded. This noticeable noise is considered disturbing.

[0004] To address this, DE 10 2018 120 551 A1 discloses a motor vehicle lock having a bolt, a pawl, and a release lever, by which the pawl can be swung out of its locked position to unlock the lock. To enable silent opening, the release lever is connected to the bolt via a rolling element connection. To unlock the lock, the release lever is actuated, which, due to its connection to the bolt, moves the bolt a short distance to an overtravel position, in which the mechanical locking connection between the bolt and the pawl is released. The pawl can now be swung out of the locked position silently (because it is unloaded), and the tailgate is opened silently. Thus, the load on the pawl is relieved by the bolt swinging into the overtravel position, which is achieved by the lock's release mechanism. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a locking device of simple design for opening the tailgate in a silent manner.

[0006] and a locking mechanism for locking the locking tongue when the locking mechanism is engaged with the locking bow.

[0007] In the locking device according to the present invention, the pawl is relieved of load before unlocking by, for example, the actuator is controlled accordingly by the control device to actuate the closing lever, thereby pivoting the locking tongue into the overtravel position—that is, rotating it by a small angular increment, thereby releasing the mechanical locking connection between the locking tongue and the still fixed pawl. The supporting force is thus transferred from the pawl to the closing lever and the locking tongue, which is relieved of load and can now be pivoted out of the locked position by an adjusting element subsequently actuated by the control device. The closing lever can then be reset, again by the actuator, simultaneously pivoting the locking tongue in the opposite direction of the closing direction into the released position, in which the locking bow is no longer engaged. In this case, the tailgate is released and can be pivoted upward.

[0008] Since the pawl is relieved of load before it is swung out of the locked position, this swiveling can be achieved with significantly reduced noise. Since the already existing closing lever is used to relieve the pawl by rotating the locking bolt into the overtravel position, no additional actuating element is required. The control system merely needs to be programmed accordingly so that the actuator can be activated accordingly, causing the closing lever to swivel a short distance beyond the closed position in order to bring the locking bolt into the overtravel position.

[0009] The closing lever itself is preferably movable against a restoring force to pivot the locking bolt into the locked position. This ensures that the closing lever automatically returns to its original position when the actuator is reset again by the control device. The actuator, typically a simple electric motor, is connected to the closing lever, for example, via a Bowden cable, through which the high force required to pivot the locking bolt into the overtravel position can be applied. This resetting is achieved in a simple manner by preloading the closing lever with a restoring element, such as a coil spring, so that the closing lever automatically returns to its original position when the actuator is reversed.

[0010] According to a first variant, after the lock tongue has taken the locked position, the closing lever can be moved to a rest position in which it is mechanically disengaged from the lock tongue. The swingable closing lever is mechanically coupled to the lock tongue, for example, via a driver that is guided, for example, in a slot in the lock tongue. After reaching the locked position, when the actuator is reset again, the closing lever can be moved to a rest position in which the mechanical driver connection is disengaged. If unlocking is required, the closing lever is swung out of the rest position and the driver reengages the lock tongue to subsequently swing the lock tongue into the overtravel position.

[0011] Alternatively, it is also conceivable that after assuming the locked position, the closing lever remains in the mechanically coupled position, so that the entrainer and the locking tongue remain mechanically connected. If the tailgate is now to be unlocked, the closing lever must be pivoted only a short distance by the actuator in order to bring the locking tongue into the overtravel position, since in this case no pivoting movement from the rest position is necessary. In this case, unlocking occurs somewhat earlier.

[0012] Preferably, the actuator is or includes an electric motor that can rotate in two opposite directions. In this case, the actuator can thus be actively rotated in both directions for closing and unlocking, as well as for the corresponding reset movement. If the closing lever is moved into the rest position, this can also be achieved by a Bowden cable that moves during the actuator reset, optionally assisted by a reset element. Alternatively, it is also conceivable that the actuator is or includes an electric motor that can rotate only in one direction and can be reset by a reset force generated during rotation. In this case, the motor is returned, for example, by a reset spring that resets the closing lever.

[0013] As described, the locking tongue can be mechanically locked in the locked position by the pawl. In this locked position, the locking tongue pivots accordingly to hook the locking bow from below and close the tailgate by mechanical engagement. It is also conceivable that the locking tongue can be locked by the pawl in a pre-locking position, in which the locking tongue is positioned so as to guide the locking bow into the locking tongue. The locking tongue can be moved from the pre-locking position into the locked position, in which the locking tongue is locked by the pawl. Thus, the locking tongue is locked by the pawl in two defined positions: on the one hand, in the pre-locking position, and on the other hand, in the locked position.

