Motor vehicle lock arrangement

Abstract

Motor vehicle locking assembly with at least one motor vehicle lock (1) with a lock latch (2) and with a pawl (3) holding the lock latch (2) in a main latch position and in a possible pre-latch position, wherein the lock latch (2) can be engaged with a locking wedge (6) or the like, wherein the motor vehicle lock (1) is associated with a lock latch sensor (7) for monitoring the lock latch position and a pawl sensor (8) for monitoring the pawl position, wherein a first control unit (9) and a second control unit (10) are provided to provide different automatic functions of the motor vehicle locking assembly, and wherein the sensor signals of the lock latch sensor (7) and / or the pawl sensor (8) form relevant input signals for both control units (9, 10).wherein the first control unit (9) is coupled to the lock latch sensor (7) and to the pawl sensor (8) and thus directly accesses the sensor signals of the lock latch sensor (7) and the pawl sensor (8), wherein the first control unit (9) provides input signals for the second control unit (10) based on the sensor signals, and wherein the second control unit (10) is coupled to the first control unit (9) for the purpose of tapping these input signals and thus indirectly accesses the sensor signals of the lock latch sensor (7) and the pawl sensor (8), characterized in that the first control unit (9) has a converter (13) and converts the sensor signals into input signals for the second control unit (10) by means of the converter (13), and that the converter (13) is designed such thatthat the sensor signals of the lock latch sensor (7) and the locking pawl sensor (8) are logically linked together to generate the input signals for the second control unit (10).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a motor vehicle lock arrangement with the features of the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] The vehicle locking assembly in question comprises at least one vehicle lock. In this context, the term "vehicle lock" encompasses all types of door, hood, lid, or hatch locks. Typically, the vehicle locking assembly includes two or four side door locks, one hatch lock, and one hood lock. In the following, only a single vehicle lock within the vehicle locking assembly will be referred to as representative of all the individual vehicle locks.

[0003] The vehicle lock is equipped with the usual locking elements: latch and pawl. The pawl holds the latch in a main locking position and in a pre-locking position. In the pre-locking position, the pawl is in a retracted position. The latch can be engaged with a locking wedge or similar device located on the vehicle body.

[0004] To improve user comfort, modern vehicle locking systems are equipped with various automatic functions. One example is an assisted closing function, where the vehicle lock is automatically moved from a pre-locked position to a fully locked position. The advantage here is that the user only needs to move the vehicle door to the pre-locked position to close it, and this requires relatively little effort. This is because the door seal's resistance is not yet effective at this stage. Only the movement from the pre-locked position to the fully locked position requires considerable force, which is then performed automatically by a motor.

[0005] A generic motor vehicle lock arrangement is shown in DE 101 01 493 A1.

[0006] Several variants of motorized closing aids are known. One variant (DE 39 35 804 C2) provides that the locking wedge, which interacts with the latch, can be moved by a motor to close the vehicle door. In another known vehicle lock (DE 102 39 734 A1), the latch can be adjusted from the pre-latch position to the main latch position by means of the closing aid. The pre-latch position of the latch corresponds to the pre-closing position as described above, and the main latch position corresponds to the fully closed position.

[0007] In the latter design of a locking aid, a locking aid drive is activated when the lock latch reaches the pre-engaged position. A control unit in the form of a locking aid control is provided for this purpose.

[0008] After the sensor detects the pre-latch position, the latch is moved from the pre-latch position to the main latch position by a motor. This closed state, in which the latch should be in the main latch position and the pawl in the engaged position, must also be detected by a sensor.

[0009] The sensory detection of the main locking position is of particular importance because a faulty locking process, for example due to a failure of the auxiliary locking drive, can endanger the vehicle occupants. This is the case, for instance, with a "false locking" when the lock latch is in the main locking position, but the locking pawl has not engaged and thus remains in its raised position.

[0010] To detect false locking, it has proven effective to monitor both the latch position and the pawl position using sensors. This typically involves a latch sensor on the one hand and a pawl sensor on the other. The known automotive lock (DE 195 45 722 A1), from which the present invention is based, demonstrates such an arrangement. Here, the sensors are designed as binary switches, for example, as Hall effect sensors.

