Automotive door lock

An automotive door lock having a lock mechanism (3) for releasably engaging a striker (4), and a release mechanism (5) interacting with the lock mechanism (3) to release the lock (1). The release mechanism (5) has a control member (18) which interacts with the lock mechanism (3), is loaded elastically into a rest position, and can be set to a work position to release the lock (1). The release mechanism (5) has an actuating member (31) activated selectively to move the control member (18), in a forward movement, from the rest position to the work position; and, during a return movement of the control member (18) to the rest position, the control member (18) and the actuating member (31) are disconnected to minimize the time taken to complete the return movement.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an automotive door lock. More particularly, the invention relates to a door lock comprising a lock mechanism for releasably engaging a striker and a release mechanism interacting with the lock mechanism to release the lock.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

As is known, automotive locks substantially comprise a supporting body fixed to a door of the vehicle; and a lock mechanism carried by the supporting body and which engages a striker integral with a door post. Solutions are also known in which the lock is fixed to the door post, and the striker is integral with the door.

Known locks also comprise a release mechanism activated selectively to disconnect the striker from the lock mechanism. More specifically, known release mechanisms substantially comprise a movable control lever which interacts with the lock mechanism; and an actuating member activated selectively by a motor to move the control lever. More specifically, the control lever is loaded by a spring into a rest position, in which it is detached from the lock mechanism, thus permitting connection of the lock mechanism to the striker. Under control of the actuating member, the control lever performs a forward movement, in opposition to the spring, from the rest position to a work position, in which it releases the lock mechanism from the striker. Once the forward movement is completed, the motor is deactivated, and the spring causes the control lever to perform a return movement to the rest position, taking the actuating member with it.

The striker and lock mechanism are engaged by slamming the door against the door post. If the door is slammed against the post shortly after the release mechanism is operated, the lock mechanism is prevented from engaging the striker on account of the actuating member and control lever still performing the return movement so that the control lever is not set to the rest position. As such, the lock cannot be engaged until the control lever is restored fully to the rest position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an automotive door lock designed to provide a straightforward, low-cost solution to the aforementioned drawback typically associated with known locks. According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an automotive door lock comprising a lock mechanism for releasably engaging a striker and a release mechanism interacting with the lock mechanism to release the lock. The release mechanism comprises a control member which interacts with the lock mechanism, is loaded elastically into a rest position, and can be set to a work position to release the lock. The release mechanism further includes an actuating member activated selectively to move the control member in a forward movement from the rest position to the work position. During a return movement of the control member to the rest position, the control member and the actuating member are disconnected to minimize the time taken to complete the return movement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference toFIGS. 1 to 4, number1indicates, as a whole, an automotive door lock, e.g., a hatch lock, substantially comprising a supporting body2(shown partly) fixed to the vehicle door; a lock mechanism3connected to supporting body2and which releasably engages a striker4fitted to a door post (not shown); and a release mechanism5connected to supporting body2and for releasing striker4from lock mechanism3.

More specifically, supporting body2substantially comprises a plate14, to which lock mechanism3and release mechanism5are fixed on opposite sides. Plate14comprises a seat16enabling striker4to engage and interact with lock mechanism3; and a slot17enabling interaction between lock mechanism3and release mechanism5. Supporting body2also comprises a shell19fixed to plate14and housing release mechanism5as described in detail below.

Lock mechanism3comprises a fork6and a pawl7hinged to plate14about respective axes A and B parallel to each other and perpendicular to plate14. More specifically, fork6comprises a peripheral seat8bounded by two teeth9,10and for receiving striker4, and is loaded by a spring11, interposed between plate14and fork6, into a release position (FIGS. 2 and 4), in which seat8faces in an insertion/withdrawal direction of striker4.

