Emergency actuation device for a motor vehicle lock

Abstract

The invention relates to an emergency actuation device for a motor vehicle lock (1) and in particular a motor vehicle door lock (1). For this purpose, the device is equipped with a housing (4), and furthermore with at least one actuating lever (5) provided in the housing (4), and with a manipulation element (8) for emergency actuation. The manipulation element (8) acts directly or indirectly on the actuating lever (5) and to this end engages through a rotary element (12) mounted in the housing (4). According to the invention, the rotary element (12) is designed as a rolling diaphragm seal (12) made of an elastomeric plastic.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Emergency release device for a motor vehicle lock

[0003] The invention relates to an emergency actuation device for a motor vehicle lock, in particular a motor vehicle door lock, comprising a housing, further comprising at least one actuating element provided in the housing, and a manipulation element for emergency actuation which acts indirectly or directly on the actuating lever and for this purpose engages a rotary element mounted in the housing.

[0004] Emergency release devices for operating a vehicle lock, and in particular a vehicle door lock, are typically used when an internal electric motor drive has failed. This can occur due to a weakening main battery inside a vehicle body or following an accident. With the help of the emergency release device, and specifically the manipulation element for emergency release, it is still possible in the described example to open a vehicle door equipped with the lock. The manipulation element works on the operating lever provided in the housing, thereby opening the locking mechanism, which is usually also present in the housing and consists of a rotary latch and pawl. This is a common procedure in practice.The activation of the emergency actuation device and consequently of the manipulation element for emergency actuation is typically carried out manually by an operator.

[0005] In addition, the emergency operating device can also be designed as an emergency locking element, as explained in detail in utility model DE 203 12 347 U1, which originates from the applicant. In this case, a locking lever can be manually moved into a locked position using a manipulation tool. For this purpose, a housing opening, which can be temporarily closed by means of a cover, is provided for inserting the manipulation tool. To implement this in detail, the manipulation tool pierces the cover in question when necessary.

[0006] The prior art defined in DE 102 20 732 A1 relates to a motor vehicle lock with at least one Bowden cable exiting from a narrow side of the associated housing. The Bowden cable mechanically actuates locking elements, i.e., it applies pressure to at least one actuating lever provided in the housing. The manipulation element is the Bowden cable or a handle connected to the Bowden cable. In the known invention, the Bowden cable is rotatably mounted on the housing in a swivel socket for this purpose. Furthermore, the Bowden cable is guided away from the housing in an arc by means of an arc-shaped guide. The guide or swivel socket is made of plastic.

[0007] This provides an overall improvement in terms of possible installation options. While the Bowden cable enters the housing via the known rotary fitting, such a fitting can practically only accommodate rotary movements between the manipulation element and the actuating lever provided in the housing. In practice, axial movements often occur at this point as well, namely when the vehicle door equipped with the lock moves slightly back and forth or does not consistently assume its prescribed position. This is not only due to potential manufacturing tolerances but can also be attributed to temperature effects, aging, etc. The invention aims to remedy this situation.The invention is based on the technical problem of further developing such an emergency actuation device for a motor vehicle lock in such a way that both radial and axial movements between the manipulation element and the actuating lever are permitted, with additional sealing against the housing or a partition wall.

[0008] To solve this technical problem, the invention proposes, starting from a generic emergency actuation device for a motor vehicle lock, that the rotary element is designed as a rolling membrane seal made of an elastomeric plastic.

[0009] In contrast to the prior art according to DE 102 20 732 A1 and the rotary fitting provided therein, the invention employs a special rotary element. This is a rolling diaphragm seal made of an elastomeric plastic. In this context, the elastomeric plastic provides, first and foremost, exceptional elasticity and flexibility. For example, NR (natural rubber) or SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber) can be used as the elastomeric plastic. Furthermore, the design as a rolling diaphragm implies elastically movable partitions as components of the seal, which together ensure a hermetic separation of two spaces. These spaces are essentially the interior of the housing of the vehicle lock from the exterior.

