Patent Application
20180066457
This application claims the benefit and priority of German Application No. 102016010672.7, filed Sep. 5, 2016. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates generally to a locking device for a vehicle door. More particularly, the locking device of the present invention includes a coupling arrangement operably disposed between a connector associated with a mechanical opening mechanism and a pawl of a latch mechanism and which operates to selectively couple the connector to the pawl in the event that a vehicle crash is detected by a crash sensor.
This section provides background information related to locking mechanisms of the type used in vehicle door closure systems and is not necessarily prior art to the present invention.
A locking device for a vehicle door, in particular for a motor vehicle side door, typically comprises a latch mechanism having a pivotable rotary catch and a pawl which selectively immobilizes the rotary catch. The pawl is typically provided for arresting the rotary catch and can in many cases be moved into a release position both by means of a power-operated drive unit (i.e. electromotively), and manually by means of a handle provided on the inside or outside of the vehicle door.
For some time, efforts have been made to enable the vehicle door to be opened by remote actuation alone, for example from the driver's seat, by means of an electromotive drive unit. The possibility of opening the vehicle door from the outside is in this case basically no longer desired. This may on the one hand be linked to considerations regarding antitheft protection, and may on the other hand also be linked to a trend toward full electrification of the vehicle, for example of a van or of a small bus or of a conventional passenger motor vehicle. On the other hand, in the case of such a desired solution, the problem exists that the vehicle electronics can fail in the event of a crash. In this case, it would then no longer be possible for the vehicle door to be opened from the outside at all, which generally opposes safety considerations.
This section provides a general summary of the present invention and is not considered a comprehensive and exhaustive listing of all of its embodiments, its full scope or its features.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve the redundancy of a locking device, in particular after an accident situation.
The present invention achieves this object, according to a first aspect, by means of the features of claim 1, and is accordingly characterized in that the locking device has a coupling element which couples a connector associated with a mechanical opening actuation means to a pawl associated with a latch mechanism in the event of a crash being detected by a crash sensor which can be assigned to the locking device.
In other words, the inventive concept of the present invention is directed to allowing the mechanical opening actuation means to displace the pawl only when a crash situation has been detected. In an accident situation, the mechanical opening actuation means of the vehicle door can thus be manually actuated, and in this way the pawl can be displaced for releasing the rotary catch. This is not possible before an accident situation occurs. Typically, in this case, the connector for the mechanical opening actuation means runs into a free space or the like.
For this purpose, for example, a type of switch may be provided which can actuate the pawl in a manner controlled by a drive unit for as long as no accident has occurred, which switch can then be “switched over” in the event of an accident situation being detected, such that the coupling element shifts, is displaced or is activated (in manner controlled by a drive).
The coupling element may, for example, act on the pawl (and displace the latter), directly or indirectly, specifically for example via a gearing or a linkage or the like. For this purpose, a pawl lever which cooperates with the pawl is provided, which pawl lever can adjust the pawl (by means of one end thereof) and, on the other hand, in an accident situation (after coupling by means of the coupling element), can interact with the connector for the mechanical opening actuation means (for example at an opposite end).
For this purpose, the coupling element may be formed as a lever which has one or more arms. By means of one of the arms, the coupling element may for example interact with the pawl, or preferably initially with a pawl lever.
In a coupled state, the coupling of the connector to the pawl is realized such that a manual actuation of the mechanical opening actuation means leads to an actuation or a pivoting-out movement of the pawl, preferably into a release position. In a decoupled state of the connector and the pawl, this is not the case, and the pawl would not be displaced even in the event of an actuation of the mechanical opening actuation means of the vehicle door (owing to the decoupling).
Here, the coupling operation is typically performed automatically, specifically when a crash sensor detects a crash. For this purpose, the crash sensor can typically transmit a signal to the locking device (indirectly or directly, as will be described in more detail further below) and, accordingly, ensure coupling of the pawl and the connector.
The crash sensor is, for this purpose, typically arranged remote from the locking device, for example, in the front-end region of the vehicle. The crash sensor may be a crash sensor such as is also utilized for triggering other functions of the vehicle such as, for example, for triggering the airbags or the like.
The crash sensor may in particular also be connected to a controller which then transmits the signal to the locking device, for example, in the form of control information for the drive unit or the like (for example, an electric motor may, for this purpose, be driven in the event of a crash being detected). Here, the signal transmission should take place immediately after the detection of the crash, because in practice, it may be the case that the entire on-board electronic system of the vehicle is deactivated, or rendered non-functional, by the crash itself. Therefore, the coupling function can then still be performed beforehand, which coupling is thus triggered by the signal of the crash sensor (or of the controller).
