Motor vehicle lock, in particular motor vehicle door lock

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle lock, in particular a motor vehicle door lock, which is equipped with a locking mechanism (2, 3) composed essentially of a rotary latch (2) and a pawl (3). Furthermore, at least one electric-motor drive (4, 5) for opening the locking mechanism (2, 3) is provided. A control unit (6) and a securing unit (7) are also provided. In its "released" functional position, the securing unit (7) allows the locking mechanism (2, 3) to be opened, and in its "secured" functional position, the securing unit prevents the opening in question. In addition, the control unit (7) controls the electric-motor drive (4, 5) according to actuation signals in order to lift the pawl (3) out with respect to the rotary latch (2). According to the invention, in order to realize the "releasing - opening" functions when the locking mechanism (2, 3) is closed and the securing unit (7) is secured, the design is such that the electric-motor drive (4, 5) holds the pawl (3) in the lifted-off position until the "released" state of the securing unit (7) is reached.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Motor vehicle lock, in particular motor vehicle door lock

[0003] The invention relates to a motor vehicle lock, in particular a motor vehicle door lock, with a locking mechanism consisting essentially of a rotary latch and a pawl, further comprising at least one electromechanical drive for opening the locking mechanism, a control unit, and a safety unit which, in its "secured" position, prevents the locking mechanism from being opened and, in its "unsecured" position, allows it to be opened, wherein the control unit, depending on actuation signals from a user or operator, controls the electromechanical drive to lift the pawl relative to the rotary latch.

[0004] Electric motor drives for opening locks are becoming increasingly popular because they allow for virtually effortless or low-effort door opening. In this context, the user wishing to enter generates the activation signal, for example, by activating an external door handle with a sensor. This process can also be wireless. In this case, the sensor acts as a switch on a remote control unit, and the activation signal corresponds to the user pressing the switch.In principle, the activation signal evaluated by the control unit can also be generated simply by the user wishing to gain access moving close to the vehicle door equipped with the vehicle lock and to be opened, resulting in a question / answer dialogue between, for example, a user-side transponder and the vehicle-side control unit, and, after positive access authorization, leading to the activation signal which in turn prompts the control unit to actuate the electric motor drive to release the locking pawl against the rotary latch.

[0005] To ensure that the actuation signal from the control unit results in the described electromechanical opening process of the lock, the control unit typically first checks the safety unit and then additionally queries it. If the safety unit is in its "secured" position, the lock will not open. However, if the safety unit is in its "unsecured" position, the control unit, upon receiving an actuation signal, allows the described action to open the lock.

[0006] The prior art according to DE 199 43 483 A concerns a motor vehicle lock equipped with a security unit in the form of an anti-theft device. This anti-theft device essentially consists of an anti-theft lever and an anti-theft motor for the lever. To open the lock, it is first necessary to reach the "anti-theft device off" position. Only then can a user's opening request be processed via a microswitch integrated into the exterior door handle, triggering an electric opening action. This action actuates a release lever, thereby opening the locking latch.

[0007] Another prior art, according to EP 1 113 133 A1, concerns a motor vehicle door lock equipped with a child safety device. An electric motor can activate the child safety function in one direction of movement. In the opposite direction, an opening function can be achieved by disengaging the locking pawl. The generic and next prior art, according to DE 10 2021 103 502 A1, relates to a lock control unit designed to actuate an electric motor for disengaging a locking pawl. This occurs depending on a lock state, which is established via corresponding actuation signals. Furthermore, the lock state can be stored in an electronic memory of the lock control unit. Various lock states, such as "unlocked" or "anti-theft," are described therein.The latter lock state corresponds to the fact that the electric motor drive for opening the vehicle lock is not activated.

[0008] The state of the art has generally proven effective with regard to the implementation of the locking unit and its evaluation by the control unit, as well as the consideration of actuation signals and, depending on these, the activation of the electric motor drive to open the lock. The aforementioned and next best state of the art according to DE 10 2021 103 502 A1 is relevant here. However, problems may arise in practice. For example, it is conceivable that a door equipped with the vehicle lock is to be opened and a corresponding actuation signal is present. If, in such a case, the locking unit assumes its "locked" state, the locking unit must first be "unlocked" so that the lock can then be opened.

