Lock holder for a motor vehicle locking device

Abstract

The invention relates to a lock holder for a motor vehicle locking device, in particular a motor vehicle lock, preferably a motor vehicle door lock. For this purpose, the lock holder is equipped with a base plate (2) and a shackle (3, 4, 5) standing thereon. The shackle (3, 4, 5) has at least two bolts (3, 4) and a connecting piece (5) connecting the two bolts (3, 4) at the top. Furthermore, an additional reinforcing plate (7) is provided through which the two bolts (3, 4) extend and which rests against at least part of the surface of the base plate (2). The two bolts (3, 4) stand on a bead (8) of the base plate (2), and each bolt engages under the bead. According to the invention, the reinforcing plate (7) is provided in the interior of the bead (8) between a respective rivet head (3a, 4a) of the bolt (3, 4) and the base of the bead (8).

Description

[0001] Kiekert AG

[0002] P22095WO

[0003] 1

[0004] Description

[0005] Lock holder for a motor vehicle locking system

[0006] The invention relates to a lock holder for a motor vehicle locking device, in particular a motor vehicle lock and preferably a motor vehicle door lock, with a base plate and a bracket mounted thereon, wherein the bracket has at least two bolts and a web connecting the two bolts on its upper side, wherein furthermore an additional reinforcing plate is provided which is penetrated by the two bolts and bears at least partially against the base plate, and wherein the two bolts rest on a ridge of the base plate and each engage underneath it.

[0007] The lock catch in a vehicle locking system is of particular importance for the safety of the vehicle equipped with it. Typically mounted on the vehicle body, the lock catch, in conjunction with, for example, a locking mechanism consisting of a rotary latch and locking pawl, ensures that, especially in the event of a crash, the forces acting on the vehicle and forcing the corresponding vehicle door open do not result in the door being forced open. Such a door opening must be prevented under all circumstances for essentially two reasons. Firstly, only a closed vehicle door can protect the occupants inside by preventing them from being ejected from the vehicle, and secondly, only a closed vehicle door allows safety devices inside the door, such as side airbags, side impact protection, etc., to function fully.

[0008] Furthermore, and more importantly, the closed vehicle door during, for example, a frontal impact ensures that deformation Kiekert AG P22095WO

[0009] The structural forces associated with the vehicle can be fully absorbed by the vehicle body and lead to a defined deformation. This is not the case with unintentionally opened vehicle doors. In this case, the vehicle body is deformed more than intended without the door, which can have serious consequences for the occupants inside.

[0010] For this reason, it is essential to prevent the bolt(s) or the shackle resting on the base plate from detaching from the base plate in such lock holders. This is often achieved through additional reinforcements, such as a reinforcing plate, as described in detail in the prior art patent JP H 0399159 U. Further reinforcements are not provided for in this context.

[0011] In the generic prior art according to DE 10 2022 108 376 A1, the lock holder known therein is also equipped with a reinforcing plate. The reinforcing plate overlaps a bead on the base plate that connects the two bolts. This has proven effective because, in this context, the bead provides intrinsic stiffening of the base plate, and the reinforcing plate offers additional reinforcement.

[0012] Nevertheless, improvements are still possible here. The reinforcing plate, which overlaps the bead, is equipped with lateral bead ribs due to its position above the bead. In cases of severe deformation, it cannot always be guaranteed that the bead ribs will fit perfectly against the bead and ultimately protect the bracket from tensile forces acting upon it. Furthermore, the reinforcing plate provided in this context is costly due to the necessary openings for the two bolts on the one hand and the manufacturing of the bead ribs on the other. The invention aims to remedy these issues. Kiekert AG P22095WO 3

[0013] The invention is based on the technical problem of further developing such a lock holder for a motor vehicle locking device in such a way that the manufacturing costs are reduced and, at the same time, improvements in terms of tensile strength may be observed.

[0014] To solve this technical problem, the invention proposes, starting from a generic lock holder, that the reinforcing plate is arranged inside the bead between a respective rivet head of the bolt and a base of the bead.

[0015] The placement of the reinforcing plate inside the bead, between the respective rivet head of the bolt and the base of the bead, implies that the reinforcing plate only needs to be equipped with the openings for the two bolts. No further machining is required in this context. In particular, the bead ribs on the reinforcing plate, which are mandatory according to the prior art defined in DE 10 2022 108 376 A1, can be expressly omitted. This simplifies the production of the reinforcing plate, which in the simplest case can be produced by a single stamping operation.

[0016] Furthermore, this design further improves the lock holder compared to previous models, particularly with regard to absorbing any pulling forces. Such pulling forces generally act on the bolt at the front in the closing direction and, in the worst case, can cause this bolt to be torn out of the base plate.