[0014] The pawl itself is preferably movable from the locked position and / or pre-locked position against a restoring force. This restoring force is also generated, for example, by a corresponding spring element, such as a coil spring. In other words, the pawl is automatically urged into the corresponding locked position by the restoring force, from which it is moved by the adjusting element.

[0015] The tension element itself is preferably a Bowden cable, but a pull rod or the like can also be used.

[0016] In addition to the locking device, the invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising a body, a tailgate and a locking device of the type described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Further advantages and details of the present invention are apparent from the following description of the exemplary embodiments and from the accompanying drawings. The drawings show:

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the locking device according to the invention in the initial position with a locked lock is shown,

[0019] Figure 2 Show Figure 1 The device has a closing lever mechanically coupled to the deadbolt,

[0020] Figure 3 Show Figure 2 a device in which the closing lever is pivoted further and the locking bolt is brought into the overtravel position,

[0021] Figure 4 Show Figure 3 a device in which a pawl is pivoted from a locked position to a released position,

[0022] Figure 5 Show Figure 4 A device in which the locking lever is pivoted back into a rest position and the locking bolt is pivoted into a release position, and

[0023] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a motor vehicle according to the invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Figure 1 The present invention shows a locking device 1 for a tailgate of a motor vehicle. The locking device 1 comprises a lock 2 arranged on the tailgate. The lock 2 comprises a support 3 on which a locking tongue 4 is arranged so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis 5. In addition, a locking pawl 6 is provided, which serves to lock the locking tongue 4 at least in the locked position, as in Figure 1As shown in FIG. The pawl 6 can be swung around the swivel axis 7. Its swivel is achieved by an adjusting member 8, such as an electric motor, which is mechanically coupled to the pawl and can be controlled by a control circuit 9. The pawl 8 can be Figure 1 The locked position shown in FIG is pivoted into a released position against the restoring force of a restoring element, for example a coil spring, as shown below.

[0025] Furthermore, a closing lever 10 is provided, which is also mounted in a rotatable manner about the pivot axis 5. The closing lever 10 serves to pivot the locking tongue 4 into a locked position in which the locking tongue 4 engages from below a locking bow 11 arranged on the vehicle body side, as in FIG. Figure 1 As shown in FIG. In order to move the closing lever 10, an actuator 12, such as an electric motor, is provided, which can be rotated in two directions. The actuator 12 is connected to the closing lever 10, for example, via a Bowden cable 13. The closing lever 10 can preferably be moved from its original position by a reset element, such as a coil spring. Figure 1 Swing out from the rest position shown.

[0026] Figure 1 The closed position is shown, in which the locking tongue 4 hooks the locking bracket 11 from below with the hook section 14. The tailgate, on which the lock 4, the adjusting element 8, the actuator 12 and the control device 9 are arranged, is fixed closed, which has already been achieved by the closing lever 10. For this purpose, the closing lever is moved from Figure 1 The locking bolt 4 is swung accordingly to the left, i.e. counterclockwise, for a stroke. In order to mechanically couple the closing lever 10 with the locking bolt 4, a driver 15 is provided on the closing lever 10, and a stop 16 is provided on the locking bolt 4, and the driver 15 abuts against the stop when swinging.

[0027] Lock tongue 4 Figure 1 To this end, the pawl 6 has a first locking section 17 and the bolt 4 has a second locking section 18, the first locking section and the second locking section as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown, the bolt 4 is directly mechanically pressed against each other. Figure 1 In the locking position shown in FIG, the locking tongue is preloaded in the clockwise direction, so that the locking tongue is fixed in the locking position. Figure 1 , shown in the locked position.

[0028] Now if from Figure 1 To open the tailgate, the control device 9 controls the actuator 12 after sending a corresponding control command to the control device 9 so that the release lever 10 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction via the Bowden cable 13, see Figure 2The closing lever 10 is moved forwards as shown by the arrow P1 in FIG. 1 , until the release lever abuts the stop 16 of the locking tongue 4 with the entrainer 15. During this "idle travel", the closing lever 10 and the locking tongue 4 do not interact until the entrainer 15 abuts the stop 16. The pawl 6 always locks the locking tongue 4 in the locked position.

[0029] However, the movement of the closing lever 10 is not ended when the entraining member 15 abuts against the stop 16, but the closing lever 10 is still slightly further swung in the counterclockwise direction (see FIG. Figure 3 ), which results in that the lock tongue 4 also swings slightly in the counterclockwise direction, see Figure 3 Arrow P2 in the figure. This results in the bolt 4 moving to Figure 3 In the overtravel position shown in FIG, the locking bow 11 is of course still hooked from below, but the locking with the pawl 6 is released. Figure 3 As shown, the two locking sections 17, 18 are separated from each other, ie no longer bear against each other, so that the bolt 4 is no longer mechanically coupled to the pawl 6. All bearing forces are no longer applied to the bolt 4 and the pawl 6, but are transferred to the bolt 4 and the closing lever 10.