[0011] The locking status of a vehicle's door lock is not only important for the locking mechanism. For example, modern vehicle lock systems typically have an additional control unit in the form of a door control unit, which provides supplementary functions such as automatic interior lighting, a warning indicator if the vehicle doors are not fully closed, and so on. Earlier systems used a sensor that engaged with the vehicle door and was activated when the door was moved into the open position. Newer systems, however, also monitor the latch position and / or the locking pawl position in the door control unit.

[0012] Monitoring the locking status for the door control unit can be achieved by installing additional sensors on the lock latch and / or the locking pawl. This initially appears complex and expensive. However, reusing existing sensors for multiple purposes is not readily possible.

[0013] Connecting multiple control units in parallel to a single sensor inherently presents the problem of short circuits and unwanted current flows between the control units, unless they are adequately electrically decoupled. Therefore, the sensors used are generally multi-channel, which again leads to high costs. Furthermore, when using Hall effect sensors, a single Hall effect sensor cannot supply multiple control units. The signal power generated by the Hall effect sensor is typically insufficient for this purpose.

[0014] The invention is based on the problem of designing and further developing the known motor vehicle lock arrangement in such a way that the locking state of a motor vehicle lock can be monitored simultaneously by different control units with minimal effort.

[0015] The above problem is solved in a motor vehicle lock arrangement with the features of the preamble of claim 1 by the features of the characterizing part of claim 1.

[0016] The key consideration is that only one of the control units – here the first control unit – directly accesses the sensor signals from the latch sensor and / or the pawl sensor. The second control unit then accesses the sensor signals indirectly, via the first control unit. This ensures that the latch sensor and the pawl sensor only need to be designed to supply a single control unit, allowing the use of more cost-effective sensors. Depending on the application, the wiring effort can also be significantly reduced.

[0017] According to the invention, the first control unit has a converter that converts the sensor signals into input signals for the second control unit.

[0018] According to the invention, the converter performs a logical combination of the sensor signals. According to claim 8, the logical combination is configured such that the input signal for the second control unit is only activated when the lock latch has reliably assumed its main detent position, excluding any false locking. Thus, the converter generates a single, binary input signal for the second control unit from the two sensor signals, which leads to a further reduction in wiring effort. At the same time, operational reliability is increased by taking false locking into account.

[0019] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing that illustrates only one embodiment. The single figure in the drawing shows a motor vehicle lock arrangement according to the invention, comprising a motor vehicle lock with an associated locking aid and a door control unit.

[0020] The proposed vehicle locking arrangement typically includes several vehicle locks 1, preferably two or four side door locks, a trunk lock, and a hood lock. Different combinations are conceivable depending on the vehicle type. In the drawing, only a single vehicle lock 1 is shown as a representative of all the vehicle locks 1 in the vehicle locking arrangement.

[0021] The vehicle lock 1 has the usual locking elements: latch 2 and pawl 3. A main detent 4 and a pre-detent 5 are arranged on the latch 2 for engagement with the pawl 3. The latch 2 is shown in the main detent position. In principle, the pre-detent 5 and, consequently, the pre-detent position of the latch 2 can be omitted.

[0022] The lock latch 2 can be engaged with a locking wedge 6 or the like. Typically, the vehicle lock 1 is located on a vehicle door and the locking wedge 6 is located on the vehicle body.

[0023] The illustrated vehicle lock 1 is equipped with a latch sensor 7 for monitoring the latch position and a pawl sensor 8 for monitoring the pawl position. In the illustrated and thus preferred embodiment, the sensors 7 and 8 are Hall effect sensors. Magnets 7a and 8a are correspondingly attached to the latch 2 and pawl 3, respectively. In principle, all other types of sensors can also be used here.

[0024] To provide various automatic functions of the vehicle locking system, a first control unit 9 and a second control unit 10 are provided. Here, and preferably, the first control unit 9 is used as a closing assistance function, and the second control unit 10 as an additional function such as automatic interior lighting, a warning indicator in case of incompletely closed vehicle doors, or the like. Depending on the application, the control units 9 and 10 can also perform other functions.

[0025] It is essential that the sensor signals from the lock latch sensor 7 and / or the locking pawl sensor 8 constitute relevant input signals for both control units 9 and 10. This means that the control signals generated by the two control units 9 and 10 depend on the respective current sensor signals from the lock latch sensor 7 and / or the locking pawl sensor 8, i.e., on the closed state of the vehicle lock 1.