[0009] In this context, scenarios can arise where, for example, a current or voltage drop has caused the relevant locking unit to remain unlocked, even though the electromechanical opening process has previously released the lock. As a result, an operator can open the corresponding vehicle door and enter. However, since the locking unit is still "locked" due to the described current or voltage drop, this can lead to a situation where, in the case of an anti-theft device, for example, an attempt to operate an interior lever will be unsuccessful, and electrical opening from the inside will no longer be possible because the necessary electrical power supply is lacking. In extreme cases, this can result in the person being locked inside the vehicle. Such operational states must be avoided at all costs.This is where the invention comes in.

[0010] The invention is based on the technical problem of further developing such a motor vehicle lock, and in particular a motor vehicle door lock, in such a way that any current and voltage drop can be safely controlled.

[0011] To solve this technical problem, a typical motor vehicle lock is designed so that, in order to realize the functions "unlock - open" with the lock closed and the locking unit secured, the electromechanical drive holds the locking pawl in the raised position until the "unlocked" state of the locking unit is reached.

[0012] That is, according to the invention, the opening process, while simultaneously unlocking the locking unit, is linked to the additional monitoring of whether the locking unit has reliably reached its "unlocked" state. The locking pawl is held in the raised position long enough that a vehicle door equipped with the relevant vehicle lock can, in principle, be closed. However, if the locking mechanism remains open, immediate and trouble-free opening is permitted, at least in the event that the associated power supply should fail in the meantime and the locking unit should remain in its "locked" state. In other words, according to the invention, the opening signal is linked to the unlocking of the locking unit and its verification, whereas previously, in practice, and in the prior art, no such verification was performed.

[0013] As a result, the control unit also contains and displays the correct operating states. The opening signal is maintained until the locking unit has reliably reached its "unlocked" state. This eliminates any incorrectly stored signals or operating states of the locking unit. Only when the locking unit reaches the "unlocked" state can the opening signal be deactivated or the locking pawl disengage from its raised position. Consequently, the vehicle door equipped with the relevant lock can be closed, but is simultaneously unlocked, so that if the anti-theft device is activated, it can still be opened from the inside. This may even be possible in the event of a power failure, for example, via a handle and a mechanically redundant cable pull.In this way, any voltage failures in the electrical power supply are reliably controlled, and the operational reliability is significantly increased compared to the state of the art.

[0014] In an advantageous embodiment, at least one sensor is provided which detects when the safety unit enters the "unlocked" state, starting from the locked state. Signals from the sensor are evaluated by the control unit. That is, the sensor in question is electrically coupled to the control unit.

[0015] To implement this in detail, the sensor is usually associated with an electric motor drive for the locking unit. That is, in addition to the electric motor drive for opening the lock (the opening drive), there is usually another electric motor drive for the locking unit (a locking drive). In this context, the locking drive can ensure, for example, that a locking lever, as part of the locking unit, is inserted and removed.

[0016] If the security unit is an anti-theft device, the locking lever in question ensures that, in the example given, both a mechanical external operating lever chain and a mechanical internal operating lever chain are mechanically interrupted or open in the "secured" or "theft-proof" state, respectively. Conversely, the "unsecured" state corresponds to both of the aforementioned operating lever chains being closed.

[0017] If, for example, only a single operating lever chain is used, such as the internal operating lever chain, the "anti-theft device activated" state corresponds to the fact that this single operating lever chain is opened via the locking lever. Additional external electromechanical operation is interrupted or prevented because, in the aforementioned "anti-theft device activated" state, the opening drive for the electromechanical opening of the lock does not start or is deactivated, even if an activation signal is present from a user attempting to gain access. The control unit ensures this.If no mechanical actuating lever chain is used at all, and both the internal and external operation are purely electric, this can also be implemented using the control unit, for example, via software. In the "anti-theft device activated" state, both external and internal operation signals are ignored, preventing the lock from being opened electrically. Conversely, in the example under consideration, the "anti-theft device deactivated" state corresponds to the control unit allowing and enabling the lock to be opened electrically, whether the corresponding vehicle door is operated externally or internally.

[0018] The sensor in question can be implemented as a tactile, non-contact, or software-based sensor. If the sensor is tactile, it can, for example, be designed as a switch associated with the safety lever actuated by the electric motor or safety drive. As long as the safety lever has not assumed its "unlocked" position, the corresponding signal from the associated sensor is interpreted by the control unit, according to the invention, as indicating that the locking pawl still needs to be released.