The crash sensor of the vehicle is assigned to the locking device which means, in particular, that the crash sensor is capable of transmitting a signal to the locking device, for example via a controller. The crash sensor thus need not be arranged geometrically directly at the locking device, but rather is typically—as already stated—arranged remote from the locking device on the vehicle but connected to the locking device in some way. This need not involve a physical connection, but rather merely an information connection. For example, the crash sensor or the controller may also transmit a signal to the locking device wirelessly or in similar fashion. On the other hand, the crash sensor may however also be connected to the locking device, in particular, to the drive thereof, in particular via a controller, by cable or the like.
During or after a crash situation, the coupling element will ensure that the connector for a mechanical opening actuation means of the vehicle door is coupled to the pawl. The connector may, for example, be a Bowden cable which may be connected in particular to an outside door handle. A connector may also be understood to mean the attachment for the Bowden cable to the locking device, if the Bowden cable is not intended to be part of the locking device and is for example manufactured separately from the locking device. The attachment may in this case typically be mounted movably in a (partially open) housing (which, in one embodiment, is of pivoted form).
It is essential here that, in the decoupled state, the operative chain between the opening actuation means (that is to say for example the vehicle's outside handle) and the pawl is interrupted. The operative chain may then be enabled by means of a displacement of the coupling element. This thus has the effect that, during conventional use of the vehicle, an outside door handle, despite being actuated, typically does not lead to the opening of the locking device. It does, however, after an accident situation has occurred. Thus, in an accident situation, access from the outside can be permitted for the purposes of assistance.
Here, the coupling element may actively or passively ensure a coupling between the pawl and the connector, for example, by producing a type of connection or by being moved out of the way in order to allow or permit such a connection or operative chain.
As in the prior art, the locking device according to the invention can, during conventional use of the vehicle, that is to say before an accident situation has occurred, be opened or unlocked at any rate by means of a drive unit, in particular by means of an electric drive or an electric motor.
For this purpose, the drive unit may, for the purposes of releasing the rotary catch, act on the pawl and transfer the latter into a release position. The drive unit may for example do this directly (and act directly on the pawl). A variant is however indeed preferable in which the drive unit acts initially on a gearing, for example a pawl lever or the like, which then cooperates with and can displace the pawl.
In addition to the pawl lever, it is also possible for further elements, such as for example a drive wheel, output wheel or the like, to be provided between the drive unit and the pawl. This element may for example permit a transmission of the rotational movement of an electric motor to the pawl or to the pawl lever. At any rate, the drive unit can be operated or activated in order to release the rotary catch.
This is typically performed by means of a central vehicle controller to which, in particular, the crash sensor may also be connected. The controller will in this case typically also predefine a primary direction of rotation for the drive unit, at any rate if the drive unit is an electromotive drive. A secondary direction of rotation may then be predefined in an accident situation or in a crash situation. The electromotive drive unit is in this case typically a constituent part of the locking device.
Here, an opening process of the locking device can thus be performed by means of an actuation or activation of the drive unit. This is typically triggered by remote control, that is to say remotely from the locking device, for example by means of a button or switch in the cockpit of the vehicle or by means of a non-mechanical actuation device at some other location.
During such an opening process, the rotary catch (which is released after movement of the pawl into its release position) will normally release a closing element, which is held trapped by the rotary catch when the vehicle door is closed. A closing element of this type may for example be a limb of a striker or a closing bolt or the like, which is furthermore typically arranged on the vehicle body. The locking device itself is, by contrast, typically arranged on the vehicle door. However, a reversed arrangement is also readily possible.
A corresponding vehicle door may, for example, be a motor vehicle side door, in particular a sliding door, such as is known for example from small buses for passenger transport, box-type trucks or the like. The expression “vehicle door” however basically also encompasses flaps, such as tailgate flaps or front flaps or the like.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the locking device has means for implementing a signal from the crash sensor, which means can act on the coupling element. Such means may for example be the drive unit, which may, for example, be formed as an electric motor and which can rotate in a different direction after receiving a signal than before the receipt of the signal.