[0010] The partitions of the rolling diaphragm seal according to the invention, made of elastomeric plastic, are capable of performing movements, including regular rolling movements. This means that the rolling diaphragm seal can accommodate both radial and axial movements of the manipulation element relative to the interacting actuating lever. Since the rolling diaphragm seal therefore accommodates not only radial movements, as is the case with the rotary socket in the prior art, but also axial movements, a particularly functional design is provided.

[0011] In fact, a rotary movement of the manipulation element can be transmitted via the rolling diaphragm seal to actuate the actuating lever inside the housing, without any risk of leakage problems at this point. The manipulation element actually passes through the rolling diaphragm seal in question. The same may also apply to the actuating lever or a pin of the actuating lever. In addition to such radial movements, the rolling diaphragm seal used according to the invention is also capable, and unlike in the prior art, of accommodating and allowing axial movements.

[0012] This means that even if the manipulation element moves axially relative to the housing of the vehicle lock, a reliable seal is still ensured by the rolling diaphragm seal. In this context, the actuating lever and the manipulation element interact advantageously in such a way that the mechanical coupling is rotationally fixed but axially movable, or even axially fixed. This is where the key advantages lie.

[0013] Furthermore, it has proven advantageous to implement the previously described rotationally fixed and axially movable or axially fixed coupling between the actuating lever and the manipulation element in such a way that the actuating lever has a toothed ring on a pin. The manipulation element is accordingly equipped with a pin receptacle for the pin. This pin receptacle, in turn, has recesses for the toothed ring on the pin. This achieves the rotationally fixed coupling between the actuating lever or its pin and the manipulation element, enabling the transmission of rotational movements from the manipulation element to the actuating lever. This is necessary for the manipulation element to function as an emergency actuator.At the same time, and on the other hand, any axial movement is permitted because the manipulation element, with its recesses that accommodate the individual teeth of the gear ring on the pin, can perform a certain axial movement relative to the pin on the actuating lever without changing the rotationally fixed coupling.

[0014] To enable the rolling diaphragm seal according to the invention to accommodate these radial and axial movements, the rolling diaphragm seal is advantageously designed in a hat shape with an outer collar that can be fixed in an opening. The opening for the collar can be provided in a partition wall, which is usually additionally implemented. The partition wall is advantageously located inside a vehicle door that houses the vehicle lock and, for example, separates a wet compartment from a dry compartment. While the vehicle lock is typically located in the wet compartment, the manipulation element is arranged in the dry compartment. For this purpose, the manipulation element generally extends not only through the opening in the housing of the vehicle lock but also through an opening in the partition wall. The collar of the hat-shaped rolling diaphragm seal is inserted into the respective opening in the partition wall.

[0015] In addition to the collar fixed in the partition opening, the rolling diaphragm seal also features a sealing cylinder. This sealing cylinder is itself designed with at least one radially circumferential sealing lip. Usually, two sealing lips are arranged axially one behind the other at a distance. Using one or both sealing lips, the sealing cylinder encloses a collar that defines the opening in the housing. This collar in the housing of the vehicle lock generally extends into the partition opening or ends shortly before it. In this way, the overall design is such that the outer collar is positioned in the partition opening, while the inner sealing cylinder of the rolling diaphragm seal encloses the collar at the opening in the housing. The outer collar and the inner sealing cylinder are advantageously separated from each other by an annular gap.Furthermore, the annular gap is generally bridged by a connecting lip. This allows for both radial and axial tolerance compensation within the annular gap using the rolling diaphragm seal. Consequently, the outer wall of the sealing cylinder and the inner wall of the outer collar, acting as partitions already mentioned, can perform the previously described rolling movements of the rolling diaphragm seal. Both axial and radial movements of the respective walls correspond to this. All of this is made possible by the elastomeric nature of the rolling diaphragm seal and its specific design. These are the key advantages. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle lock equipped with such an emergency release device.

