A lock mechanism

Abstract

The invention relates to a lock mechanism. The invention particularly relates to a lock mechanism for triggering the opening of two hood release locks located on vehicle hoods.

Description

[0001] A LOCK MECHANISM

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The invention relates to a lock mechanism.

[0004] The invention particularly relates to a lock mechanism for triggering the opening of two hood release locks located on vehicle hoods.

[0005] State of the Art

[0006] Hood release lock wires are mechanisms used to safely open and close the vehicle hood. They are usually used to gain access to the vehicle engine or to perform some operations in the engine compartment.

[0007] Hood release cables usually comprise a cable or metal rod with a rubber or plastic coating. This cable or rod opens or closes the hood by moving a lever or button inside the vehicle that is operated by the driver. The process usually is as follows:

[0008] • Movement from the Interior Lever: It activates the hood opening cable by moving a lever or button located in the vehicle cabin.

[0009] • Cable or Rod: The movement from the inner lever is transmitted to the engine compartment via a cable or rod.

[0010] • Hood Lock: The hood lock mechanism located in the engine compartment moves with the motion transmitted to it and releases the hood striker. The hood lock usually works with a spring mechanism or a latch.

[0011] • Opening or Closing the Hood: When the hood lock is unlocked, the hood is lifted up by the user manually or by pistons to open the hood. When the hood is desired to be closed, it is pushed down by the user and set. The hood striker fits into the lock, allowing the lock mechanism to move and lock the hood in place.

[0012] This way, the driver can open the hood using a control lever or button inside the vehicle. Hood releases are usually located inside the vehicle for security purposes and are not easily accessible from outside the vehicle. Additionally, some vehicles have hood opening systems that can be opened with a key or remotely controlled. In the state of the art, it is known that hood release mechanisms can also have a double lock mechanism to limit access to the engine compartment of vehicles and increase security. These systems help increase vehicle security by making robbery attempts more difficult and also preventing the hood from being opened accidentally. In systems with a double lock mechanism, when the driver pulls the handle and wants to open the hood lock, it triggers the box connected to two locks located on the front / engine side of the vehicle, and the mechanism inside the box multiplexes the movement to different sources, activating the locks simultaneously and opening the hood. Using a double lock mechanism instead of a single lock allows the use of lighter hood materials, helping to lighten the vehicle without causing any functional loss.

[0013] In the state of the art, it is generally seen that mechanically operated hood opening mechanisms are used. This situation causes the mechanism to be heavier, its cost to be high, the assembly process to require high labor, and the product to be prone to problems due to the long distance transmission of the movement and the challenging conditions of the vehicle front area.

[0014] The hood opening systems used in the present art are generally mechanical systems. With the changes that will occur in the vehicles with the transition to electric vehicles, the hood opening systems will also need to be updated.

[0015] As a result of the research carried out on the subject, a patent application numbered TR2019 / 15063, titled “An opening mechanism, especially for engine hoods” has been found. Said opening mechanism comprises at least one button that is pressed when the engine hood is desired to be opened, at least one opening plate suitable for receiving the force transmitted by the button, and at least one hood opening wire that provides the connection between the opening plate and the hood lock.

[0016] As a result, it has become necessary to make a development in the relevant technical field due to the negativities described above and the inadequacy of existing solutions on the subject.

[0017] Object of the Invention

[0018] The invention is inspired by the current situation and aims to solve the above-mentioned deficiencies. An object of the invention is to present a hood opening mechanism that works with an electric engine drive system and can open more than one lock.

[0019] Another object of the invention is to reduce the production cost and weight of hood opening systems compared to the prior art.

[0020] Another object of the invention is to provide ease of installation in hood opening systems and thus to reduce labor costs and times.

[0021] Another object of the invention is to eliminate quality problems occurring in hood opening systems.

