Locking device for a vehicle door of a motor vehicle

Abstract

Locking device (10) for a vehicle door of a motor vehicle, comprising a door lock (12), an electrical (16) and a mechanical lock release, a mechanical operative connection, a first door handle (20a), a clutch (22), a clutch motor (24), a crash sensor (28), and an electromagnetic actuating device (26), wherein the door lock (12) enables at least the electrical (16) and, in parallel, the mechanical lock release via the mechanical operative connection with the first actuatable door handle (20a), wherein the clutch (22) is arranged in the mechanical operative connection between the first door handle (20a) and the door lock (12), which clutch can be engaged and disengaged via the clutch motor (24), further comprising a control unit (18) which is connected to the crash sensor (28) for detecting an accident situation, characterized in thatthat the clutch (22) is always in the disengaged state in the normal operating state, regardless of opening requests, and can be engaged and disengaged in addition to the clutch motor (24) via the electromagnetic actuating device (26), which is designed to engage the clutch (22) when the power is switched off, wherein the control unit (18) further comprises a first timer device (36) with a first timer time t1, which can be triggered by the signal of the crash sensor (28), so that the control unit (18) controls the clutch motor (24) to engage the clutch (22) after the expiration of the first timer time t1 after receiving a crash signal.

Description

The invention relates to a locking device for a vehicle door of a motor vehicle, comprising a door lock, an electrical and a mechanical lock release, a mechanical operative connection, a first door handle, a clutch, a clutch motor, a crash sensor and an electromagnetic actuating device, wherein the door lock enables at least the electrical and parallel mechanical lock release via the mechanical operative connection with the first actuatable door handle, wherein the clutch is arranged in the mechanical operative connection between the first door handle and the door lock, which clutch can be engaged and disengaged via the clutch motor, further comprising a control unit which is connected to the crash sensor for detecting an accident situation. The invention further relates to a vehicle door equipped therewith and to a motor vehicle provided with at least one such vehicle door.From DE 10 2015 008 122 A1 and DE 10 2016 114 494 A1, such locking devices are known which, when an emergency situation is detected by a crash sensor, make manual, mechanical door opening possible, wherein in the event of a crash signal an actuator mechanically connected to the lock is transferred from a concealed position into an extended position.DE 10 2017 008 519 A1 discloses a locking device for door locks in which, in the event of a crash signal, a locking coupling is switched for a predefined period of time into a locked state and subsequently into an unlocked state.DE 199 24 447 A1 discloses a door lock in which mechanical actuations by door handles act on internal sensors and in the normal case the locking pawl has been electrically unlocked and, in addition, a mechanical unlocking of the locking pawl takes place only in a special state when a door handle is pulled further.If a vehicle is mechanically locked, the vehicle door can no longer be opened from the outside in the event of a voltage failure as a result of a crash event.It is an object of the invention to provide a closing device which, in the event of a crash event, is capable under all circumstances, that is to say with or without availability of electrical energy, of initially keeping the vehicle door closed but subsequently enabling door unlocking.The object is achieved by a closing device for a vehicle door having the features specified in claim 1, by a vehicle door according to claim 9 and by a motor vehicle according to claim 10. The object is achieved according to claim 1 in that the clutch in the mechanical operative connection between the door handle and the door lock is always in the disengaged state in the normal operating state, independently of opening requirements, and this clutch can be engaged and disengaged in addition to the clutch motor via the electromagnetic actuating device which is designed to engage the clutch when the power is disconnected, wherein the control unit further comprises a first timer device having a first timer time t 1 which can be triggered by the signal of the crash sensor, so that the control unit, after the expiration of the first timer time t 1 controls the clutch motor to engage the clutch after receiving a crash signal.In the embodiment according to the invention, the door unlocking always takes place exclusively electrically under normal conditions. A door opening request by buttons or switches, in particular an opening button or switches arranged on the inner or outer door handle, brings about an activation of the electric lock unlocking unit and thus a lock unlocking, unless a locked setpoint state for the door lock is predefined in the control device.If, on the other hand, the vehicle has involved an accident and a crash signal is present, the first timer device is started with a first timer time t 1. During this first timer time t 1 an electrically triggered door opening request (e.g. as a result of an accident-related door deformation) possibly unintentionally occurred as a result of the accident event does not lead to a lock unlocking. Only after the expiration of the first timer time t 1 does a subsequently incoming door opening request (e.g. by an occupant in the vehicle or an accident responder from the outside) lead to an electrically effected lock unlocking. At the same time, i.e. upon expiration of the first