The means may however also comprise other or further elements, such as for example a drive wheel, an output wheel, a switch lever or the like. At any rate, such means must be capable of acting on the coupling element in order to adjust the coupling element. A coupling of the connector and the pawl can then be realized by means of the adjustment of the coupling element.
The drive unit is typically connected to the controller (for example by cable or wirelessly), wherein the controller receives the signal from the crash sensor and takes the signal into consideration in the drive control thereof. The means can then, in such a situation and upon receipt of such a signal, act on the coupling element.
The coupling element may, for example, be displaced or pivoted from a passive position into an active position. In the passive position, the pawl is decoupled from the connector, and in the active position, a coupling has then taken place. Alternatively, a reversal of this approach is also possible: accordingly, in an active position of the coupling element, a decoupled state of the pawl and the connector may exist (for example because the connector is blocked or disengaged, deflected or the like by the coupling element), and a coupled state may then exist in a passive position (in which the coupling element has for example then been adjusted out of the way).
In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the coupling element is adjustable by exactly the same drive unit as that which acts indirectly or directly on the pawl, for the purposes of releasing the rotary catch, in a non-accident situation. In this way, a dual functionality can be realized by means of a single drive unit. First, the drive unit must on the one hand be provided in any case, because it serves for a conventional opening of the locking device. Secondly, the drive unit may also initiate a coupling of the connector and pawl. For this purpose, the drive unit may for example be formed as an electric motor and have two different directions of rotation, in each case one for one of the two functions. The drive unit may in this case preferably interact with a drive wheel or a switch element or the like in order to achieve said dual functionality.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, in the event of an activation of the mechanical opening actuation means, the connector runs into a free space if, or for as long as, the connector and the pawl are still decoupled. In other words, the opening actuation means may be, for example, manually actuated, that is to say for example a handle may be pulled, which handle displaces a Bowden cable with a pulling bolt, which pulling bolt runs into the free space.
An alternative embodiment would be a locking device in which, in such a situation, the connector is blocked entirely. It is however more advantageous if the connector, as described, runs into the free space because the risk of material damage or the like is minimized.
For example, a vehicle user can manually pull on an outside door handle, which leads to a displacement of a Bowden cable. The end of the Bowden cable however runs into a free space and thus does not activate the pawl, for as long as the pawl and the connector are still decoupled. Here, the coupling element may advantageously remain in its passive position and be moved into its active position when the running into the free space has ended, specifically after detection of an accident situation.
In another refinement, the coupling element may however also be situated in an active position when the connector runs into the free space because the coupling element, for example, actively deflects or disengages the connector such that the latter cannot enter into engagement with the pawl or with a lever or the like assigned to the pawl.
The drive unit advantageously acts on a switch element which is formed in particular as a drive wheel or output wheel. Here, the switch element has a first (contact) surface and a second (actuation) surface. The first surface is, in this case, utilized for acting on the pawl for the purposes of releasing the rotary catch and may, for example, actuate the pawl directly or indirectly via a gearing such as, for example, a pawl lever or the like. It is very preferably possible for the first surface to be formed in the manner of an eccentric which permits a very reliable actuation of the pawl. The second surface is then utilized, in the event of an accident situation being detected, to act on the coupling element and adjust the latter from its active position into its passive position or vice versa. Here, the second surface may typically be arranged opposite the first surface, for example, on the opposite side of a drive wheel. The second surface may however also be arranged for example on the same eccentric cam as the first surface, but provided for example by a flat side situated opposite the eccentric surface on the eccentric cam.
If the first contact surface and the second actuation surface are arranged on opposite sides of a drive wheel, it is preferred if the two surfaces are also arranged in offset planes, in particular in relation to the spindle of the drive wheel or in relation to the spindle of an electric motor. In a first plane, the first contact surface may then act (indirectly) on the pawl in the conventional manner. In the second plane, the second actuation surface may then, in the event of an accident situation being detected, act indirectly or directly on the coupling element (for example a control lever) for the purposes of adjusting the latter.
In the most preferred embodiment of the invention, the coupling element is assigned a connecting piece which is adjustable by the coupling element into the opening travel of the connector for the purposes of coupling the connector and the pawl. The connecting piece may in this case ensure that the connector, when actuated, can act (indirectly) on the pawl for the purposes of releasing the rotary catch. The connecting piece can thus increase the range of action of the connector and thus connect the connector to the pawl or to a gearing element assigned to the pawl such as, for example, a pawl lever. In other words, the movement range of the connector is also increased by means of the connecting piece. Whereas the connector otherwise runs into a free space when actuated, it can, as a result of the elongation of the connecting piece, actually act on the pawl or the pawl lever (and in this case reach the pawl or the pawl lever). In the pulling direction, the connecting piece may be arranged between (an end of) the connector and the pawl or a pawl lever.
