EP0645511B1 - Lock for a vehicle door - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a lock for the door of a motor vehicle of the kind which comprises a locking pawl articulated on an axis and suitable for retaining, in the locking position, a bolt cooperating with a strike, the lock comprising means for drive of the pawl suitable for erasing it to release the bolt and allow the opening of the door, said lock further comprising electrical control means to ensure deadlocking by making the drive means without effect on the pawl and preventing the opening of the lock from inside the vehicle, in particular by action on a frieze zipper or equivalent member, the lock being arranged so that in the event of an electrical failure the deadlock can be mechanically cleared using 'a key.

In document GB-A-2 200 943, a motor vehicle door lock has been described comprising a release lever for releasing the pawl, and a locking lever articulated around an axis and carrying an axis passing through a L-shaped opening in the release lever. In the "inactive" position of the locking lever, as shown in FIG. 1, it is possible to release the pawl, the axis carried by the lever being in the narrow part of the L-shaped opening; in the "active" position of the locking lever, as shown in FIG. 2, it is not possible to release the pawl, the axis carried by the lever being in the wide part of the L-shaped opening ; the passage from the "inactive" position to the "active" position of the locking lever is obtained by rotation of the latter around the axis under the action of an auxiliary lever. The purpose of the arrangement according to GB-A-2 200 943 is to be able to open the door in the event of the locking lever locking in the "active" position: for this purpose, the edge of the release lever is adapted to cooperate with a range of the locking lever so that the locking lever is rotated clockwise through the release lever when the cable is pulled up. Thus, this document shows clutch-release means provided between two levers, these means being put into action by displacement in rotation of a lever; they include a pin cooperating with a window having two zones.

This device has, however, the disadvantage of only providing the locking function, that is to say the prohibition of opening the lock by the external control lever while the opening by the internal control is always possible; in addition, it does not provide for the motorization of the conviction and super-conviction functions.

The object of the invention is, above all, to provide a lock of this kind which is simple and reliable to manufacture and which requires only a minimum of parts to carry out the addition, in addition to the locking function (cancellation of the external control), of the deadlock function (cancellation of the internal control), the two functions being able to be implemented in a voluntary and distinct manner.

The subject of the invention is a lock for a motor vehicle door, comprising a locking pawl articulated on an axis and suitable for retaining, in the locking position, a bolt cooperating with a keeper, the lock comprising means for driving the pawl suitable for erasing it to release the bolt and allow the door to be opened, said lock further comprising control means to ensure deadlocking by making the drive means have no effect on the pawl, the drive means of the ratchet comprising an arm which can move between an active position where this arm can control the rotation of the ratchet, and an inactive position where this arm has no effect on the ratchet, the passage of the arm from the active position to the inactive position being ensured by the deadlock control means, clutch / disengage means being provided between the pawl and the arm, these means being actuated by the displacement t of the arm, and comprising, on the side of one of the two elements constituted by the pawl and the arm, a pin and on the side of the other element a window having two zones, namely, an effective zone in which the window cooperates with said pin by a radial edge so that a rotational movement is transmitted by the arm to the pawl, and a neutral zone in which the pin can move freely in the window without cooperating with one of its radial edges so that a rotational movement is not transmitted to the pawl by the arm, characterized in that the arm is pivotally mounted around the fixed axis of the pawl with a possibility of translation, the arm having an oblong opening in which is engaged the pivot axis of the arm and the pawl, the active position of the arm corresponding to the abutment of the axis against one end of the oblong opening and the inactive position to the abutment of the axis against l 'other end of said oblong opening so that when the pin cooperates with the effective area a rotational movement in an appropriate direction of the arm is transmitted to the pawl, while when the pin moves freely in the window without cooperating with the one of its edges, a rotation of the arm is not transmitted to the pawl.

Preferably, the pin is provided on the pawl and the window is provided on the drive part.

The window has an effective zone of reduced angular extent and a neutral zone, closer to the pivot axis of the pawl, of angular extent greater than the possible angular movement of the arm so that the pawl of the pawl cannot reach the ends of this neutral zone when the arm is actuated.

The passage of the arm from the active position to the inactive position is controlled by a member pivoting about an axis parallel to the pivot axis of the pawl, this pivoting member having two branches, one of which has an elongated window in which is engaged a lug carried by one end of the arm, opposite the window.

The window of the pivoting member has a sufficient angular extent to allow the movement of the arm allowing the opening of the lock, by driving the pawl.

The pivoting member is driven by a lever itself driven by a rack, the movements of which are controlled by an electric deadlock motor.

The aforementioned lever can be located outside of a sealed housing in which is placed the deadlocking motor and another lever engaged with the rack, and wedged, at its end opposite to the rack, on a journal passing through so watertight a wall limiting the watertight zone where the deadlock motor is located, this pin carrying, on the outside, the drive lever of the pivoting member.