[0016] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing that illustrates only one embodiment; the drawing shows:

[0017] Fig. 1 the emergency operating device together with the

[0018] Motor vehicle lock with a view of the wet room inside a motor vehicle door,

[0019] Fig. 2 shows the object according to Fig. 1 from the viewpoint of the

[0020] Drying room,

[0021] Fig. 3 shows the object according to Fig. 2 in a detailed view.

[0022] Exploded view,

[0023] Fig. 4 shows the object according to Fig. 3 with a view of the

[0024] Pin receptacle in the manipulation element, Fig. 5 the rolling membrane seal used according to the invention in the

[0025] cut and

[0026] Figs. 6A and 6B show the rolling diaphragm seal with (axial) tolerance compensation.

[0027] The figures show an emergency operating device for a motor vehicle lock 1. In this exemplary embodiment, the motor vehicle lock 1 is a motor vehicle door lock 1. As shown in Fig. 1, it is L-shaped overall and is connected with one leg of the L to an end wall 2 of a motor vehicle door and with the other leg of the L to a partition wall 3 between the so-called wet room and the dry room.

[0028] Fig. 1 shows the motor vehicle lock or motor vehicle door lock 1 mounted in the wet room, because the wet room of the associated motor vehicle door has an opening to the outside through which a locking bolt connected to a motor vehicle body (not shown) can enter an entry jaw of the motor vehicle lock or motor vehicle door lock 1 (also not explicitly shown) and interact with a locking mechanism (also not shown) consisting essentially of a rotary latch and a locking pawl.

[0029] The vehicle lock 1 has a housing 4, which, according to the exemplary embodiment, is or may be designed in two parts. Furthermore, at least one actuating lever 5 is provided in the housing, which can best be understood by comparing Figures 3 and 4. A pin 5 of the actuating lever 5, which passes through or is located in an opening 6 in the housing 4, can be seen. The opening 6 in the housing 4 of the vehicle lock 1 is enclosed by a collar 7, which similarly also encloses the pin 5 of the actuating lever 5.

[0030] The component 7 is part of the housing 4. The actuating lever 5 may act on the pawl of the locking mechanism. The actuating lever 5 is designed as a release lever, but can also be a component of the pawl.

[0031] Of further importance is a manipulation element 8, which serves for the emergency operation of the vehicle lock 1. The manipulation element 8 can act directly or indirectly on the actuating lever 5. This allows the manipulation element 8 to be used to implement an emergency operation of the vehicle lock cylinder 1.

[0032] In this exemplary embodiment, and without limitation, the vehicle lock is equipped with an internally provided (but not shown) electromechanical opening drive for the previously mentioned locking mechanism. The electromechanical opening drive allows the locking mechanism, when in the closed position, to be opened electrically. Should the electromechanical opening drive fail, the vehicle lock 1 in the illustrated example can alternatively be operated or opened in an emergency using the manipulation element 8. For this purpose, the manipulation element 8 is manually actuated by an operator.

[0033] To achieve and implement this, the manipulation element 8 is equipped with an attached flexible connecting element 9, for example, a connecting cable 9. The connecting cable 9 may terminate in a merely indicated inner door panel 10, in which a releasable handle 11 is provided. When the handle 11 is released or pivoted relative to the inner door panel 10, the manipulation element 8 can thus be pivoted counterclockwise about its axis, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, by means of the connecting cable 9.

[0034] Since the manipulation element 8, according to the embodiment, is axially movable or axially fixed to the actuating lever 5 or its pin 5, the actuating lever 5 located inside the motor vehicle lock 1 or its housing 4 can also be pivoted counterclockwise in this way.

[0035] The counterclockwise movement of the actuating lever 5, in this example, causes the locking pawl to be lifted from its locked position with the rotary latch in the closed position of the lock, either directly or indirectly via the interposition of further levers. As a result, the rotary latch pivots open with spring assistance and releases the previously engaged locking bolt. This allows the corresponding vehicle door to be manually opened in an emergency, particularly if the electric motor opening drive inside the housing 4 has failed.