[0019] The sensor can also operate without contact. In this case, it might be a Hall sensor, for example, that reacts to the approach of the safety lever or a permanent magnet attached to the safety lever. In this way, similar to the switch described earlier, it can be determined whether the safety lever, as part of the safety unit, has reliably assumed its "unlocked" state. The same, of course, applies to the associated safety unit.

[0020] If the sensor is implemented or realized using software, it is conceivable that the electromechanical drive for the fuse unit, the fuse drive, could be monitored. This could be done, for example, by recording the operation of an electric motor belonging to the electromechanical drive.

[0021] This means that the control unit actuates the electric motor drive for the safety device, specifically the safety drive for the safety lever. The control unit also monitors any current draw by the electric motor. From the current draw, it can be deduced whether the safety lever has been actuated and, for example, whether the actuating lever chain has actually been interrupted. This is because the motor's operation is usually associated with a current increase at the beginning and end of the safety lever's movement, as the safety lever then reaches a stop. Both positions can therefore be determined by the control unit from the motor current. This also applies to an elapsed time period. The control unit must then ensure that the locking pawl is lifted and remains lifted during this time period and slightly beyond.The control unit then applies the appropriate pressure to the opening drive.

[0022] Typically, several sensors are provided. Usually, there is a safety sensor associated with the locking unit and an additional pawl sensor associated with the pawl. These two sensors, i.e., the safety sensor and the pawl sensor, can be implemented tactilely, non-contact, or via software, as previously explained and further detailed below with reference to the exemplary embodiment.

[0023] Furthermore, at least one mechanically redundant actuating lever chain is usually provided for the mechanical actuation of the locking mechanism. This mechanically redundant actuating lever chain is usually at least an internal actuating lever chain, in order to enable and allow the mechanical opening of the associated vehicle lock from the inside even if the associated electromechanical drive or opening mechanism has failed.

[0024] The invention also relates to a method for operating such a motor vehicle lock, as further explained in claim 9. Claim 10 clarifies that the electromechanical opening of the lock, as well as the unlocking of the security unit, generally occurs within 500 ms. Most often, response times of less than 200 ms are observed for both the electromechanical opening of the lock and the unlocking of the security unit.

[0025] Furthermore, it has generally proven effective to maintain the current supply to the opening actuator for at least 100 ms from the control unit after the safety sensor associated with the safety unit has reported to the control unit that the safety unit has entered the "unlocked" position. Naturally, this delay time can be variable and can exceed 100 ms to ensure that the safety unit has definitively entered the "unlocked" position before the locking pawl leaves its raised position and retracts. This significantly improves operational reliability compared to previous methods.

[0026] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing that illustrates only one embodiment; the drawing shows:

[0027] Fig. 1 schematically shows the motor vehicle lock according to the invention and

[0028] Fig. 2 shows a time diagram of the procedure according to the invention and the associated method.

[0029] The figures show a motor vehicle lock, and in particular a motor vehicle door lock, which, according to the exemplary embodiment and without limitation, is arranged in or on a door leaf 1, which is only indicated here. The motor vehicle door lock has a locking mechanism 2, 3 consisting essentially of a rotary latch 2 and a locking pawl 3. An electric motor drive 4, 5 and a control unit 6 are also visible. Furthermore, a security unit 7 is provided, which, according to the exemplary embodiment in Fig. 1, can be a component of the control unit 6, or at least is connected to the control unit 6 via data transmission.

[0030] The basic assembly also includes an interior door handle 8 and an exterior door handle 9. Furthermore, two sensors 10 and 11 are assigned to each of the handles 8 and 9: one sensor 10 to the interior door handle 8 and one sensor 11 to the exterior door handle 9. In this way, user input signals are detected by the sensors 10 and 11, which are transmitted to the safety unit 7 and thus to the control unit 6, corresponding to the operator's action request. A signal from sensor 10 indicates that the operator intends to open the corresponding vehicle door or door leaf 1 from the inside using the interior door handle 8. A signal from sensor 11, on the other hand, indicates that the operator intends to open the door leaf 1 from the outside using the exterior door handle 9.

[0031] In both cases, the activation of the relevant sensor 10, 11 results in the locking mechanism 2, 3 being opened by means of the electromechanical drive 4, 5. Simultaneously, the locking unit 7 is moved from its previously "secured" state to the "unsecured" state. These processes are generally initiated simultaneously, but can also occur sequentially.