[0017] The invention prevents such scenarios by providing additional stiffening at this point with the additional reinforcement plate, supplementing the bead in the base plate. Furthermore, Kiekert AG

[0018] P22095WO

[0019] 4

[0020] The design is such that the bulge, when viewed from below, is typically V-shaped with two arc-shaped sections. Both arc-shaped sections originate from a common point.

[0021] In an advantageous embodiment, the reinforcing plate is positioned with its opening facing forward in the closing direction at the point of origin in question. This results in at least a partial positive fit between an edge of the reinforcing plate and the bead edge. That is, the reinforcing plate, with its opening facing forward in the closing direction, rests partially and positively against the bead edge at the bead's origin. This reliably prevents any movement, particularly of the front bolt of the shackle (which is held in the closing direction) relative to the base plate. This increases the rigidity and tensile strength of the lock holder constructed in this way. All of this is achieved while maintaining simple and cost-effective manufacturing. These are the key advantages.

[0022] Generally, the reinforcement plate is equipped with two openings for the bolts that pass through each opening. Each of these openings is typically provided with a circumferential rim. The corresponding circumferential rim usually has a different width.

[0023] The main approach is to ensure that the rear opening of the reinforcement plate (in the closing direction) has a wider circumferential edge than the front opening. This typically results in a keyhole-shaped circumferential profile for the reinforcement plate.

[0024] As previously explained, the bulge, when viewed from below and looking at the base plate, generally has a V-shaped character. This V-shape is described by Kiekert AG.

[0025] P22095WO

[0026] 5 is aligned so that the bead opens in the closing direction and the reinforcement plate follows this bead profile. The closing direction is typically defined such that it corresponds to the movement of a locking mechanism consisting of a rotary latch and pawl moving towards the lock holder.

[0027] If the locking mechanism and, with it, a vehicle lock, are located inside a corresponding vehicle door, this closing process corresponds to the rotary latch, as part of the locking mechanism, moving towards the front bolt of the latch during the closing action. For this to occur, the vehicle door closes and moves towards the vehicle body, which supports the lock mechanism. This causes the front bolt of the latch to engage in a guide slot of the rotary latch, thereby pivoting the latch. As the closing movement progresses, the rotary latch fully engages the front bolt within the guide slot. Once the rotary latch has reached its closed position, the corresponding locking pawl engages with a click into place within the rotary latch.

[0028] The invention is expressly not limited to this, because the lock holder can, in principle, also be used in conjunction with differently designed vehicle locking devices. Instead of the interaction of the shackle with a locking mechanism consisting of a rotary latch and a pawl, it is equally conceivable that the shackle in question interacts solely with a locking wedge, as is known from building doors. In this case, a locking wedge that is only linearly movable is implemented, and not a pivoting rotary latch secured in its main closed position by means of a similarly pivoting pawl.

[0029] As a rule, the shackle or the described lock holder interacts with a locking mechanism consisting of a rotary latch and a pawl, which constitute the essential component of the motor vehicle lock interacting with the lock holder. Overall, this defines the Kiekert AG P22095WO motor vehicle lock.

[0030] 6. The vehicle door lock and the lock holder in question are part of a vehicle door lock assembly. The lock holder is usually located on the vehicle body side and interacts with the vehicle lock located in or on the door leaf of the corresponding vehicle door. However, the reverse is also possible. In this case, the vehicle door leaf is equipped with the lock holder, which then interacts with the lock on the vehicle body side.

[0031] As previously explained, the bead in the base plate is V-shaped in the underside view, with the respective arc legs and a common origin for both arc legs. The reinforcing plate is advantageously received at least partially circumferentially in the area of ​​the bead's origin by means of a form-fit connection. For this purpose, the reinforcing plate, with its opening or circumferential edge facing forward in the closing direction, rests partially against the bead's edge in the area of ​​the V-shaped bead's origin by means of a form-fit connection.

[0032] Furthermore, the design is such that the front bolt (in the closing direction) rests perpendicularly on the bead. In contrast, the rear bolt (in the closing direction) is generally curved. Both bolts and the web can be manufactured by appropriate bending of a round bar made of high-strength steel. The base plate is also made of high-strength steel, with the bead being deep-drawn into the base plate. The reinforcement plate, in turn, is produced by stamping from high-strength steel. Additionally, the base plate is usually equipped with two openings into which fasteners, and in particular mounting screws, are inserted. These screws are used to secure the base plate of the lock holder, for example, to the vehicle body. For this purpose, the openings in question are oriented perpendicular to the reinforcement plate and its two openings.As a result, the base plate has Kiekert AG.