timer time t 1 the clutch motor is activated for engaging the clutch, whereby the mechanical operative connection is established between at least one door handle, preferably an outer handle, and the mechanical lock unlocking unit. It is thus possible, even in the event of a later intended (by disconnecting the battery) or unintentional (for example due to an accident-related short circuit) interruption of the power supply, to also mechanically open the door lock by actuating the door handle mechanically coupled to the lock (preferably the outer door handle). If the power supply fails already before the expiration of the first timer time t 1 possibly immediately after the crash signal, the interruption of power in the electromagnetic actuating device, which is in the excited state when the power supply is present, in which the clutch is in the disengaged position, leads to the latter falling into the non-energized basic position, wherein said device moves the clutch into the engaged position. As a result, the door handle is automatically mechanically coupled to the door lock in the event of a power failure. This has the result that even in the event of a power failure, the door lock can be mechanically opened in any case.In other words, the mechanical operative connection between the door handles and the lock is always disengaged, except in an accident situation.In an advantageous development of the invention, the electromechanical actuating unit can be provided in addition to the clutch motor, with which actuating unit the clutch can likewise be engaged and disengaged. In particular, the accident safety can be increased with this additional electromechanical actuating unit. This is especially true in the event that the closing device itself should become de-energized in the event of an accident, and engagement of the clutch is ensured in this case, so that the doors can be opened by helpers, if desired via the door handles.After the expiration of the first timer time t 1 the clutch motor is activated to engage the clutch so that the mechanical unlocking path is ready when the current supply is still present.Preferably, the first timer time t 1 is between 3 seconds and 10 seconds, more preferably between 5 seconds and 7 seconds.According to an advantageous further development of the invention, a second door handle, preferably an inner door actuator, is mechanically operatively connected to the door lock via the coupling. The foregoing thus applies in the same way to an inner door handle which can be used in this way in the same way as the outer handle in the event of a crash signal or a power failure-and only then-for the mechanical door opening.According to an advantageous further development of the invention, the control unit has a second timer device with a second timer time t 2 which, when a door opening request signal is received from electric door switches, checks whether a crash signal is present and only then actuates the electric lock release for door unlocking after the expiration of the second timer time t 2 if no crash signal is present. This second timer time t 2 is significantly shorter than the first timer time t 1 and is between 50 msec. and 150 msec., preferably between 80 msec. and 120 msec. It serves to check, before an (electrical) door opening request is executed, whether a crash signal is present and to carry it out only if this is not the case.According to an advantageous development of the invention, the electromagnetic actuating device is designed as a spring-loaded (monostable) self-holding relay which, when current is applied, stresses a spring and disengages the clutch, wherein, when the current is disconnected, the clutch is moved by the spring force into the engaged state. In other words, this is a force spring accumulator which, in the normal operating state, is always subjected to current flow and thus holds the spring in a tensioned state.According to an advantageous development of the invention, the control unit comprises a binary lock state storage unit which can assume two logical states 0 (unlocked) and 1 (locked), wherein only in the case of a state 0 is a door opening request of electric door switches forwarded to the electric lock unlocking unit. If, on the other hand, the logic state is 1, then in the normal operating state the control unit omits any forwarding of opening requests to the electrical lock release. The state of the locking state storage unit can be switched over by an electrical remote control or a central control unit of the vehicle or by means of a switch in the driver area.According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the locked state storage unit is brought into the unlocked state by the control unit upon receipt of a crash signal. This ensures that, after a crash, door opening is possible not only via the mechanical path but also parallel thereto via the electrical path, whereby a redundancy is created in the event that the mechanical operative connection has been damaged or destroyed by the crash.The proposed solution according to a further development likewise provides a reliable, remotely controllable child safety device, wherein the remotely controllable device can be provided via switches in the interior or a radio remote control.According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it comprises a vehicle door for a motor vehicle having a closing device according to one or more of the preceding embodiments.According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it comprises a motor vehicle having at least one such vehicle door.Further advantages, features and details are apparent from the following description, in which an exemplary embodiment is described in detail with reference to the drawing.The FIGURE shows a schematic functional diagram of the