[0030] Since the pawl 6 is now relieved of force, the pawl Figure 4 As shown, the adjusting member 8 can be pivoted into the release position (in Figure 4 ), in this release position, the locking sections 17, 18 are completely separated from each other. This occurs completely silently because no load is generated by the pawl 6 during its pivoting movement.

[0031] The final unlocking is then carried out in the following manner, i.e. the release lever 10 is relieved of the load again. This is achieved by the control device 9 controlling the actuator 10 accordingly, i.e., for example, the motor rotates in the opposite direction, and the Bowden cable 13 is relaxed again. The release lever, which is preloaded, for example, by a spring element, swings back again (at Figure 5 Arrow P4 in the figure), while the bolt 4 also swings clockwise (in Figure 5 The bolt is correspondingly moved by the spring element, so that the locking bow 11 is released, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 The tailgate can then be opened automatically.

[0032] After final unlocking, the closing lever 10 can be pivoted again in the counterclockwise direction about the pivot axis 5 for a certain distance, wherein the closing lever carries the locking bolt 4 along with it until the other locking section 19 of the locking bolt 4 locks behind the locking section 17 of the pawl 6. Thereafter, the locking bolt 4 is locked in the pre-locking position, in which it is open so that the locking bow 11 can be introduced from below when the tailgate is closed, and the closing lever 10 is then pivoted again in the clockwise direction together with the locking bolt 4 in order to engage the release lever 11.

[0033] at last, Figure 6 A motor vehicle 20 according to the invention is shown, comprising a tailgate 21 and a body 22, wherein the motor vehicle 1 has a locking device 1 according to the invention. The locking bracket 11 is arranged on the body side, while the other components, in particular the lock 2, the adjusting element 8, the actuator 12 and the control device 9, are arranged on the tailgate 21.

Claims

1. A locking device for a tailgate (21) of a motor vehicle, the locking device comprising: A locking bow (11) arranged on a vehicle body (22); a lock (2) arranged on a tailgate (21), the lock having a hook-shaped locking tongue (4) for engaging the locking bow (11); a closing lever (10) capable of pivoting so as to rotate the locking tongue (4) about a pivot axis (5) in a closing direction; a locking pawl (6) capable of pivoting via an adjusting member (8) and locking the locking tongue (4) at least in a locked position in which the locking tongue (4) has already engaged the locking bow (11); an actuator (12) arranged on the tailgate (21), the actuator being connected to the closing lever via a pulling member (13) and capable of moving the closing lever via the actuator (10) to swing the lock tongue (4); a control device (9) for controlling an actuator (12) and an adjusting member (8), wherein the control device (9) is configured to unlock the engaged locking bow (11), control the actuator (12) to swing the closing rod (10), so that the lock tongue (4) swings in the closing direction and the pawl (6) is relieved of load, and then the adjusting member (8) is controlled to swing the pawl (11) out of the locked position, and then the actuator (12) is controlled to reset the closing rod (10) while simultaneously swinging the lock tongue (4) in the opposite direction to the closing direction and releasing the locking bow (11).

2. The locking device according to claim 1, It is characterized by: The closing lever (10) can be moved against the restoring force to pivot the locking tongue (4) into the locked position.

3. The locking device according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized by: After the locking tongue (4) has assumed the locked position, the closing lever (10) can be moved into a rest position mechanically decoupled from the locking tongue (4), or the closing lever (10) remains in its position mechanically coupled to the locking tongue (4).

4. The locking device according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: The actuator (12) is a motor that can rotate in two directions opposite to each other or includes such a motor, or the actuator (12) is a motor that can rotate in only one direction or includes such a motor, and the actuator can be reset by a reset force generated during rotation.

5. The locking device according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: The lock tongue (4) can be locked by the lock pawl (6) in a pre-locking position, in which the lock tongue (4) is positioned to guide the locking bow (11) into the lock tongue (4), and the lock tongue (4) can be moved from the pre-locking position to a locking position, in which the lock tongue is locked by the lock pawl (6).

6. The locking device according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: The locking pawl (6) can be moved out of the locking position and / or pre-locking position against a resetting force.

7. The locking device according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: The pulling element (13) is a Bowden cable.

8. A motor vehicle comprising a vehicle body (22), a tailgate (21) and a locking device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

Images