Here, the connecting piece may be arranged movably on the coupling element, for example in linearly displaceable fashion. The connecting piece may thus for example be linearly displaceable on a lever arm of a coupling element formed as a control lever, and may be formed in particular as a sliding block. The sliding block may be preloaded into a defined initial position by a spring and then engaged behind by the connector in an active position of the control lever.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the coupling element interrupts the operative chain between the connector and the pawl in a first position (or active position). The coupling element can then be adjusted away into a second position (or passive position). In this way, too, a coupling of the connector and the pawl can be achieved. For example, the coupling element may, in the first position, deflect the connector. If the coupling element is then transferred or adjusted away into the second or passive position, the connector can engage. It is thus possible, for example, for a Bowden cable to pass into a position of engagement with the pawl (directly or preferably indirectly, for example into engagement with a pawl lever connected upstream of the pawl). For this purpose, the coupling element is thus adjusted out of the way in a simple manner, whereby the connector and the pawl are coupled. This adjustment out of the way may typically be performed by means of the switch element, in particular an output wheel.
Alternatively, in this exemplary embodiment, a blocking of the connector may also be performed instead of a deflection. For example, the Bowden cable may be blocked by means of the coupling element such that the Bowden cable is no longer activatable at all. If the coupling element is then adjusted away into its passive position, the connector is released (without it having to engage), and the connector is thus coupled, at any rate indirectly, to the pawl.
In both of the latter alternatives, it is however always the case that the coupling element is adjusted out of the way, from its active position into its passive position. In this way, the operative chain between connector and the pawl is, in each case, closed which operative chain leads from the connector to the pawl either directly or via an interposed gearing, for example in the form of a pawl lever.
In a particularly advantageous refinement of the invention, the coupling element is formed as a lever which has two detent positions. The detent positions may in this case advantageously correspond to the passive position and the active position of the coupling element, such that the lever can engage with detent action in both positions. Typically, no further intermediate detent positions exist between the active position and the passive position, such that a secure arresting action is possible only in one of the two predefined positions. The first position is assumed when an accident situation has not yet been detected. In the event of the accident situation being detected, the lever can then be disengaged, and engaged with detent action in its second position.
Such an embodiment permits an easier subsequent resetting of the locking device, for example in a workshop. It is thus possible for the coupling element formed as a lever to then be easily returned from the second detent position into the first detent position in the workshop in a mechanically simple manner, for example with the aid of a screwdriver or the like. The detent positions may be realized, for example, by means of detent balls or the like, wherein, for example, a preloaded ball may be arranged on the underside of the lever and then receptacles for the detent balls may be arranged in each case on the vehicle body or on the door at the two detent positions. Any other form of detent arrangement is also conceivable.
Here, the coupling element preferably has at least two lever arms, wherein a first lever arm can be utilized for acting on the coupling element and a second lever arm can be utilized for acting on the pawl. It is also possible for more than two lever arms to be provided. In an alternative embodiment, the coupling element is formed merely as a one-armed lever which is preferably mounted at one end thereof on a pivot spindle on the vehicle body or on the door and which, by means of the other end, can interact with, for example deflect or block, the connector.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the present object is achieved by means of a method according to claim 10. The method is in this case characterized in particular by the following steps:
It is pointed out that, before a detection, the connector is actually displaced in the locking device, but does not trigger any function, and in particular does not displace the pawl if the mechanical actuation means is actuated.
At this juncture, it is pointed out that not all of the above-stated advantageous embodiments or observations will be repeated in conjunction with the method of claim 10. This is omitted for the sake of expediency and for conciseness of the application.
It is however self-evidently intended for all of the advantages and descriptions to also apply to the method of claim 10. It is thus the intention for the disclosure to be regarded as encompassing method steps by which the coupling element is adjusted by the drive unit, by which the two states of the drive unit correspond to the directions of rotation of an electric motor, for which purpose the electric motor is movable in a first direction of rotation for the actuation of the pawl and in a second direction of rotation for the adjustment of the coupling element, etc. This is merely exemplary.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
In the Figures:
It should first of all be noted that in the following figure description, identical or similar parts are denoted where appropriate by identical reference designations, in part with the addition of lowercase alphabetic characters or apostrophes. In the patent claims that follow the figure description, the reference designations used in the figures and in the figure description are thus, for the sake of simplicity, used where appropriate (in part) without apostrophes or lowercase alphabetic characters, if the corresponding subjects are similar.
