Motor vehicle lock for a closure element of a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle lock for a closure element (2) of a motor vehicle, comprising a latch (3) and a pawl system (4). The latch (3) can be adjusted into an open position, a main closing position, and a pre-closing position, which is located between the open position and the main closing position, wherein the motor vehicle lock (1) has a closing aid mechanism (11) which can be directly or indirectly drivingly coupled to the latch (3) in order to drive the latch (3), preferably from the pre-closing position, in the direction of the main closing position as part of a closing aid process, and the motor vehicle lock (1) has a decoupling mechanism (18), by means of which the closing aid mechanism (11) can be drivingly decoupled from the latch (3) during the closing aid process. According to the invention, the motor vehicle lock (1) has a combination lever (19) which can be slid, in particular a combination lever which can be moved linearly, and the release mechanism (10) can be actuated, in order to convert the pawl system (4) to the open state, together with the decoupling mechanism (18), in order to drivingly decouple the closing aid mechanism (11) from the latch (3), via a sliding movement of the combination lever (19).

Description

[0001] Motor vehicle lock for a locking element of a motor vehicle

[0002] The present invention relates to a motor vehicle lock for a locking element of a motor vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a locking element arrangement for a motor vehicle with such a motor vehicle lock according to the preamble of claim 6.

[0003] The known prior art (DE 102020 109594 A1 ) from which the invention is based relates to a motor vehicle lock according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0004] The motor vehicle lock in question can be associated with any locking element of a motor vehicle. In this respect, the term "locking element" is to be interpreted broadly. It encompasses, for example, a side door, in particular a front side door, a rear door, a tailgate, a trunk lid, a front hood, a bonnet, or the like. The locking element can be hinged to the body of the motor vehicle in the manner of a pivoting door or a sliding door.

[0005] In addition to the locking mechanism consisting of the latch and pawl system, the motor vehicle lock features a release mechanism and an auxiliary locking mechanism. The release mechanism is used to open the motor vehicle lock. The auxiliary locking mechanism is used to forcefully adjust the latch from the pre-locking position to the main locking position, counteracting the forces of door seals and similar forces. This is a convenience feature that allows the operator to simply move the locking element to the pre-locking position to close the lock. The further adjustment to the main locking position is then handled by the auxiliary locking mechanism.

[0006] Furthermore, the known motor vehicle lock is equipped with a decoupling mechanism that allows the locking mechanism to be decoupled from the lock latch during the locking process. This is particularly intended in the event of a pinch occurring during the locking process.

[0007] Although the known motor vehicle lock functions extremely reliably, its design is comparatively complex and, particularly with regard to the arrangement of the components, limited. For example, the known motor vehicle lock requires that the release mechanism be located directly next to the auxiliary locking mechanism in order to activate the uncoupling mechanism accordingly. An arrangement of the components that differs from that of the known motor vehicle lock is not readily possible. Therefore, the overarching locking mechanism of the known motor vehicle lock (release mechanism and auxiliary locking mechanism) cannot be transferred to other motor vehicle locks that have a different arrangement of components, or only with considerable design effort.

[0008] The invention is based on the problem of designing and developing the known motor vehicle lock in such a way that further optimization is achieved with regard to the aforementioned challenge.

[0009] The above problem is solved by the features of the characterising part of claim 1.

[0010] The fundamental idea is that the release mechanism and the uncoupling mechanism are actuated via a sliding movement. For this purpose, a sliding, particularly linearly movable combination lever is provided, the sliding movement of which enables the joint actuation of both mechanisms. "Sliding movement" refers to a movement that at least includes a translational component. However, the sliding movement can also include rotational components. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the sliding movement can be a purely linear movement.

[0011] The translational component of the sliding movement allows movements to be transmitted between two relatively widely separated components without the need for large rotary components, as is the case with purely rotary motion transmission. The proposed solution thus enables a high degree of design flexibility while maintaining a compact design. The master locking mechanism can therefore also be easily transferred to other automotive locksmiths.

[0012] In detail, it is proposed that the motor vehicle lock has a displaceably movable, in particular linearly movable, combination lever and that the trigger mechanism for transferring the pawl system into the opening state and the uncoupling mechanism for the drive-technical uncoupling of the auxiliary locking mechanism from the lock latch can be actuated together via a sliding movement of the combination lever.

[0013] In the preferred embodiment according to claim 2, the degrees of freedom of movement are defined by a guide. The term "guide" is to be interpreted broadly here. It encompasses all measures by which the degrees of freedom of movement can be adjusted to a sliding movement in the above sense. The term "guide" includes, for example, a sliding guide, in particular a linear guide, which can be produced cost-effectively. However, it also encompasses a linkage of the combination lever to at least two linkage points, via which the degrees of freedom of movement of the combination lever can also be adjusted. If the guide is provided by a housing of the motor vehicle lock, a particularly cost-effective and compact arrangement results.