[0026] As can be seen from the drawing, the first control unit 9 is coupled to the lock latch sensor 7 on the one hand and to the locking pawl sensor 8 on the other, and thus directly accesses the sensor signals of these two sensors 7 and 8. The two electrical connecting lines 11 and 12 are provided for this purpose. The coupling described above can, in principle, also refer to only one of the two sensors 7 or 8.

[0027] It is essential that the first control unit 9 provides input signals for the second control unit 10 based on the sensor signals, and that the second control unit 10 is coupled to the first control unit 9 for accessing these input signals. For accessing the input signals, the second control unit 10 is coupled to the first control unit 9 via the electrical connection line 14. Through this connection, the second control unit 10 indirectly accesses the sensor signals of the lock latch sensor 7 and the locking pawl sensor 8 via the first control unit 9. In the simplest case, this means that the sensor signals are simply passed through by the first control unit 9. The first control unit 9 thus merely acts as a simple electrical conductor. However, preprocessing of the sensor signals can also take place in the first control unit 9.

[0028] According to the invention, the first control unit 9 has a converter 13 to provide input signals for the second control unit 10. The converter 13 allows the sensor signals to be converted into input signals for the second control unit 10. Depending on the design of the sensor and control unit, the converter 13 can be a digital or analog electrical circuit of varying complexity. This will be explained in more detail below.

[0029] In the illustrated and thus preferred embodiment, the latch sensor 7 is designed as a single Hall sensor. The pawl sensor 8 is also preferably designed as a single Hall sensor. In principle, microswitches or other types of sensors can also be used here. The essential point is that a single sensor is now sufficient for monitoring the latch 2 on the one hand and the pawl 3 on the other, in order to supply both control units 9, 10 with the corresponding sensor signals.

[0030] Numerous configurations and arrangements of the latch sensor 7 on the one hand and the locking pawl sensor 8 on the other are conceivable. Here, the latch sensor 7 detects the main detent position of the latch 2, as shown. The latch sensor 7 is activated when the latch 2 is in the main detent position and deactivated otherwise. "Activated" in this context means that the respective sensor 7, 8 outputs a predetermined signal corresponding to a predetermined position of the respective component 2, 3, in this case, the main detent position of the latch 2. This signal can be either binary or analog.

[0031] The pawl 3 can be moved from a raised position (not shown) to the lowered position (shown), in which it engages with the latch 2. This lowered position of the pawl 3 can be detected by the pawl sensor 8. The pawl sensor 8 is activated when the pawl 3 is in the lowered position and deactivated otherwise.

[0032] With the configuration of the latch sensor 7 and the pawl sensor 8 described above, the locking states open, pre-latched, and fully latched can be detected. When the latch sensor 7 and the pawl sensor 8 are deactivated, the latch 2 is in the open position. When the latch sensor 7 and the pawl sensor 8 are activated, the latch 2 is in the pre-latched position. When both the latch sensor 7 and the pawl sensor 8 are activated, the latch 2 is in the fully latched position. A fault condition – false locking – is detected when the latch sensor 7 is activated and the pawl sensor 8 is deactivated. The illustrated and thus preferred sensor arrangement therefore results in a high level of operational reliability.

[0033] In principle, the two control units 9 and 10 can be assigned to all conceivable automatic functions of a motor vehicle locking system. However, as already indicated, a motorized closing aid 15 is assigned to the motor vehicle lock 1. The closing aid 15 has a closing aid control unit, which in this case forms the first control unit 9.

[0034] The locking aid 15 also includes a locking aid drive 16, which in this case serves for the motorized adjustment of the lock latch 2. However, it is also possible for the locking aid drive 16 to be used for the motorized adjustment of the locking wedge 6 or the like. For the sake of completeness, it should also be noted that the locking aid control 9 of the locking aid 15 has its own sequence control 17 for controlling the locking process.

[0035] It has also already been indicated that additional functions related to the respective locking state of the vehicle lock 1, such as automatic interior lighting, a warning indicator in case of incompletely closed vehicle doors, or the like, are provided. In the illustrated and thus preferred embodiment, a door control unit is provided for the above-mentioned additional functions; this unit forms the second control unit 10.