When the door is slammed, fork6is rotated by striker4—about axis A, in opposition to spring11, and in a click-on movement in which it engages pawl7—into a lock position (FIGS. 1 and 3), in which striker4is locked inside seat8, and tooth9prevents withdrawal of striker4in known manner. More specifically, and with particular reference toFIGS. 1 and 2, pawl7is loaded by a spring12, fixed to plate14and to pawl7, towards a peripheral edge of fork6, and comprises an L-shaped end edge defining a catch portion13, which clicks onto tooth10to releasably lock fork6in the lock position. At its free end opposite axis B, pawl7comprises an interacting portion15housed inside slot17and movable along slot17by release mechanism5.

When release mechanism5acts on interacting portion15, pawl7is moved—about axis B, in opposition to spring12, and in a fork6release movement—into a position in which catch portion13and tooth10are disconnected, and fork6can be restored by spring11to the release position (FIGS. 1 and 3).

With reference toFIGS. 3-4and9-12, release mechanism5comprises a control lever18having an intermediate actuating projection21housed, in use, inside slot17and for pushing interacting portion15to move pawl7in opposition to spring12; a motor23operated selectively to move an end portion28of control lever18so that actuating projection21exerts thrust on interacting portion15; and a transmission assembly24for functionally connecting motor23and control lever18as described in detail below.

More specifically, motor23and transmission assembly24are housed inside shell19; the end of control lever18opposite end portion28is hinged to plate14about an axis C parallel to axes A and B; and end portion28is housed inside shell19. A spring25, fixed to plate14and to control lever18, loads control lever18into a rest position, in which actuating projection21exerts no thrust on interacting portion15of pawl7. When end portion28is moved, control lever18is moved into a work position, in which actuating projection21exerts thrust on interacting portion15of pawl7to release pawl7from fork6. When actuating projection21ceases to exert thrust on interacting portion15, spring25restores control lever18, in a return movement in the opposite direction to the forward movement, to the rest position.

Transmission assembly24comprises a gear train30activated by an output shaft of motor23; an actuating member31for moving control lever18, in a forward movement, between the rest position and the work position to release striker4from lock mechanism3; and a screw27projecting from gear train30and connected to a nut screw33formed inside actuating member31. More specifically, screw27and actuating member31extend inside shell19along an axis D parallel to the plane of plate14, and end portion28is interposed, in use, between plate14and actuating member31, and is offset with respect to axis D (FIGS. 3 and 4).

Actuating member31is movable by motor23along axis D, comprises a projection35, radial with respect to axis D, for engaging end portion28to move control lever18from the rest position to the work position, and is connected elastically to shell19by a spring34fixed to actuating member31on the opposite side to screw27. More specifically, actuating member31can be set to a first (FIGS. 3,4,5,6) and second (FIGS. 7,8) configuration. In the first configuration, actuating member31is movable by motor23in a first translational movement along axis D, and projection35faces plate14to engage end portion28and move control lever18from the rest position to the work position; and, in the second configuration, actuating member31is movable by spring34in a second translational movement along axis D, and projection35is positioned on the opposite side of axis D with respect to control lever18, and is therefore detached from end portion28.

Along an end portion of the first movement (FIG. 6), actuating member31is angularly free with respect to axis D and therefore movable from the first configuration to the second configuration. Similarly, along an end portion of the second movement (FIG. 7), actuating member31is angularly free with respect to axis D and therefore moveable from the second configuration to the first configuration.

The above movements are made possible by means of a first wall37and a second wall38, which are carried by shell19and prevent rotation of actuating member31along respective initial portions of the first and second movement, respectively. More specifically, as shown inFIGS. 5-12, first wall37is fixed to shell19, between plate14and axis D, extends parallel to axis D over the initial portion of the first movement of actuating member31, and defines a first stop surface39for projection35, to prevent the connection between nut screw33and screw27from rotating actuating member31about axis D.

Second wall38is fixed to shell19on the opposite side of axis D to plate14, extends parallel to axis D over the initial portion of the second movement of actuating member31, and defines a second stop surface40for projection35, to prevent the connection between nut screw33and screw27from rotating actuating member31about axis D.