[0014] Claim 3 relates to further preferred embodiments for implementing the connection of the combination lever to the motor vehicle lock via corresponding transmission devices, specifically with the release mechanism on the one hand and the uncoupling mechanism on the other. A particularly high degree of design flexibility can be achieved by converting the sliding movement of the combination lever into pivoting movements by means of the transmission devices.

[0015] In claim 4, the motor vehicle lock is advantageously further developed with regard to the connection of Bowden cables. The proposed embodiments can, on the one hand, enable the motor vehicle lock to be designed compactly and, on the other hand, make the installation of the motor vehicle lock in or on a locking element particularly easy to install.

[0016] Claim 5 specifically concerns the compact arrangement of the components of the motor vehicle lock. By aligning the movement of the combination lever transversely to the latch axis, the components of the motor vehicle lock can be arranged in a space-saving manner. According to a further teaching according to claim 6, which has independent significance, a locking element arrangement for a motor vehicle is claimed. It is essential that the motor vehicle lock is designed according to one of the preceding claims. Reference is made to all statements regarding the proposed motor vehicle lock.

[0017] In the following, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to a drawing which merely represents exemplary embodiments. In the drawing,

[0018] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a locking element of a motor vehicle with a proposed motor vehicle lock with the lock latch in the open position in a perspective view,

[0019] Fig. 2 the motor vehicle lock according to Fig. 1 a) with the lock latch in the main locking position and with the pawl system in the locked state and b) at the beginning of the opening process,

[0020] Fig. 3 the motor vehicle lock according to Fig. 1 a) with the lock latch in the pre-locking position and with the pawl system in the locked state and b) at the beginning of the auxiliary locking process and

[0021] Fig. 4 shows the motor vehicle lock according to Fig. 1 during an auxiliary closing process which was interrupted by actuation of the uncoupling mechanism.

[0022] The motor vehicle lock 1 in question is associated with a locking element 2. The term "locking element" is to be understood broadly, as already described above. In Fig. 1, the locking element 2 is a front side door.

[0023] The exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figures and thus preferred relates very generally to a motor vehicle lock 1 for an above-mentioned locking element 2 of a motor vehicle, having a lock latch 3 and a pawl system 4, as shown in Fig. 1. The lock latch 3 is adjustable into an open position (Fig. 1), a main locking position (Fig. 2a), and a pre-locking position (Fig. 3a), which is located between the open position and the main locking position. The pawl system 4 is defined such that it assumes a pawl function, i.e. locking the lock latch 3 in the pre-locking position and in the main locking position. It can be designed in different ways as one or more parts. Here and preferably, the pawl system 4 has a pawl 6 pivotable about a pawl axis 5 and a downstream pawl mechanism 7 for holding the lock latch 3.The specific implementation of the pawl mechanism 7 plays only a minor role in the present invention. Its basic functionality can be found in German patent application DE 102021 102 105 A1, which is filed by the applicant and whose content is incorporated into the present application.

[0024] In the installed state, the lock latch 3 is in holding engagement with a locking part 9, in particular with a striker or the like, via a locking part receptacle 8 in the closed positions. The locking part 9 is indicated in dashed lines in Fig. 1. The pawl system 4 can be brought into at least one locked state, in which the pawl system 4 holds the lock latch 3 in the main closed position (Fig. 2a) or the pre-locking position (Fig. 3a). The pawl system 4 can also be adjusted into an open state, in which the pawl system 4 releases the lock latch 3 (Fig. 2b).

[0025] The motor vehicle lock 1 further comprises a release mechanism 10, by means of which the pawl system 4 can be transferred into the open state in a manner to be explained below.

[0026] To implement an auxiliary locking process, the motor vehicle lock 1 is equipped with an auxiliary locking mechanism 11, which can be coupled to the lock latch 3, here and preferably directly, in order to drive the lock latch 3 during the auxiliary locking process, preferably from the pre-locking position, towards the main locking position. In principle, the auxiliary locking mechanism 11 can also be coupled to the lock latch 3 indirectly, for example via another lever system. The start of the auxiliary locking process is shown in Fig. 3b. The drive coupling is achieved via an engagement lever 13 of the auxiliary locking mechanism 11, which can be pivoted about an engagement axis 12. For this purpose, the engagement lever 13 has an engagement surface 14, which engages with a counter-engagement surface 15 of the lock latch 3.Here, and preferably, the auxiliary locking mechanism 11 includes an auxiliary locking lever 17 pivotable about an auxiliary locking axis 16, on which the engagement lever 13 is pivotably mounted. The auxiliary locking mechanism 11 can be actuated via the auxiliary locking lever 17, thereby establishing the drive coupling to the lock latch 3 via the engagement lever 13. This is shown in Fig. 3b).