[0032] The control unit 6 is designed to actuate the electromechanical drive 4, 5 to release the locking pawl 3 relative to the rotary latch 4, depending on the previously described actuation signals, i.e., signals from the sensors 10, 11. According to the exemplary embodiment, the electromechanical drive 4, 5 is an opening drive 4, 5. A further electromechanical drive 12, as part of the locking unit 7, is only indicated. This further electromechanical drive 12 is a locking drive 12, which allows a mechanical internal actuating lever chain 13, 14, as shown in Fig. 1, to be selectively opened and closed.

[0033] The locking actuator 12 acts on a locking lever 14 as part of the mechanical internal operating lever chain 13, 14. This allows the internal operating lever chain 13, 14 to be opened and closed. In the "unlocked" state of the locking unit 7, the locking actuator 12 ensures that the locking lever 14 mechanically closes the internal operating lever chain 13, 14, so that an actuation of the internal door handle 8 can be transmitted directly to the locking pawl 3 via the mechanical operating lever chain 13, 14. This allows the locking pawl 3 to pivot in the clockwise direction indicated in Figure 1, so that the rotary latch 2 is released from the locking pawl 3 in the closed state of the locking mechanism 2, 3, as indicated in Figure 1.As a result, the rotary latch 2 can swing open in the clockwise direction also indicated there and release a locking bolt (not shown) that is fixed to the vehicle body, so that the relevant door leaf 1 and thus the vehicle door can be swung open.

[0034] In addition to this mechanically redundant actuation of the lock 2, 3 via the interior door handle 8 and the operating lever chain or interior operating lever chain 13, 14, a purely electromechanical actuation of the lock 2, 3 is also possible. In this case, actuation of the exterior door handle 9 ensures that the corresponding sensor 11 is activated. The actuation signal generated in this way by the sensor 11 is then received by the locking unit 7. If the locking unit 7 is in its "locked" state, this results in the control unit 6 not actuating the electromechanical drive or opening drive 4, 5 to open the lock 2, 3. If, on the other hand, the locking unit 7 is in its "unlocked" state, the control unit 6 allows actuation of the lock 2, 3 via the opening drive 4, 5. This is the usual procedure.

[0035] According to the exemplary embodiment and the invention, the locking unit 7 is moved from its locked to its unlocked state upon an actuation signal from, for example, the sensor 11 and thus the exterior door handle 9 (or also the sensor 10). Simultaneously, the control unit 6 actuates the drive 4, 5 to lift the locking pawl 3 from the rotary latch 2 and open the locking mechanism 2, 3. The locking pawl 3 is held in its lifted position relative to the rotary latch 2 until the locking unit 7 has reached its "unlocked" position.

[0036] It can be seen that a safety sensor 15 is assigned to the safety lever 14. Signals from the safety sensor 15 are received by the safety unit 7 and can therefore be evaluated by the control unit 6, which is linked to the safety unit 7 via data transmission. This means that the position of the safety lever 14, and thus of the safety unit 7, can be determined as "unlocked" and "locked" using the safety sensor 15. In principle, and in a software-based solution, the safety sensor 15 can also be integrated into the safety unit 7 if an additional safety lever 14 and the associated mechanical actuating lever chain 13, 14 are not implemented.

[0037] The locking pawl 3 is also equipped with a sensor, designed as a locking pawl sensor 16. The locking pawl sensor 16 determines whether the locking pawl 3, according to the exemplary embodiment, is in its raised position relative to the rotary latch 2. This corresponds to a pivoting movement of the locking pawl 3 clockwise from the closed position indicated in Fig. 1, so that in this raised position the rotary latch 2 is completely free to move. That is, as long as the locking pawl 3 is in its raised position and the locking pawl sensor 16 is activated, the door leaf 1 can be opened and closed without the locking mechanism 2, 3 engaging. For the locking pawl 3 to assume its raised position by electromechanical action, the opening drive 4, 5 must be controlled accordingly by the control unit 6.The opening drive 4, 5 has an electric motor 4, which has a drive worm on its output shaft that engages with a control disk 5 to actuate the pawl 3. This allows the control disk 5 to rotate about its axis in the two directions indicated in Fig. 1.

[0038] To open the lock 2, 3, the control unit 6 controls the electric motor 4 such that the control disc 5 rotates counterclockwise, causing a pin 5a located on the control disc 5 to engage a lug or projection at the end of the pawl 3 furthest from the axis. As a result, the pawl 3 pivots clockwise around its axis as indicated in Fig. 1, thereby releasing the rotary latch 2. Starting from the closed state of the lock 2, 3 shown in Fig. 1, this causes the rotary latch 2 to pivot clockwise around its axis, also indicated, releasing a previously engaged locking bolt. The raised position of the pawl 3 is detected by the pawl sensor 16 and reported to the control unit 6.