[0022] In order to achieve the objects described above, the invention is a lock mechanism used to open two locks connected to hoods in order to keep the hoods of the vehicles in a closed position, comprising wires connected to said locks, an opening mechanism positioned between said locks to which said wires are connected, to enable said wires to move linearly in opposite directions to each other, thus pulling said locks to which they are connected and opening said locks and said opening mechanism comprises followings:

[0023] • a body,

[0024] • a cover that is closed on said body to protect the parts inside said body from external factors,

[0025] • a cylindrical guide positioned at the base of said body,

[0026] • a disk that can rotate freely on said guide, is placed on said guide and to which said wires are attached in order to ensure that said wires make linear movement in opposite directions to each other when rotated,

[0027] • a spring located between said disc and said guide which applies force to continuously return said disc to its initial position,

[0028] • an electric engine positioned in a region close to said disk within said body,

[0029] • a gear on said electric engine to transfer the rotational motion obtained from said electric engine,

[0030] • a gear element that transmits the rotational motion on said gear to ensure the rotation of said disk and is positioned on said disk in a way that corresponds to said gear,

[0031] • a switch contact area positioned on said disk, a switch connected to said electric engine to cut off the energy coming to said electric engine by contacting said switch contact area when said disk rotates in the amount required to open said locks.

[0032] The structural and characteristic features of the invention and all its advantages will be understood more clearly by means of the drawings given below and the detailed description written by making references to these drawings, and therefore the evaluation needs to be made by taking these drawings and detailed description into consideration.

[0033] Figures to Help Understand the Invention

[0034] Figure 1 is a general view of the lock mechanism.

[0035] Figure 2 is an interior view of the opening mechanism.

[0036] Figure 3 is a top view of the interior of the opening mechanism.

[0037] Figure 4 is an exploded view of the opening mechanism.

[0038] Figure 5 is a detail view of the opening mechanism.

[0039] Figure 6 is an exploded view of the opening mechanism.

[0040] Figure 7 is an exploded view of the opening mechanism.

[0041] Description of Part References

[0042] 10 Lock mechanism

[0043] 20 Lock

[0044] 30 Wire

[0045] 301 Fixing wire head

[0046] 40 Body

[0047] 401 Tab housing

[0048] 402 Guide

[0049] 41 Cover

[0050] 411 Tab

[0051] 42 Electric engine

[0052] 421 Switch

[0053] 43 Gear

[0054] 44 Disc

[0055] 441 Housing

[0056] 442 Gear element

[0057] 443 Switch contact area 45 Spring

[0058] 46 Manuel opening wire

[0059] A Opening mechanism

[0060] Detailed Description of the Invention

[0061] In this detailed description, the preferred embodiments of the lock mechanism (10), which is the subject of the invention are described only for the purpose of a better understanding of the subject.

[0062] The lock mechanism (10), which is the subject of the invention, enables the opening of two locks (20) connected to said hoods in order to keep the hoods of the vehicles in the closed position. Said locks (20) are connected to an opening mechanism (A) by means of a wire (30).

[0063] Said opening mechanism (A), which is positioned between said locks (20) to ensure the opening of said locks (20), basically comprises a body (40), elements that will perform the opening process within said body (40) and a cover (41 ) that is closed on said body

[0064] (40) to protect said elements from external factors. There are tab housings (401) in the edge regions of said body (40), and there are tabs (411 ) in the edge regions of said cover

[0065] (41 ) corresponding to the tab housings (401). Said cover (41) is fixed to said body (40) by engaging said tabs (411) into said tab housings (401).

[0066] There is a cylindrical guide (402) at the base of said body (40) and a disk (44) is placed on said guide (402). Said disk (44) can rotate freely on said guide (402). There is a spring (45) between said disk (44) and said guide (402) and said spring (45) applies force to constantly return said disk (44) to its initial position. There is an electric engine (42) positioned in said body (40) in a region close to said disk (44). Said electric engine (42) can receive the energy required for its operation from the vehicle or an external battery. There is a gear (43) on said electric engine (42) to transfer the obtained rotational motion. There is a gear element (442) positioned on the peripheral surface of said disk (44) to correspond with said gear (43) and the rotational motion obtained from said electric engine (42) is transferred to said gear element (442) by said gear (43), thus ensuring the rotation of said disk (44).