[0036] It can be seen that the manipulation element 8, which acts directly or indirectly on the actuating lever 5, engages a rotary element 12 mounted in the housing 4. For this purpose, the manipulation element 8 is designed in two parts: a cylinder section 8a that extends through the rotary element 12 and a boom 8b connected to the cylinder section 8a. The previously mentioned cable 9 is connected to the boom 8b, and this cable establishes the connection to the handle 11 inside the door panel 10.

[0037] A comparative analysis of Figures 3 and 4 clearly shows that the actuating lever 5 and the manipulation element 8 are rotationally fixed to each other. For this purpose, the actuating lever 5 is equipped with a toothed ring 13 consisting of individual teeth, mostly spaced at equal radial intervals. These teeth, and thus the toothed ring 13, are located on the pin 5. A pin receptacle 14 on the manipulation element 8 interacts with the toothed ring 13. The pin receptacle 14 is equipped with corresponding recesses that correspond to the individual teeth. Therefore, as soon as the manipulation element 8, or rather its cylindrical section 8a, with the pin receptacle 14 and its recesses, is placed onto the pin 5 with its toothed ring 13, the desired radially rotationally fixed and axially movable or axially fixed coupling is achieved between the manipulation element 8 and the actuating lever 5.

[0038] To ensure that the opening 6 in the housing 4 of the motor vehicle lock 1 remains sealed at this point, the rotary element 12 is implemented, which, according to the invention, is designed as a rolling diaphragm seal 12 made of an elastomeric plastic. In fact, the rolling diaphragm seal 12 is capable of accommodating both radial and axial movements of the manipulation element 8. This is particularly evident in Figures 6A and 6B, which illustrate a movement of the manipulation element 8 in the axial direction A and a corresponding tolerance compensation T. Furthermore, the rotary element, or the rolling diaphragm seal 12 made of the elastomeric plastic used according to the invention, can also accommodate radial movements of the manipulation element 8. For this purpose, the cylindrical section 8a of the manipulation element 8 extends through the opening in the rolling diaphragm seal 12, through which the pin 5 of the actuating lever 5 also passes.

[0039] To realize and implement this in detail, the rolling diaphragm seal 12, shown in detail in Figures 5, 6A, and 6B, is designed in a hat-like shape. In fact, the rolling diaphragm seal 12 has an outer collar 15 that is inserted into, or rather fixed in, an opening in the partition 3. This becomes particularly clear when comparing Figures 3, 4, and 5. In addition to the collar 15 inserted into the opening in the partition 3, a sealing cylinder 16 is also incorporated as a component of the rolling diaphragm seal 12. The sealing cylinder 16 and the collar 15 are separated from each other by an annular gap 17.

[0040] In fact, the rolling diaphragm seal 12 is rotationally symmetrical overall. The annular gap 17 is bridged by a connecting lip 18. That is, the connecting lip 18 couples the sealing cylinder 16 and the collar 15 by bridging the annular gap 17. Furthermore, the connecting lip 18 ensures that the rolling diaphragm seal 12 has a closed surface facing the dry chamber, as a comparison of Figures 1 to 4 clearly shows.

[0041] Furthermore, the sealing cylinder 16 is equipped with at least one radially circumferential sealing lip 16a. According to the exemplary embodiment, two radially circumferential sealing lips 16a are provided, which are axially spaced apart from each other. The circumferential sealing lips 16a in question enclose the collar 7 defining the opening 6 in the housing 4, which is a component of the housing 4 of the motor vehicle lock 1.

[0042] Figure 5 shows the assembled state of both the rolling diaphragm seal 12 and the manipulation element 8. The manipulation element 8, with its cylindrical section 8a, is mounted onto the pin 5 with the toothed ring 13. For this purpose, the cylindrical section 8a, or rather the pin receptacle 14 inside the cylindrical section 8a, is additionally equipped with visible locking hooks that engage locking recesses on the toothed ring 13, thus coupling the manipulation element 8 to the pin 5 of the actuating lever 5 in a rotationally fixed and axially fixed manner. Of course, an axially movable coupling, as previously described, is also conceivable at this point.