closing device according to the invention. The locking device 10 shown therein comprises a door lock 12 with a locking unit 14 with at least one rotary latch and a pawl (not shown). The closing unit 14 can be actuated electrically and mechanically. The actuation is effected electrically via an electrical lock release 16 designed as an electrical lock drive, which is in turn controlled by a control unit 18. The closing unit 14 is mechanically actuated by an actuatable first door handle 20 a, which is preferably designed as an outer door handle, and a second door handle 20 b, which is preferably designed as an actuatable inner door handle, via suitable mechanical operative connections, preferably Bowden cables. Between the door handles 20 a, 20 band the locking unit 14 there is a clutch 22 which can be engaged and disengaged in the mechanical operative connection. In the disengaged state of the coupling 22, however, an actuation of the door handles 20 a, 20 bis ineffective. The clutch 22 has two parallel actuation inputs, namely a clutch motor 24 and an electromagnetic actuation device 26, both of which are controlled by the control unit 18.The control unit 18 is connected to a crash sensor 28 which delivers a crash signal to the control unit 18 in the event of an accident situation. The control unit 18 is furthermore connected to two electrical door opening switches or door buttons 30 a, 30 b, which are assigned to the door handles 20 a, 20 b. Upon actuation of one of the door handles 20 a, 20 b, the associated door button 30 a, 30 bis actuated, which triggers an electrical opening request signal for the door lock 12 in the control unit 18. Finally, the control unit 18 is connected to a locking signal generator 32, which is actuated, for example, by a remote control or a central vehicle control device, in order to keep the locking device 10 in the locked state or else to allow unlocking. For this purpose, the locking signal generator 32 is connected to a locking state storage unit 34, which is a component of the control unit 18. If the locking state storage unit 34 is in the state 0, i.e. is set in this state by the locking signal generator 32, opening requests by the door buttons 30 a, 30 bremain ineffective. However, if the locking state storage unit 34 is in the logic state 1, it is checked if an opening request signal is present from one of the door switches 30 a, 30 b, whether a crash signal is present and only after this check, preferably after a time delay or second timer time t 2, has elapsed, is the electrical lock release 16 activated, which unlocks the locking unit 14.The control unit 18 comprises a first timer device 36, which is triggered by a signal of the crash sensor 28, and a second timer device 38, which is triggered by a door opening request from the door switches 30 a, 30 b.In normal operation, the operation depends on whether the lock state storage unit 34 is in state 0 or 1. In state 0 nothing happens when an opening request signal is present, i.e. the actuation of the door buttons 30 a, 30 bremain ineffective. In state 1, on the other hand, an opening request of a door button 30 a, 30 bis forwarded to the lock drive 16 after the expiration of the second timer time t 2.When the crash sensor 28 has generated a crash signal, the first timer device 36 is started and preferably the lock state storage unit 34 is simultaneously set to the state 1. After a first timer time t 1 has elapsed, the lock state storage unit 34 is set to the state 0 again, which enables door unlocking in the "normal" manner. At the same time, the clutch motor 24 is activated, which engages the clutch 22 and thus establishes a mechanical connection between the door handles 20 a, 20 band the locking unit 14, so that a subsequent manual actuation of one of the door handles 20 a, 20 bmechanicsally unlocks the locking unit 14.The connection between the control unit 18 and the electromagnetic actuating device 26 is merely a voltage supply, no signal line, and serves only to keep the actuating device 26 constantly under current and thus in the mechanically prestressed state. Only in the event of a power failure in the control unit 18 does the actuating device 26 fall into the mechanically relaxed basic state, wherein at the same time the clutch 22 is engaged by a mechanical connection so that in the event of a power failure a mechanical door unlocking via the door handles 20 a, 20 bis possible in each case.Although the invention has been illustrated and explained in more detail by preferred exemplary embodiments, the invention is not restricted by the disclosed examples and other variations can be derived therefrom by the person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the invention. It is therefore clear that a large number of possible variations exist. It is also clear that embodiments mentioned by way of example represent only examples which are not to be understood in any way as limiting, for example, the scope of protection, the possible applications or the configuration of the invention. Rather, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete terms, wherein the person skilled in the art, knowing the disclosed inventive concept, can make various changes, for example with regard to the function or the arrangement of individual elements mentioned in an exemplary embodiment, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description. Daimler-Benz Group AGList of reference characters10 Locking device 12 Door lock 14 Locking unit 16 Electrical lock release 18 Control unit 20 a, b Door handles 22 Clutch 24 Clutch motor 26 Electromagnetic actuating device 28 Crash sensor 30 a, b Door button 32 Locking signal generator 34 Locking state storage unit 36 First timer device 38 Second timer device t 1 First timer time t 2 Second timer time