The pivoting member may include a tab allowing mechanical action by means of a key, for unlocking the lock in the event of a breakdown of the electric superchanging engine.

The invention consists, apart from the arrangements set out above, of a certain number of other arrangements which will be more explicitly discussed below in connection with an exemplary embodiment described with reference to the attached drawings, but which is by no means limiting.

Figure 1 of these drawings is a partial elevational view of a lock according to the invention, in a state where the arm controlling the pawl is in the active position.

Figure 2 shows, similarly to Figure 1, the elements of the lock in the deadlock state, the arm being in the inactive position.

Figure 3, finally, is a partial perspective view of the lock of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, in particular in FIG. 1, one can see a lock S for a motor vehicle door, comprising a locking pawl 1 articulated on an axis 2 provided on the vehicle door. In the case of a side door, the axis 2 is provided on the edge of the door, this axis being horizontal and substantially parallel to the mean plane of the door.

The pawl 1 has a hooking spout 3 and is subjected to the action of an elastic return means (not shown) tending to rotate the pawl 1 around the axis 2 in the locking direction, ie in the clock direction according to the representation of FIGS. 1 and 2.

The pawl 1 is suitable for retaining, in the locking position illustrated in FIG. 1, a bolt 4 in the form of a fork comprising two branches limiting between them a passage 5. The bolt 4 is rotatably mounted about an axis 6, parallel to axis 2, and also carried by the door. The bolt 4 has, on its periphery, two notches 7 and 8. In the locked position, the spout 3 hooks the second notch 8 of the bolt and retains the bolt in the closed position illustrated in FIG. 1.

The bolt 4 is intended to cooperate with a keeper 9 fixed to the vehicle body and constituted, for example, by a rod or an axis 9 perpendicular to the plane of the figure. When the door is closed, the strike 9 enters the passage 5 of the bolt, which passage is substantially horizontal in the open position; the cooperation of the strike 9 and the bolt causes the bolt 4 to rotate which is retained in the locking position of FIG. 1 by the pawl 1.

The lock S comprises drive means E of the pawl 1. These drive means E comprise an arm 10 mounted pivoting about the axis 2 of the pawl thanks to an oblong opening 11 whose width is equal to the diameter of the axis 2 but whose length is greater than this diameter, in particular greater than twice the diameter of the axis 2. The longitudinal ends of the oblong opening 11 have the shape of semicircles suitable for conforming to the contour of the axis 2 about 180 °. The arm 10 is thus mounted on the axis 2 with a possibility of translation corresponding to the displacement which brings the axis 2 from the support against one end of the opening 11 (see FIG. 1) to a support against the other end of said opening 11 (see Figure 2).

The position of Figure 1, for which the axis 2 is in abutment against the lower end of the opening 11, corresponds to an active position of the arm 10, while the position of Figure 2 corresponds to an inactive position.

The control in rotation of the arm 10 around the axis 2 is ensured, in particular, by a linkage T schematically shown, which connects a pin 12 to control means of the exterior door handle and / or interior door handle or pull tab type frieze (not shown). The pin 12 is able to move in an elongated window 13, in the shape of an arc of a circle.

The window 13 is located above the opening 11, as shown in FIG. 1. On the side opposite the window 13, relative to the opening 11, there are clutch / disengage means between the pawl 1 and the arm 10. These clutch / disengage means comprise, on the side of the arm 10, a window 14 having two zones, namely an effective zone 15 and a neutral zone 16. The effective zone 15 is more radially distant from the opening 11 than the neutral zone 16. The angular extent of the zone 15 is less than that of the zone 16.

The clutch / declutching means comprise, on the side of the pawl 1, a pin 17 secured to the pawl and engaged in the window 14. When the arm 10 is in its active position in FIG. 1, the pin 17 cooperates, that is that is to say is in abutment, against a radial edge 15a of the zone effective 15. When the arm 10 has moved in translation into its inactive position illustrated in FIG. 2, the pin 17 is in the neutral zone 16 where it can move without cooperating with one of the radial edges of said zone so that a rotation of the arm 10 is not transmitted to the pawl 1.

The angular extent of the neutral zone 16 is greater than the possible angular movement of the arm 10 controlled by the linkage T so that the pin 17 of the pawl cannot in any case reach the radial ends of the neutral zone 16 in the event of actuation of the arm 10, using the linkage T, while this arm 10 is in the deadlocking position illustrated in FIG. 2.

The passage of the arm from the active position of FIG. 1 to the inactive position of FIG. 2 is controlled by a member 18 mounted to pivot around an axis 19 parallel to the axis 2 of the pawl. This axis 19 is also provided on the door. The member 18 has two branches 20, 21 forming between them an angle of about 80 ° in the example illustrated in the drawings; this member 18 is articulated at the top of the angle formed by the two branches 20, 21.