[0033] P22095WO

[0034] 7. The bracket has an overall rectangular shape with each longitudinal leg having an arc-shaped rounding. The mounting holes are provided in the longitudinal direction, whereas the bracket and, consequently, the two openings for the bolts and thus the bead extend transversely to the base plate. This is, of course, only an example and should by no means be understood as mandatory.

[0035] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing that illustrates only one embodiment; the drawing shows:

[0036] Fig. 1 shows the lock holder according to the invention in a side view,

[0037] Fig. 2 shows a view from below of the lock holder according to Fig. 1 and

[0038] Fig. 3 shows the reinforcement plate in a single view.

[0039] The figures show a lock holder for a motor vehicle locking system. According to the exemplary embodiment, the lock holder is attached to a motor vehicle body 1. For this purpose, the lock holder, in its basic structure, is equipped with a base plate 2 and a bracket 3, 4, 5 resting on the base plate 2. The base plate 2 has two mounting openings 6, by means of which the lock holder is attached to the motor vehicle body 1. Screws or similar fasteners pass through these mounting openings 6.

[0040] It can be seen that, according to the exemplary embodiment, two mounting openings 6 are provided opposite each other with respect to the central bracket 3, 4, 5. Furthermore, the design is such that the two mounting openings 6 have an imaginary connecting line which, according to the exemplary embodiment, runs perpendicular to the extension of a web 5 as part of the bracket 3, 4, 5. It can also be seen that Kiekert AG

[0041] P22095WO

[0042] 8 Base plate 2, mostly rectangular with rounded longitudinal edges, defines the longitudinal direction of the base plate 2.

[0043] The bracket 3, 4, 5 is equipped with at least two bolts 3, 4 and the previously mentioned web 5, which connects the two bolts 3, 4 on their upper side. In fact, Fig. 1 shows a front bolt 3 and a rear bolt 4 in the closing direction S indicated therein. The closing direction S is established in this case by the depicted lock holder, or a locking mechanism interacting with it, moving towards each other as part of a motor vehicle lock.

[0044] In fact, the lock in question, or rather the vehicle lock, and according to the exemplary embodiment, the vehicle door lock, has a locking mechanism consisting of a rotary latch and a pawl. As soon as the locking mechanism, and with it the associated vehicle door, is moved towards the lock holder in the closing direction S, the front bolt 3 in the closing direction S first engages in a guide hole of the rotary latch. This causes the rotary latch to pivot until it reaches its closed position by engaging the front bolt 3. Then the pawl engages in the rotary latch, and the locking mechanism, and thus the vehicle door lock, is closed.

[0045] The basic structure of the lock holder includes a reinforcing plate 7, which is penetrated by the two bolts 3 and 4. The reinforcing plate 7 is best understood by looking at the underside view in Fig. 2 and the detailed view in Fig. 3. It is designed so that the reinforcing plate 7 rests at least partially against the base plate 2. Furthermore, the design is such that the two bolts 3 and 4 rest on a ridge 8 of the base plate 2. In fact, the ridge 8 of the base plate 2 is generally produced by a deep-drawing process. In the exemplary embodiment shown in the underside view of Fig. 2, the ridge 8 is V-shaped. Kiekert AG

[0046] P22095WO

[0047] 9

[0048] In fact, two arc-shaped legs 8a, 8b of the bead 8 can be identified, each radiating from a common origin 8c. The origin 8c is rounded. Furthermore, the bead 8 is oriented such that it opens in the closing direction S and projects towards the bolts 3, 4 mounted on the base plate 2, relative to a plane defined by the base plate 2. In this way, the bead 8 defines a plane for the bolts 3, 4, oriented parallel to and spaced apart from the plane of the base plate 2. This also forms a pocket on the underside of the base plate 2, as shown in Fig. 2, which, according to the embodiment and the invention, accommodates the reinforcing plate 7.

[0049] In fact, according to the invention, the reinforcing plate 7 is arranged inside the bead 8 between a respective rivet head 3a, 4a of the bolt 3, 4 and the base of the bead 8. As a result, neither the reinforcing plate 7 nor the two rivet heads 3a, 4a of the bracket 3, 4, 5 or of the two bolts 3, 4 protrude beyond a base surface of the base plate 2. Consequently, the base plate 2 can be connected flush to the vehicle body 1.

[0050] A detailed view of the reinforcement plate 7 in Fig. 3 reveals that the reinforcement plate 7 is equipped with two openings 7a and 7b. The two openings 7a and 7b are penetrated by the corresponding bolts 3 and 4. The design is such that the bolt 3, which is forward in the closing direction S, penetrates the opening 7b of the reinforcement plate 7, and the corresponding rivet head 3a of the bolt 3 engages the opening 7b of the reinforcement plate 7. With regard to the other opening 7a of the reinforcement plate 7, the design is such that the other bolt 4, which is rearward in the closing direction S, penetrates the corresponding opening 7a of the reinforcement plate 7, and its rivet head 4a engages the opening 7a.