[0043] In any case, the rolling diaphragm seal 12 is capable of accommodating both radial movements of the manipulation element 8 and axial movements in the axial direction A, as the tolerance compensation T observed in this context in Figs. 6A and 6B clearly demonstrates. This tolerance compensation T, as well as the radial movement, is absorbed by the rolling diaphragm seal 12 because, essentially, the collar 15 and the sealing cylinder 16 are spaced apart from each other by the annular gap 17, and the connecting lip 18 bridging the annular gap 17 expressly permits the described movements.

[0044] In this way, the rolling diaphragm seal 12, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, ensures, on the one hand, that the opening 6 enclosed by the collar 7 in the housing 4 of the vehicle lock 1 is sealed with the pin 5 located therein. On the other hand, the rolling diaphragm seal 12 also ensures that the additional opening located in the partition 3 between the wet and dry compartments is also sealed. In this way, the manipulation element 8 can be inserted from the dry compartment into the opening of the rolling diaphragm seal 12 and coupled to the pin 5 of the actuating lever 5 in a rotationally and axially fixed manner, as shown in the exemplary embodiment. For any emergency operation, it is therefore only necessary to release the handle 11 from the inner door panel 10 and thereby initiate the previously described counterclockwise pivoting movement of the manipulation element 8.This results in the desired manual emergency opening of the locking mechanism inside the housing 4 of the motor vehicle lock 1.

[0045] Reference symbol list

[0046] Force sensor door lock 1

[0047] Front wall 2

[0048] Partition wall 3

[0049] Housing 4

[0050] Actuating lever 5

[0051] Cone 5

[0052] Opening 6

[0053] Federal 7

[0054] Manipulation element 8

[0055] Cylinder section 8a

[0056] Boom 8b

[0057] Connecting rope 9

[0058] Door interior trim 10

[0059] Handle 11

[0060] Rotary element 12

[0061] Rolling diaphragm seal 12

[0062] Sprocket 13

[0063] Pin socket 14

[0064] Collar 15

[0065] Cylinder 16

[0066] Sealing lip 16a

[0067] Ring gap 17

[0068] Connecting lip 18

[0069] Axial direction A

[0070] Tolerance compensation T

Claims

Patent claims 1. Emergency actuation device for a motor vehicle lock (1), in particular a motor vehicle door lock (1), comprising a housing (4), further comprising at least one actuating lever (5) provided in the housing (4), and a manipulation element (8) for emergency actuation, which acts indirectly or directly on the actuating lever (5) and for this purpose extends through a rotary element (12) mounted in the housing (4), characterized in that the rotary element (12) is designed as a rolling diaphragm seal (12) made of an elastomeric plastic.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuating lever (5) and the manipulation element (8) are coupled to each other in a rotationally fixed, axially movable or axially fixed manner.

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the Actuating lever (5) has a toothed ring (13) on a pin (5).

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the Manipulation element (8) is designed with a pin receptacle (14) with recesses for the pin (5) with the toothed ring (13).

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the rolling membrane seal (12) is hat-shaped with an outer collar (15) which is fixed in an opening of a partition wall (3).

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the rolling diaphragm seal (12) has a sealing cylinder (16).

7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the sealing cylinder (16) is equipped with at least one radially circumferential sealing lip (16a).

8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that two sealing lips (16a) arranged one behind the other at a distance in the axial direction (A) are provided.

9. Device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the sealing lips (16a) enclose a collar (7) defining the opening (6) in the housing (4).

10. Device according to one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the outer collar (15) and the inner sealing cylinder (16) are separated from each other by an annular gap (17) which is bridged by a connecting lip (18) and thereby allows both radial and axial tolerance compensation (T).

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