Example embodiments of a locking device for a motor vehicle door will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. The example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.
A first exemplary embodiment of a locking device 10 for a vehicle door constructed according to the present invention is illustrated in
As shown in
The pawl lever 17 has a second arm, a so-called actuation arm 21, through which the pawl lever 17 can be actuated by a switch element, which in the present exemplary embodiment is configured as a drive wheel 22. Finally,
For actuation of the actuation arm 21 on pawl lever 17, the drive wheel 22 has a first arm which, in the exemplary embodiment, is formed as an eccentric cam 25. Here, the eccentric cam 25 forms an eccentric-like contact surface 26 which is arranged substantially in the plane of an actuation surface 27 formed on the actuation arm 21 of the pawl lever 17. The actuation surface 27 is concealed in the illustration in
Aside from the eccentric cam 25, the drive wheel 22 also has a second arm, specifically a contact cam 30, which, with regard to its radial orientation, is arranged on the drive wheel 22 opposite the eccentric cam 25. Furthermore, the contact cam 30 is arranged on the drive wheel 22 so as to be axially offset with respect to the eccentric cam 25, that is to say is arranged not in the plane of the actuation surface 27 of the pawl lever 17 but rather in the plane of a changeover arm 31 of a coupling element 32. In the exemplary embodiment, the coupling element 32 is designed as a two-armed coupling lever and is pivotable about a pivot spindle 33, basically clockwise with regard to
In a position as per
It can also be seen in
In a position of the coupling lever 32 as per
For this purpose, the drive unit 41 may be operated by a central controller of the vehicle 42, as is purely schematically denoted for example in
With regard to
The crash sensor 47 may typically also be the sensor which serves for detecting the crash before the deployment of airbags. The triggering of the airbags is in this case generally also performed by the controller 43, which typically also ensures that the complete on-board electronic system of the entire vehicle 42 is deactivated, after a certain initial time period, in an accident situation. In the case of the locking device 10 according to the invention as per
Therefore, in the exemplary embodiment as per
Consequently, the coupling element 32 is however situated in its coupling position and is locked there with detent action (by the stated detent means, which are not illustrated). In this position, illustrated in
This has the effect that actuation of the outside handle 46 illustrated in
The locking device 10 thus permits a “coupled” connection of an outside door handle 46 to the pawl 12 in a simple manner in an accident situation and after a crash sensor 47 has detected a crash situation. Such a connection or operative chain cannot be utilized during normal use of the vehicle 42, that is to say before the detection of a crash, because the operative chain is “uncoupled” or interrupted. It is the coupling element 32, in conjunction with the switch element 22 and the corresponding actuation of the drive unit 41, that first permits such coupling.
With regard to the first exemplary embodiment, reference is finally made to
The output wheel 22′ has an eccentric cam 25′ which, by means of an eccentric surface 26′, can engage the actuation surface 27′ on pawl lever 17′ for the purposes of carrying out a conventional opening process of the locking device 10′. For this purpose, the eccentric cam 25′ would be pivoted by the drive unit 41′ through approximately 90 degrees or more in the counterclockwise direction with regard to
Also visible in
Thus, the connector 37′ is, in
In an accident situation, it is however possible, as already described above with regard to the drive unit 41, for the drive unit 41′ to likewise be activated and reversed with regard to its direction of rotation. This has the effect that the eccentric cam 25′ pivots not counterclockwise with regard to
In this position, the coupling element 32′ thus releases the connector 37′, and the latter could theoretically engage. However, in
Finally, with regard to the second exemplary embodiment, it is pointed out that certain embodiments that were discussed in detail in conjunction with the first exemplary embodiment have been omitted here. The approach is however basically the same. In both cases, a coupling element is adjustable for the releasably coupling of the connector and the pawl.
Merely for the sake of completeness, it is pointed out once again that, in the claims, the reference designations are stated predominantly without apostrophes, because substantially similar parts are being referred to. Exceptions to this are made in the claims in some cases. In most cases, and where not stated separately, the reference designations are however intended to relate to both embodiments.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102016010672.7 | Sep 2016 | DE | national |