[0067] There is a fixing wire head (301 ) on the head parts of said wires (30); and there are housings (441) on said disk (44) into which said fixing wire heads (301) can be placed. By inserting said fixing wire heads (301) into said housings (441 ), said wires (30) and said disk (44) are connected to each other. With the rotational movement of said disk (44), said wires (30) connected to said disk (44) move linearly in opposite directions to each other and pull said locks (20) to which they are connected and ensure that said locks (20) are opened.

[0068] Said electric engine (42) is connected to a switch (421) and there is a switch contact area (443) positioned on said disk (44) with which said switch (421) will come into contact. When said disk (44) rotates to the required amount to open said locks (20), said switch (421) contacts said switch contact area (443) and said switch (421) is activated, thus cutting off the energy coming to said electric engine (42). After said locks (20) are opened, said spring (45) brings said disk (44) back to its starting position.

[0069] There is a manual opening wire (46) positioned on the outer part of said body (40) and connected to said disc (44). Said manual opening wire (46) enables said lock mechanism (10) to be opened manually when necessary, and by being connected to said disk (44), it ensures that said disk (44) makes a rotational movement when pulled and thus said locks (20) are opened.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A lock mechanism (10) used to open two locks (20) connected to hoods in order to keep the hoods of the vehicles in a closed position, characterized by comprising:• wires (30) connected to said locks (20),• an opening mechanism (A) positioned between said locks (20) to which said wires (30) are connected, to enable said wires (30) to move linearly in opposite directions to each other, thus pulling said locks (20) to which they are connected and opening said locks (20) and said opening mechanism (A) comprises followings: o a body (40), o a cover (41) that is closed on said body (40) to protect the parts inside said body (40) from external factors, o a cylindrical guide (402) positioned at the base of said body (40), o a disk (44) that can rotate freely on said guide (402), is placed on said guide (402) and to which said wires (30) are attached in order to ensure that said wires (30) make linear movement in opposite directions to each other when rotated, o a spring (45) located between said disc (44) and said guide (402) which applies force to continuously return said disc (44) to its initial position, o an electric engine (42) positioned in a region close to said disk (44) within said body (40), o a gear (43) on said electric engine (42) to transfer the rotational motion obtained from said electric engine (42), o a gear element (442) that transmits the rotational motion on said gear (43) to ensure the rotation of said disk (44) and is positioned on said disk (44) in a way that corresponds to said gear (43), o a switch contact area (443) positioned on said disk (44), o a switch (421) connected to said electric engine (42) to cut off the energy coming to said electric engine (42) by contacting said switch contact area (443) when said disk (44) rotates in the amount required to open said locks (20).

2. The lock mechanism (10) according to claim 1 , characterized by comprising tab housings (401) located in the edge regions of said body (40).

3. The lock mechanism (10) according to claim 2, characterized by comprising tabs (411 ) positioned in the edge regions of said cover (41) in correspondence with said tab housings (401) in order to ensure the fixing of said cover (41) to said body (40) by engaging said tabs (411).

4. The lock mechanism (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by comprising a fixing head (301 ) located at the head parts of said wires (30).

5. The lock mechanism (10) according to claim 4, characterized by comprising housings (441 ) on said disk (44) into which said fixing wire heads (301) can be placed in order to connect said wires (30) and said disk (44) to each other.

6. The lock mechanism (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by comprising an electric engine (42) that can receive the energy required for its operation from the vehicle or an external battery.

7. The lock mechanism (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by comprising a manual opening wire (46) positioned on the outer part of said body (40) which is connected to said disc (44) and which, when pulled, enables said disc (44) to make a rotation movement and thus said locks (20) to be opened, in order to enable said lock mechanism (10) to be opened manually if necessary.