[0027] In order to interrupt the closing movement of the locking element 2 in the event of a pinching situation, for example, if an operator's hand is trapped between the locking element 2 and the motor vehicle body during the auxiliary closing process, the motor vehicle lock 1 is equipped with a decoupling mechanism 18, by which the auxiliary closing mechanism 11 can be decoupled from the lock latch 3 during the auxiliary closing process. This is shown in Fig. 4.

[0028] This uncoupling occurs in such a way that the engagement surface 14 of the engagement lever 13 disengages from the counter-engagement surface 15 of the lock latch 3 in the uncoupled position of the auxiliary locking mechanism 11 (Fig. 4). For this purpose, the engagement lever 13 interacts with the uncoupling mechanism 18 in a manner to be explained below.

[0029] It is now essential that the motor vehicle lock 1 has a displaceable, in particular linearly movable, combination lever 19 and that the trigger mechanism 10 for transferring the pawl system 4 into the opening state and the uncoupling mechanism 18 for the drive-technical uncoupling of the auxiliary locking mechanism 11 from the lock latch 3 can be actuated together via a sliding movement of the combination lever 19.

[0030] The term "joint" in this case means that the single sliding movement leads to both an actuation of the release mechanism 10 and an actuation of the auxiliary locking mechanism 11. It is preferably provided that the decoupling of the auxiliary locking mechanism 11 from the lock latch 3 takes place before the pawl system 4 is transferred into the open state, so that the opening process of the motor vehicle lock 1 is not impaired under any circumstances by the auxiliary locking mechanism 11. In a preferred variant, the actuation of the release mechanism 10 takes place at least partially simultaneously with the actuation of the uncoupling mechanism 18. In principle, however, it is also provided that the joint actuation comprises an arrangement in which the two actuations take place one after the other, preferably in quick succession.

[0031] As a result, as shown in Fig. 4, an auxiliary locking process can be interrupted by actuating the uncoupling mechanism 18. The sliding movement of the combination lever 19 also results in a high degree of design freedom in the arrangement of the components of the motor vehicle lock 1. Here and preferably, the lock latch 3 and / or the pawl system 4 is or are arranged between the release mechanism 10 and the auxiliary locking mechanism 11.

[0032] Furthermore, it is preferably provided here that the motor vehicle lock 1 has a guide 20, through which the combination lever 19 is guided displaceably, in particular linearly. This guide 20 is only indicated in Fig. 1. Preferably, the motor vehicle lock 1 has a housing 21, wherein the guide 20 is further preferably arranged on the housing 21 or, as here, is provided by the housing 21. The housing 21, which provides the guide 20, is preferably also a component of the retaining bearing 22 for receiving the locking part 9. This can be seen from the illustration in Fig. 4.

[0033] The combination lever 19 has a central portion 23, with the guide 20 preferably guiding the combination lever 19 along the central portion 23. The central portion 23 is preferably located between a first lever end 24 and a second lever end 25 of the combination lever 19, via which the combination lever 19 is connectable or connectable to the trigger mechanism 10 on the one hand and the auxiliary closing mechanism 11 on the other hand.

[0034] Furthermore, it is preferably provided here that the motor vehicle lock 1 has a first transmission device 26 for transmitting the sliding movement of the combination lever 19 to the triggering mechanism 10 and a second transmission device 27 for transmitting the actuating movement of the combination lever 19 to the uncoupling mechanism 18, that the triggering mechanism 10 has a trigger lever 29 which can be pivoted about a trigger lever axis 28 and the uncoupling mechanism 18 has an uncoupling lever 31 which can be pivoted about an uncoupling lever axis 30, and that the first transmission device 26 and the second transmission device 27 are each designed to transmit the sliding movement of the combination lever 19 into a pivoting movement of the trigger lever 29 and the uncoupling lever 31. For this purpose, the first transmission device 26 has a driver contour 32 which interacts with a driver pin 33 on the trigger lever 29.The second transmission device 27, on the other hand, has a connecting joint 34 that runs in a slotted hole 35. To compensate for the movement between the sliding movement of the combination lever 19 and the pivoting movements of the release lever 29 and the uncoupling lever 31, the first transmission device 26 (correspondingly shaped driver contour 32) and the second transmission device 27 (slotted hole 35) provide corresponding degrees of freedom of movement.