[0051] It can be seen that the two openings 7a, 7b of the reinforcement plate 7 each have a circumferential edge with a different width. (In fact, Kiekert AG)

[0052] P22095WO

[0053] 10 The rear opening 7a in the closing direction S has a wider circumferential edge than the front opening 7b. This is ultimately due to the fact that the rear opening 7a in the closing direction S of the reinforcement plate 7 is located in the area of ​​the open section of the V-shaped bead 8. As a result, the reinforcement plate 7 has an overall keyhole-like circumferential profile, as can be seen in Fig. 3.

[0054] As previously explained, the bead 8 opens in the closing direction S. Furthermore, the reinforcing plate 7 is designed to follow this bead profile. The invention achieves this by positioning the opening 7b of the reinforcing plate 7 with a narrower circumferential edge in the region of the origin 8c of the V-shaped bead 8, whereas in the region of the two diverging arc legs 8a, 8b of the bead 8, the opening 7a with a wider circumferential edge is positioned. Consequently, the design is such that the reinforcing plate 7, with its opening 7b facing forward in the closing direction S, partially abuts the bead edge in the region of the corresponding origin 8c in a form-fitting manner. This not only secures the reinforcing plate 7 with the two rivets 3a, 4a, but also provides additional fixation and alignment in the region of the origin 8c of the V-shaped bead 8.

[0055] It can be seen that the front bolt 3 (in the closing direction S) rests perpendicularly on the base plate 2 and extends vertically from it. In contrast, the rear bolt 4 has an arcuate or S-shaped form. Therefore, in the event of a crash and under the tearing forces F indicated in Fig. 1 and acting on the lock holder, the rivet head 3a of the front bolt 3 (in the closing direction S) can move in the direction of the indicated arrow. According to the invention, this is prevented by the reinforcing plate 7, which not only stiffens the bead 8 in this area but also, through its positive-locking contact (at least in the area of ​​the origin 8c), provides a composite stiffening element.

[0056] P22095WO

[0057] 11

[0058] Connection with base plate 2 is ensured.

[0059] Kiekert AG

[0060] P22095WO

[0061] 12

[0062] Reference symbol list

[0063] Motor vehicle body 1

[0064] Base plate 2

[0065] Example 2

[0066] Hanger 3, 4, 5

[0067] Bolt 3

[0068] Rivet head 3a, 4a

[0069] Bolts 3, 4

[0070] Bridge 5

[0071] Mounting opening 6

[0072] Reinforcement plate 7

[0073] Opening 7a, 7b

[0074] Bead 8

[0075] Bow legs 8a, 8b

[0076] Origin 8c

[0077] Tear forces F

[0078] Closing direction S

Claims

Patent claims 1. Lock holder for a motor vehicle locking device, in particular a motor vehicle lock and preferably a motor vehicle door lock, comprising a base plate (2) and a bracket (3, 4, 5) mounted thereon, wherein the bracket (3, 4, 5) has at least two bolts (3, 4) and a web (5) connecting the two bolts (3, 4) on its upper side, wherein a reinforcing plate (7) through which the two bolts (3, 4) penetrate is further provided, which bears at least partially against the base plate (2), and wherein the two bolts (3, 4) rest on a bead (8) of the base plate (2) and each engage under it, characterized by the fact that the reinforcing plate (7) is arranged inside the bead (8) between a respective rivet head (3a, 4a) of the bolt (3, 4) and a base of the bead (8).

2. Lock holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the reinforcement plate (7) is equipped with two openings (7a, 7b) for the bolt (4, 3) passing through the opening (7a, 7b) in each case.

3. Lock holder according to claim 2, characterized in that the two openings (7a, 7b) each have a circumferential edge with a different width.

4. Lock holder according to claim 3, characterized in that the rear opening (7a) in the closing direction (S) has a greater width of the circumferential edge than the front opening (7b).

5. Lock holder according to claim 4, characterized in that the reinforcement plate (7) has a keyhole-like circumferential profile.

6. Lock holder according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the bead (8) opens in the closing direction (S) and the reinforcing plate (7) follows this bead profile.

7. Lock holder according to claim 6, characterized in that the bead (8) is V-shaped in underside view with respective arc legs (8a, 8b) and common origin (8c).

8. Lock holder according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the reinforcing plate (7) with its opening (7b) at the front in the closing direction (S) partially forms a positive fit against the bead edge in the area of ​​its origin (8c).

9. Lock holder according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the bolt (3) at the front in the closing direction (S) rests vertically on the bead (8).

10. Lock holder according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the rear bolt (4) in the closing direction (S) is curved in an arc shape.

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