The branch 20, of greater width, is slightly inclined on the horizontal when the arm is in the active position of FIG. 1. This branch 20 comprises, towards its end remote from the axis 19, an elongated window 22, the large dimension, substantially horizontal, is oriented in the direction of the length of the branch 20. This window 22 receives a cylindrical lug 23 fixed to the end of the arm 10 remote from the window 14. The window 22 is slightly curved to allow a angular movement of the lug 23, inside this window, when the arm is driven in the opposite direction of the clock by the linkage T for unlocking the bolt 4 (FIG. 1).

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the angular movement of the part 18 around the axis 19 is controlled by an electric motor 24, called a deadlock motor, with a vertical axis. The lower end of the motor shaft is provided with a pinion 25 of small diameter cooperating with a toothed sector 26 of larger diameter. The sector 26 is integral in rotation with another pinion 27, coaxial (see FIG. 3), which meshes with a rack 28 which can move in translation in a horizontal direction parallel to the plane of Figure 1, that is to say orthogonal to the direction of the axes 2 and 19. The rack 28 is integral with a part 29 having a notch 30 in which is engaged the rounded end 31 of a lever 32. This lever 32 is locked in rotation, at its opposite end, on a pin 33 perpendicular to the plane of the lever.

The assembly of parts formed by the motor 24 and the mechanical transmission 25 to 32 is advantageously enclosed in a sealed casing very roughly suggested by walls W in FIG. 3. The pin 33 passes in leaktight manner through one of the partition walls W for transmit outside (in a non-sealed area where the member 18, the arm 10, the pawl 1 and the bolt 4 are located) the rotational movement imparted by the lever 32 from the translational movements of the rack 28 For more details concerning such an arrangement, reference may be made to FR-A-2 656 030.

At its outer end, the pin 33 is integral in rotation with another lever 34 (Figure 3) which extends substantially parallel to the lever 32 and in the same direction, but whose length is shorter. At its upper end, the lever 34 has a lug 35 protruding from the side opposite the lever 32, parallel to the pin 33. This lug 35 is received in a notch 36 provided at the end of the branch 21. The notch 36 has a length greater than the height of the lug 35 to allow a certain longitudinal movement while the width of this notch corresponds substantially to the thickness of said lug 35. A rotation of the lever 34 ensures the drive of the member 18 in rotation around axis 19.

The member 18 further comprises, on the upper edge of its branch 20, a projecting tab 37 extending perpendicular to the mean plane of the branch 20. The tab 37 is intended to cooperate with its own mechanical means (not shown) to be controlled by a key actuated manually to allow unlocking of the lock in the event of an electrical failure at the level of the overlocking motor 24.

That said, the operation of the lock according to the invention is as follows.

The representation of Figure 1 corresponds to the normal operating state of the lock. The arm 10 is in the active position. If the user acts on the linkage T from inside or from outside the vehicle, it causes the arm 10 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction around the axis 2. The cooperation of the edge 15a of the zone 15, with the pin 17, causes the pawl 1 to rotate in the counterclockwise direction around the axis 2, which ensures the release of the bolt 4 and allows the door to be opened.

When the door is closed, the locking takes place normally, the pawl 1 being pushed back by the periphery of the bolt 4. This is made possible, without action on the arm 10, by the sufficient extent of the zone 15 which allows free movement of the pin 17 in the opposite clockwise direction around the axis 2.

The user controls the deadlocking by starting the electric motor 24, for example using a remote control. The motor 24 starts to rotate in the proper direction and drives [by the transmission mechanism constituted by the pinion 25, the toothed sector 26 and the pinion 27 (FIG. 3)], the rack 28 to the right, in the example considered, as illustrated in Figure 2.

The lever 32 pivots clockwise around the geometrical axis of the pin 33. This pin 33 drives the other lever 34 (see FIG. 3) which, by cooperation with the branch 21, makes the member 18 rotate in clockwise around the axis 19. The end of the window 22, distant from the axis 19, with which the lug 23 cooperates, lowers and drives the lug 23 and the arm 10 in a moving down. The amplitude of this movement is such that the upper end of the opening 11 bears against the axis 2 as illustrated in FIG. 2.

This movement of the arm 10 has released the pin 17 from the zone 15 to make it enter the neutral zone 16 where it is substantially in the middle part, when the arm 10 is not actuated by the linkage T.

If this linkage T is actuated, in particular by an ill-intentioned person, the arm 10 will rotate in the opposite direction of the clock around the axis 2. The pin 23 will move freely in the window 22, while the neutral zone 16 will move, relative to pawn 17, without produce action on this pin and on the pawl 1 which will remain in the locked position.