[0035] For the drive-related uncoupling of the locking auxiliary mechanism 11 from the lock latch 3, it is preferably provided that the sliding movement of the combination lever 19 and the associated pivoting of the uncoupling lever 31 causes the uncoupling lever 31 to engage with the engagement lever 13. Through this engagement, the engagement lever 13 pivots out of the drive-related coupling from the lock latch 3. Here and preferably, the uncoupling lever 31 has a decoupling contour 36 and the engagement lever 13 has a decoupling counter-contour 37, here in the form of a bolt.

[0036] Fig. 4 shows that the two pivoting movements of the release lever 29 and the uncoupling lever 31 are preferably aligned in the same direction. This results in a particularly compact design overall.

[0037] Furthermore, it is preferably provided here that the motor vehicle lock 1 has a first Bowden cable connection 38 for actuating the auxiliary locking mechanism 11 by initiating an actuating movement required to drive the lock latch 3 as part of the auxiliary locking process, that the motor vehicle lock 1 has a second Bowden cable connection 39 for actuating the combination lever 19 by initiating an actuating movement required for the drive-related decoupling between the auxiliary locking mechanism and the lock latch 3, and that the arrangement is such that in the installed state the first Bowden cable 40 connected to the first Bowden cable connection 38 and the second Bowden cable 41 connected to the second Bowden cable connection 39 extend from the motor vehicle lock 1 in the same direction and / or parallel to one another.In this case, it is further preferred that, in the installed state, the connected first Bowden cable 40 and the connected second Bowden cable 41 extend downwards or upwards from the motor vehicle lock 1. This is best seen in the illustrations in Figures 1 and 4.

[0038] In the installed state, the first Bowden cable 40 is preferably connected to an auxiliary locking drive 42, which is arranged separately from the motor vehicle lock 1. In principle, however, this auxiliary locking drive 42 can also be a component of the motor vehicle lock 1, so that the first Bowden cable 40 can be omitted.

[0039] The motor vehicle lock 1 can basically be designed as an electric lock. This means that the opening of the lock, i.e. the transfer of the pawl system 4 into the open state, is carried out by a motor during normal operation. For emergency operation, a manual actuation element 43 is preferably provided, which is coupled to the motor vehicle lock 1 via the above-mentioned second Bowden cable 41. Alternatively or additionally, an interior actuation lever 44 can be provided, which is coupled to an interior door handle and whose actuation also enables the pawl system 4 to be transferred into the open state. For this purpose, the interior actuation lever 44 is coupled, or at least coupleable, to the combination lever 19 in one variant. In the simplest case, the interior actuation lever 44 can also be dispensed with if the interior door handle is directly coupled to the combination lever 19. For this purpose,A further, third Bowden cable 45 is provided, which is coupled to the combination lever 19 via a third Bowden cable connection 46. This is also indicated in Fig. 4.

[0040] Here, too, it is preferable for the third Bowden cable 45 and the first Bowden cable 40 and / or the second Bowden cable 41 to extend in a common direction. In particular, it is preferably provided that the third Bowden cable 45 extends from the third Bowden cable connection 46 essentially parallel to the second Bowden cable 41 extending from the second Bowden cable connection 39.

[0041] It should be noted that the first Bowden cable connection 38, the second Bowden cable connection 39, and the third Bowden cable connection 46 can be provided individually or in combination, depending on the functional requirements. Furthermore, it is preferably provided here that the lock latch 3 is pivotable about a lock latch axis 47, and that the sliding movement of the combination lever 19 is oriented transversely to the lock latch axis 47, as shown by a combination of Figures 2a and 2b. Alternatively or additionally, in the installed state, the locking part 9 runs into the motor vehicle lock 1 in an entry direction 48 for the retaining engagement with the lock latch 3, wherein the sliding movement is oriented substantially transversely to the entry direction 48. The combination lever 19 is preferably oriented elongately. It further preferably extends substantially transversely to the entry direction 48 of the locking part 9.All this leads to a particularly high degree of design flexibility, since the trigger mechanism 10 and the uncoupling mechanism 18 can be positioned far apart from each other.

[0042] This clearly shows that operating the combination lever 19 via a Bowden cable, whose drive movement at the Bowden cable connection runs along the sliding movement, is particularly advantageous. This largely eliminates the need to translate a pivoting movement into the linear drive movement of the Bowden cable.

[0043] Also proposed is a motor vehicle lock arrangement 49 for a locking element 2 of a motor vehicle with a locking element 2 and a proposed motor vehicle lock 1 assigned to the locking element 2.