[0039] As a rule, this results in the opening process being completed and the control unit 6 activating the electric motor 4 to reverse the control disc 5, so that the pin 5a moves away from the lug on the locking pawl 3 and the locking pawl 3 returns from its raised position to the retracted position shown in Fig. 1. In this position, the locking pawl 3 can engage with the open rotary latch 2 as soon as the door leaf 1 is closed and a locking bolt (not shown) entering a guide hole in the rotary latch 2 pivots the rotary latch 2 counterclockwise, so that when the closed position or latch position shown in Fig. 1 is reached, the locking pawl 3 can engage the rotary latch 2 in a latching manner.

[0040] According to the invention, the design is such that, to realize the functions "unlock - open" with the lock 2, 3 closed and the locking unit 7 secured, the electromechanical drive or opening drive 4, 5 holds the locking pawl 3 in the raised position until the "unlocked" state of the locking unit 7 is reached. Specifically, this means the following: To first realize the functions "unlock - open", the previously mentioned actuation signal is required. In this example, this signal can be generated by pulling the interior door handle 8, which then activates the corresponding sensor 10. The instructions "unlock" and "unlock" in Fig. 2 at the beginning of the timing diagram correspond to this. That is, the vehicle lock is to be opened electrically (unlock) and the locking unit 7 is to be "unlocked".

[0041] As a result, the control unit 6 ensures that the electric motor drive or opening drive 4, 5 lifts the pawl 3 (EÖ, i.e., electrically opening). For this purpose, the control disc 5 is actuated counterclockwise by the electric motor 4, and the pin 5a moves against the nose of the pawl 3, causing it to pivot clockwise about its axis and actuate the pawl sensor 16. This corresponds to the signal "EÖ on" in Fig. 2, which originates from the pawl sensor 16. The pawl 3 is lifted accordingly, as also shown in Fig. 2.

[0042] In the prior art, the design is such that within a time period of, for example, 50 ms or 100 ms, the control unit 6 no longer actuates the opening drive 4, 5 to lift the pawl 3. An additional sensor (not shown) associated with the rotary latch 2 may be used for this purpose. As soon as this sensor reports the open rotary latch 2 to the control unit 6, the control unit 6 ensures that the electromechanical drive, or opening drive 4, 5, reverses and the pawl 3 re-engages. This corresponds to a signal "opening off" or "pawl sensor 16 off," as shown in Fig. 2 according to the prior art, specifically at a time when the safety sensor 15 is usually still emitting a signal "safety sensor on," and consequently, the safety unit 7 remains in its "on" or "secured" position.

[0043] According to the invention, the electromechanical drive 4, 5 or opening drive 4, 5 is controlled via the control unit 6 and thus the locking pawl 3 is held in the raised position until the "unlocked" state of the locking unit 7 is reached, i.e., in the illustration according to Fig. 2, the locking sensor 15 has reached its "lock sensor off" state. This includes the fact that the actuating lever chain 13, 14 is closed in the example case and the lock 2, 3 can be mechanically opened via the interior door handle 8.

[0044] According to the exemplary embodiment, the locking unit 7 is designed as an anti-theft device. This means that the "unlocked" position of the locking unit 7 corresponds to the activation of both the interior door handle 8 and the exterior door handle 9, i.e., activation of the sensors 10, 11 causes the control unit 6 to activate the opening drive 4, 5 to open the lock 2, 3. In the case of the alternatively or additionally provided operating lever chain 13, 14, this corresponds to the fact that the

[0045] The safety drive 12 acts on the safety lever 14 in such a way that the actuating lever chain 13, 14 is closed and the interior door handle 8 can, in the example case, mechanically act on the locking pawl 3 to open the lock 2, 3.

[0046] The illustrated sensors 10, 11, 15, 16 are designed as switches according to the exemplary embodiment, i.e., they operate tactilely. However, the sensors 10, 11, 15, 16 could also be non-contact sensors, for example, Hall sensors.