Claims

Locking device (10) for a vehicle door of a motor vehicle, comprising a door lock (12), an electrical lock release (16) and a mechanical lock release, a mechanical operative connection, a first door handle (20a), a coupling (22), a coupling motor (24), a crash sensor (28) and an electromagnetic actuating device (26), wherein the door lock (12) enables at least the electrical lock release (16) and, in parallel thereto, the mechanical lock release via the mechanical operative connection with the first actuatable door handle (20a), wherein the coupling (22), which can be engaged and disengaged via the coupling motor (24), is arranged in the mechanical operative connection between the first door handle (20a) and the door lock (12), further comprising a control unit (18), which is connected to the crash sensor (28) for detecting an accident situation, characterized in that, that the clutch (22) is always in the disengaged state in the normal operating state, regardless of opening requirements, and this is engageable and disengageable in addition to the clutch motor (24) via the electromagnetic actuating device (26), which is designed to engage the clutch (22) upon de-energizing, wherein the control unit (18) furthermore has a first timer device (36) with a first timer time t 1 which is triggerable by the signal of the crash sensor (28), so that the control unit (18), after the expiration of the first timer time t 1 controls the clutch motor (24) to engage the clutch (22) upon receipt of a crash signal.Locking device according to claim 1, characterised in that a second door handle (20b), preferably an inner door actuator, is operatively connected mechanically to the door lock (12) via the coupling (22).Locking device according to either of Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the control unit (18) has a second timer device (38) with a second timer time t2, which, when a door opening request signal is received from electric door switches (30a, 30b), checks whether a crash signal is present and only then actuates the electric lock release (16) for door unlocking after the expiration of the second timer time t 2 if no crash signal is present.Closing device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first timer time t 1 is between 3 seconds and 10 seconds, preferably between 5 seconds and 7 seconds.Locking device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second timer time t 2 is between 50 msec. and 150 msec., preferably between 80 msec. and 120 msec.Locking device according to one of the preceding claims, in particular according to Claim 2, characterized in that the electromagnetic actuating device (26) is designed as a spring-loaded monostable self-holding relay which, when the power is disconnected, moves the clutch (22) into the engaged state.Locking device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit (18) comprises a binary locking state storage unit (34) which is designed to pass on a door opening request from electric door switches (30a, 30b) to the electric lock release (16) only in the case of a locking state 0.Locking device according to claim 7, characterised in that the locking state storage unit (34) can be brought into the unlocked state by the control unit (18) upon receipt of a crash signal.Vehicle door for a motor vehicle, comprising a closing device according to one or more of the preceding claims.Motor vehicle comprising at least one vehicle door according to the preceding claim.

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