[0036] It can be seen from the illustration of the preferred embodiment that the door control unit 10 is supplied with sensor information by the closing assistance control unit 9, according to the invention via the converter 13.

[0037] The following explains some possible implementations of the converter 13 using the configuration with closing assistance control 9 and door control unit 10 as examples. It should be noted that all explanations also apply generally to any type of first control unit 9 and any type of second control unit 10.

[0038] In principle, it can be advantageous for the converter 13 to amplify the sensor signals with respect to signal amplitude and / or signal power. This is particularly advantageous when using Hall sensors, as their signal power is generally low.

[0039] According to the invention, the converter 13 logically combines the sensor signals of the lock latch sensor 7 and the locking pawl sensor 8 to generate the input signals for the second control unit 10. This increases operational reliability and reduces wiring effort, as will be shown below using a preferred embodiment.

[0040] The converter 13 is preferably designed to generate only a binary input signal for the second control unit 10. This input signal for the second control unit 10 is only activated when the latch 2 is in the main latch position and simultaneously the pawl 3 is in the engaged position. This is the only "permissible" combination of sensor signals for the latch 2 in the main latch position. The converter 13 here represents an AND gate between the sensor signals of the latch sensor 7 and the pawl sensor 8. In the event of a fault, the input signal for the second control unit 10 remains deactivated. Because only a single binary input signal is supplied to the second control unit 10, the wiring effort is particularly low.

[0041] There are several advantageous options for the structural design of the vehicle lock assembly. In a particularly preferred embodiment, each vehicle lock 1 of the vehicle lock assembly has a housing 18 that accommodates the latch 2 and the pawl 3, as well as the latch sensor 7 and the pawl sensor 8. The first control unit 9 and the second control unit 10 are arranged separately from the housing 18 of the vehicle lock 1. If the first control unit 9 is designed as part of a locking aid 15, it is preferably provided that the locking aid control 9 and the locking aid drive 16 are arranged in a separate housing. The locking aid drive 16 is preferably coupled to the vehicle lock 1 via a Bowden cable 19. This makes it possible for the locking aid 15 to be located entirely in a dry environment, while the vehicle lock 1 is located in a wet environment.

[0042] Basically, each motor vehicle lock 1 is assigned a locking aid 15, whereby each locking aid 15 preferably has a locking aid control 9.

[0043] In the configuration of the second control unit 10 as a door control unit, it is preferably a central door control unit 10 that is coupled to the vehicle locks 1 of the vehicle lock assembly. In the latter arrangement, several first control units 9 are provided, each of which is coupled to the second control unit 10.

[0044] The coupling between the first control unit 9 and the second control unit 10 can be designed as a direct coupling, as shown. In this case, a direct electrical connection line 14 is provided between the two control units 9 and 10. However, the coupling between the first control unit 9 and the second control unit 10 can also be designed as an indirect coupling, which, for example, leads via the housing 18 of the vehicle lock 1. In this configuration, the electrical connection line 14 shown in the drawing does not lead directly into the second control unit 10, but first into the housing 18 of the vehicle lock 1 and then from the housing 18 of the vehicle lock 1 to the second control unit 10.In a particularly preferred embodiment, an electrical connection port is arranged on the housing 18 for indirect coupling, via which the second control unit 10 can be coupled to the first control unit 9. This can be particularly advantageous in terms of a modular structure.

[0045] It has already been pointed out that the signals in question can be analog or binary signals. Furthermore, a bus system may be provided that couples the individual control components. For example, it may be provided that the first control unit 9 and the second control unit 10 are coupled to each other via the bus system, and / or that the lock latch sensor 7 and / or the locking pawl sensor 8 are coupled to the first control unit 9 via the bus system.

[0046] In the illustrated and thus preferred embodiment, the closing aid control forms the first control unit 9 and the door control unit the second control unit 10. This can also be arranged the other way around, so that the door control unit is then directly coupled to the sensors 7, 8.

[0047] In summary, the hardware used to implement the proposed solution plays only a minor role. What is essential is that only the first control unit 9 is directly coupled to the respective sensors 7 and 8, and that this first control unit 9 supplies the second control unit 10 with the input signals relating to sensors 7 and 8.

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