[0047] In the case of the safety sensor 15, a software implementation is also conceivable such that it is represented, as it were, in the control unit 6. This is because the control unit 6 can detect the current drawn by the safety drive 12. This electrical current, or current consumption, exhibits a characteristic time profile such that, starting from the secured position of the safety lever 14 indicated in Fig. 1, a current increase is observed to move the safety lever 14 so that the actuating lever chain 13, 14 is closed towards the interior door handle 8. A further, second current increase is observed at the end of the movement of the safety lever 14, namely when the safety lever 14, for example, reaches a stop.The time between these two current increases can be measured by the control unit 6, so that in this case too, and with a purely software-based solution of the associated sensor 15, the time course can be depicted as shown in Fig. 2, namely starting from the actuation signal “unlock” until the time at which the safety sensor 15 has assumed the functional state “off”, namely when the safety lever 14 has closed the actuation lever chain 13, 14 towards the inner door handle 8.In any case, the invention ensures that, by means of the control unit 6, monitoring the pawl sensor 16 and the safety sensor 15, the pawl 3 is held in the raised position via the opening drive 4, 5 for so long that the pawl sensor 16 sends an "on" signal until the safety sensor 15 reaches its "off" position and consequently the safety lever 14 closes the actuating lever chain 13, 14 in the example case.

[0048] Reference symbol list

[0049] Door leaf 1

[0050] Rotary trap 2

[0051] Locking pawl 3

[0052] Lock 2, 3

[0053] Opening drive, drive 4, 5

[0054] Electric motor 4

[0055] Control disc 5

[0056] Cone 5a

[0057] Control unit 6

[0058] Fuse unit 7

[0059] Interior door handle 8

[0060] Exterior door handle 9

[0061] Sensor 10, 11

[0062] Drive, safety drive 12

[0063] Internal actuation lever chain 13, 14

[0064] Safety lever 14

[0065] Safety sensor 15

[0066] Locking pawl sensor 16

Claims

Patent claims 1. Motor vehicle lock, in particular motor vehicle door lock, with a locking mechanism (2, 3) consisting essentially of a rotary latch (2) and a pawl (3), further comprising at least one electromechanical drive (4, 5) for opening the locking mechanism (2, 3), a control unit (6), and a safety unit (7) which, in its "secured" position, prevents the locking mechanism (2, 3) from being opened and, in its "unsecured" position, permits it to be opened, wherein the control unit (6) actuates the electromechanical drive (4, 5) to lift the pawl (3) relative to the rotary latch (2) depending on actuation signals, characterized in that, to realize the "unsecured - open" functions, with the locking mechanism (2, 3) closed and the safety unit (7) secured, the electromechanical drive (4, 5) holds the pawl (3) in the lifted position until the "unsecured" state of the The safety unit (7) has been reached.

2. Motor vehicle lock according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one sensor (15) is provided which detects the assumption of the “unlocked” state of the locking unit (7) starting from the locked state.

3. Motor vehicle lock according to claim 2, characterized in that signals from the sensor (15) are evaluated by the control unit (6).

4. Motor vehicle lock according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the sensor (15) is assigned to an electromechanical drive (12) for the locking unit (7).

5. Motor vehicle lock according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the sensor (15) is implemented tactilely, non-contact or in software.

6. Motor vehicle lock according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that several sensors (15, 16) are provided, namely a security sensor (15) associated with the locking unit (7) and a locking pawl sensor (16) associated with the locking pawl (3).

7. Motor vehicle lock according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the security unit (7) is designed as an anti-theft unit.

8. Motor vehicle lock according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at least one mechanically redundant actuating lever chain (13, 14) is provided for mechanically actuating the locking mechanism (2, 3).

9. Method for operating a motor vehicle lock, in particular a motor vehicle door lock according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising a locking mechanism (2, 3) consisting essentially of a rotary latch (2) and a pawl (3), further comprising at least one electric motor drive (4, 5) for opening the locking mechanism (2, 3), a control unit (6), and a safety unit (7) which, in its "secured" position, prevents the locking mechanism (2, 3) from being opened and, in its "unsecured" position, permits it to be opened, wherein the control unit (6) actuates the electric motor drive (4, 5) to release the pawl (3) relative to the rotary latch (2) as a function of actuation signals, characterized in that, to realize the "unsecured - open" functions with the locking mechanism (2, 3) closed and the safety unit (7) secured, the electric motor drive (4, 5) holds the pawl (3) in the closed position for as long as necessary. maintains a detached positionuntil the "unlocked" state of the security unit (7) is reached.

10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that the opening and unlocking of the lock (2, 3) takes place below 500 ms, mostly below 200 ms.

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