Therefore, while spring25restores control lever18to the rest position, actuating member31can be set to the second configuration and moved by spring34to perform the second movement. Since, during the return movement, projection35is located on the opposite side of axis D with respect to control lever18, actuating member31and control lever18are disconnected to minimize the time taken by control lever18to perform the return movement. More specifically, the first movement and the second movement of actuating member31are defined by a stop member29and by the maximum-compression position of spring34. More specifically, and as shown inFIGS. 9 to 12, stop member29projects from gear train30and surrounds part of the length of screw27.

In actual use, when commanded by the user, lock1can be moved from a lock position (FIGS. 1 and 3), in which striker4is locked in known manner inside lock mechanism3, to a release position (FIGS. 2 and 4), in which striker4is released from lock mechanism3. In the lock position of lock1, control lever18is in the rest position, and actuating member31is in the first configuration. More specifically, actuating member31rests against stop member29, and projection35rests on first surface39of first wall37, in a position between stop member29and end portion28of control lever18.

When motor23is activated by the user, gear train30rotates screw27, which, being connected to nut screw33, transmits to actuating member31a force which tends to rotate and translate actuating member31with respect to axis D. Since first wall37prevents actuating member31from rotating about axis D, motor23causes actuating member31to translate along axis D and along the first portion of the first movement. During the first movement, actuating member31can be set to the first configuration, and, by means of projection35, moves end portion28of control lever18from the rest position to the work position, thus compressing spring34.

As a result, control lever18rotates about axis C, spring25is compressed, and actuating projection21pushes against interacting portion15of pawl7. As a result, pawl7is pushed away from fork6, thus enabling fork6to rotate about axis A from the lock position to the release position, thus releasing striker4from lock mechanism3. By the time end portion28is moved completely by actuating member31from the rest position to the work position of control lever18, actuating member31is located along the end portion of the first movement, and projection35no longer rests on first surface39of first wall37.

By virtue of the connection between screw27and nut screw33, actuating member31therefore rotates about axis D until projection35comes to rest against second surface40of second wall38, thus switching from the first configuration to the second configuration. At this point, motor23is deactivated, and extension of spring34causes actuating member31to perform the second movement about axis D.

Spring34exerts on actuating member31a force, along axis D, which tends to translate actuating member31along axis D, while at the same time rotating actuating member31about axis D by virtue of the connection between screw27and nut screw33. Along the initial portion of the second movement, actuating member31translates along axis D and remains angularly fixed about axis D, by virtue of second wall38preventing rotation of actuating member31about axis D. Along the end portion of the second movement, projection35no longer rests against second surface40of second wall38, so that actuating member31is free to rotate about axis D from the second configuration to the first configuration.

Simultaneously with the second movement of actuating member31, spring25restores control lever18from the work position to the rest position, so that actuating projection21is detached from and no longer exerts thrust on interacting portion15of pawl7, and pawl7, under the control of spring12, comes to rest against the peripheral edge of fork6in the release position (FIGS. 2 and 4).

Springs25and34are so proportioned that the second movement of actuating member31and subsequent rotation of actuating member31take longer than the return movement of control lever18. Consequently, when actuating member31is in the first configuration, just after completing the second movement, and lock1is in the release position, control lever18is in the rest position.

Lock1is restored to the lock position by slamming the door against the door post, so that striker4is inserted inside seat8and fork6clicks onto pawl7. The advantages of lock1according to the present invention will be clear from the foregoing description. In particular, the time taken by control lever18to complete the return movement is minimized by the return movement of control lever18being in no way impeded. The fact that control lever18and lock mechanism3interact by means of actuating projection21and interacting portion15also minimizes the time taken by fork6to move into the release position, in which seat8is positioned facing the insertion direction of striker4. Consequently, the time taken for lock1to be restored to the lock position, after being released by release mechanism5, is also minimized.