When the removal of the deadlock is controlled by the electric motor 24, the latter brings the rack 28 to the left in the position of FIG. 1. The arm 10 is moved upwards and the pin 17 again enters the zone 15 from window 14.

In the event of failure of the engine 24, in particular in the event of a battery failure, the authorized user can erase the deadlock corresponding to the representation of FIG. 2, using a key which acts on a mechanism cooperating with the lug 37. The member 18 is then mechanically brought back from the position of FIG. 2 to that of FIG. 1.

Claims (9)

1. Motor vehicle door lock including a locking pawl (1) articulated on a spindle (2) and capable, in the locked position, of retaining a latch (4) interacting with a striker (9), the lock including means (E) for driving the pawl (1) which are capable of moving it out of the way in order to release the latch (4) and allow the door to be opened, the said lock furthermore including control means (24) for providing deadlocking by making the driving means (E) have no effect on the pawl, the means (E) for driving the pawl comprising an arm (10) which can be moved between an active position in which this arm can rotate the pawl (1) and an inactive position in which this arm (10) has no effect on the pawl (1), the arm (10) being moved from the active position into the inactive position by the deadlock-control means (24), engagement/disengagement means being provided between the pawl (1) and the arm (10), these means being brought into action by the movement of the arm (10), and comprising, on the same side as one of the two elements which consist of the pawl (1) and the arm (10), a pin (17) and, on the same side as the other element, an aperture (14) which has two regions, namely an effective region (15) in which the aperture interacts with the said pin via a radial edge (15a) in such a way that a rotational movement is transmitted by the arm (10) to the pawl (1), and a neutral region (16) in which the pin (17) can move freely in the aperture (14) without interacting with one of its radial edges, in such a way that a rotational movement is not transmitted to the pawl by the arm (10), the lock being characterized in that the arm (10) is mounted so that it can pivot about the stationary spindle (2) of the pawl (1) with a possibility for translational movement, the arm (10) including an oblong opening (11) in which the pivot spindle (2) of the arm (10) and of the pawl (1) is engaged, the active position of the arm corresponding to the spindle (2) coming into abutment against one end of the oblong opening (11), and the inactive position corresponding to the spindle (2) coming into abutment against the other end of the said oblong opening (11) in such a way that when the pin (17) interacts with the effective region (15) a rotational movement in an appropriate direction of the arm (10) is transmitted to the pawl (1), whereas when the pin (17) is moving freely in the aperture (14) without interacting with one of its edges, a rotational movement of the arm (10) is not transmitted to the pawl.
2. Lock according to Claim 1, characterized in that the pin (17) is provided on the pawl (1) and that the aperture (14) is provided on the arm (10).
3. Lock according to Claim 2, characterized in that the arm (10) is made to rotate by a pin (12) coupled to a linkage (T) and moving in an elongate aperture (13), in the shape of an arc of a circle, provided in the arm (10) and situated on the opposite side to the aperture (14), relative to the opening (11).
4. Lock according to either of Claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the aperture (14) has an effective region (15) which extends over a small angle, and a neutral region (16), closer to the pivot spindle (2) of the pawl, which extends over an angle greater than the possible angular excursion of the arm (10) in such a way that the pin (17) of the pawl cannot reach the ends of this neutral region (16) in the event of the arm (10) being actuated.
5. Lock according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the arm (10) is made to pass from the active position into the inactive position by a member (18) that can pivot about a spindle (19) parallel to the pivot spindle (2) of the pawl, this pivoting member (18) having two branches (20, 21), one of which includes an elongate aperture (22) in which a stub (23) borne by one end of the drive arm (10) at the opposite end to the aperture (14) is engaged.
6. Lock according to Claim 5, characterized in that the aperture (22) of the pivoting member (18) extends over a large enough angle to allow an excursion of the arm (10) allowing the lock to be opened, by driving the pawl (1).
7. Lock according to Claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the pivoting member (18) is driven by a lever (34) which is itself driven by a rack (28, 29), the movements of which are controlled by a deadlock electric motor (24).
8. Lock according to Claim 7, characterized in that the pivoting member (18) is situated outside a leaktight housing in which there are placed the deadlock motor (24) and another lever (32) in engagement with the rack (28, 29) and keyed, at its opposite end to the rack, onto a journal (33) passing in a leaktight manner through a wall bounding the leaktight region in which the deadlock motor is to be found, this journal (33), on the outside, bearing the lever (34) for driving the pivoting member (18).
9. Lock according to Claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the pivoting member (18) includes a lug (37) allowing a mechanical action using a key for unlocking the lock in the event of breakdown of the electric deadlock motor (24).

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