[0044] Reference is made to all statements regarding the proposed motor vehicle lock 1. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the motor vehicle lock assembly 49 also includes the above-mentioned auxiliary locking drive 42 and / or the above-mentioned manual actuation element 43. Reference is also made to the above statements in this regard.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Motor vehicle lock for a locking element (2) of a motor vehicle, comprising a lock latch (3) and a pawl system (4), wherein the lock latch (3) is adjustable into an open position, a main locking position, and a pre-locking position located between the open position and the main locking position, wherein the lock latch (3) in the installed state is in holding engagement with a locking part (9), in particular with a striker or the like, in the closed positions, wherein the pawl system (4) is adjustable into at least one locked state, in which the pawl system (4) holds the lock latch (3) in the main locking position or the pre-locking position, and into an open state, in which the pawl system (4) releases the lock latch (3), wherein the motor vehicle lock (1) has a release mechanism (10) by which the pawl system (4) can be transferred into the open state,wherein the motor vehicle lock (1) has a closing aid mechanism (11) which can be coupled directly or indirectly to the lock latch (3) in order to drive the lock latch (3) in the course of an auxiliary closing process, preferably from the pre-locking position, in the direction of the main closing position, wherein the motor vehicle lock (1) has a decoupling mechanism (18) by means of which the closing aid mechanism (11) can be decoupled from the lock latch (3) during the auxiliary closing process, characterized in that the motor vehicle lock (1) has a displaceable,in particular a linearly movable combination lever (19) and that the trigger mechanism (10) for transferring the pawl system (4) into the open state and the uncoupling mechanism (18) for the drive-technical uncoupling of the auxiliary locking mechanism (11) from the lock latch (3) can be actuated together via a sliding movement of the combination lever (19).

2. Motor vehicle lock according to claim 1, characterized in that the motor vehicle lock (1) has a guide (20) through which the combination lever (19) is guided displaceably, in particular linearly, preferably in that the motor vehicle lock (1) has a housing (21) and in that the guide (20) is arranged on the housing (21) or is provided by the housing (21), and / or in that the combination lever (19) has a central section (23) and in that the guide (20) guides the combination lever (19) on the central section (23).

3. Motor vehicle lock according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the motor vehicle lock (1) has a first transmission device (26) for transmitting the sliding movement of the combination lever (19) to the triggering mechanism (10) and a second transmission device (27) for transmitting the translational actuating movement of the combination lever (19) to the uncoupling mechanism (18), that the triggering mechanism (10) has a trigger lever (29) pivotable about a trigger lever axis (28) and the uncoupling mechanism (18) has an uncoupling lever (31) pivotable about an uncoupling lever axis (30), and that the first transmission device (26) and the second transmission device (27) are each designed to transmit the sliding movement of the combination lever (19) into a pivoting movement of the trigger lever (29) and the uncoupling lever (31), further preferably,that the two pivoting movements of the release lever (29) and the uncoupling lever (31) are in the same direction.

4. Motor vehicle lock according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the motor vehicle lock (1) has a first Bowden cable connection (38) for the actuation of the auxiliary closing mechanism by initiating an actuating movement required for the drive of the lock latch (3) as part of the auxiliary closing process, that the motor vehicle lock (1) has a second Bowden cable connection (39) for the actuation of the combination lever (19) by initiating an actuating movement required for the drive-technical decoupling between the auxiliary closing mechanism and the lock latch (3), and that the arrangement is such that, in the installed state, the first Bowden cable (40) connected to the first Bowden cable connection (38) and the second Bowden cable (41) connected to the second Bowden cable connection (39) extend from the motor vehicle lock (1) in the same direction and / or parallel to one another, preferably,that in the installed state, the connected first Bowden cable (40) and the connected second Bowden cable (41) extend downwards or upwards from the motor vehicle lock (1).

5. Motor vehicle lock according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lock latch (3) is pivotable about a lock latch axis (47) and that the sliding movement of the combination lever (19) is oriented transversely to the lock latch axis (47), and / or that in the installed state the locking part (9) runs into the motor vehicle lock (1) in an entry direction (48) for the holding engagement with the lock latch (3) and that the Sliding movement is oriented substantially transversely to the entry direction (48), preferably that the combination lever (19) is oriented elongately and extends substantially transversely to the entry direction (48).

6. Closure element arrangement for a motor vehicle with a closure element (2) and a motor vehicle lock (1) assigned to the closure element (2), characterized in that the motor vehicle lock (1) is designed according to one of the preceding claims.

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