Closing device for a vehicle door

A closing device for a vehicle door includes a doorlock, an operating element for operating the doorlock, an external door handle fixed to the external skin of the vehicle door with an adjuster piece, a deflecting element which translates a movement of the adjuster piece along a first direction into a movement along a second direction and a coupling element by means of which the deflector element acts upon the operating element. The external door handle and the deflecting element are connected to the external skin of the vehicle door, such that they move together with a deformation of the external skin and that the coupling element is provided with means for distance compensation, which permits a movement of the deflector piece relative to the operating element, without the deflecting element acting upon the operating element.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a closing device for a vehicle door wit a door lock, with at least one actuating element for operating the door lock and an external door actuator which is fixed on the outer skin of the vehicle door and which has a movable adjuster part.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A closing device for a vehicle door, and having an external door actuator, normally includes an external door handle which is coupled through a force transfer device to an operating element of the door lock in the form of an operating lever. If the door lock is in the unlocked state (e.g. because it has previously been unlocked by a key or remote control), then the door can be opened by means of the external door handle whereby the external handle acts on the door lock through the force transfer device and the operating lever. The operating lever thus interacts with the door lock so that when the door lock is unlocked the door can be opened by means of the external door handle.

A shortcoming associated with such a lock, is that any deformation to the external door skin such as caused by a crash, for example, and transferred to the operating lever would bring the risk of unintended opening of the door in a deformation condition.

DE 197 44 384 A1 provides a closing device for a vehicle door which has a lock with release lever (operating lever) fixed on the inner panel of the vehicle door, and an external door actuator which acts on the release lever through a force transfer element. In order to prevent deformations of the door caused by a crash from transferring to the release lever, the force transfer element is formed as a Bowden cable with excess length. This known closing device, however, has the drawback that the Bowden cable does not occupy a defined position inside the vehicle door because of its excess length.

For a defined guidance of the Bowden cable inside the vehicle door it would therefore be necessary to fix this by means of additional fasteners such as clips. For this purpose the Bowden cable must however be accessible from the interior of the vehicle. This limits the flexibility considerably when assembling the vehicle door. An example here would be fitting the vehicle door where several functional components of the door, such as the door lock and window lever are prefitted on a door module support. Should this door module support be fixed on the inner skin of the vehicle door before the external door actuator is attached to the outer skin and connected to the door lock, then there would not be sufficient access to the Bowden cable from inside the door.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,909 describes an operating device for a motor vehicle lock which has a coupling rod for coupling an operating handle to a lever mechanism. The coupling rod is mounted for swivel movement on the side of the operating handle. On the side of the lever mechanism the coupling rod is guided with an engagement element in an oblong hole mounted in the lever mechanism and serving to compensate tolerances.

It would therefore be desirable to provide a closing device for motor vehicles which prevents the unintended release of the operating element of the lock coupled to the external door actuator in the event of deformation to the external door skin and which, at the same time, eliminates the disadvantages of conventional closing devices, as described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To address these and other needs, in one exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a closing device which has at least one deflector element which converts movement along a first direction of the adjuster part which is movable together with the external door actuator, into movement along another direction and which may undertake a translation function at the same time. The present invention further provides a coupling element through which the deflector element acts on the operating element of the door lock which is coupled to the external door actuator. The deflector element is in direct or indirect connection with the outer skin of the vehicle door in the region of the external door actuator so that in the event of deformation of the region of the external skin on which the external door actuator is mounted, the deflector element is moved together with the external door actuator. The coupling element is provided with means for compensating the spacing, or interacts with such means. Thus, if the position of the defector element changes as a result of deformation of external skin, a movement of the deflector element relative to the operating element is enabled without the deflector element acting through the operating element on the door lock so that the vehicle door opens.

The present invention also advantageously provides that the deflector element can be attached in the region of the external door actuation on the outer skin of the vehicle door. This deflector element is, in turn, readily coupled by the coupling element to the operating element of the door lock and thus to the door lock itself. The spacing compensating means thereby ensures that in the event of deformation to the external door skin, the deflector element, together with the external door actuator, can move relative to the operating element of the lock without causing the door to open.

Another aspect of the present invention is that it enables a flexible fitting, more particularly in the case of vehicle doors in which fitting is carried out by using a door module.

The distance or spacing compensating means provided according to the invention, may be referred to as the distance compensation element and can moreover not only become active in a crash situation but can also serve as means for tolerance compensation during fitting of the door lock. As such, the distance or spacing compensating means therefore serves a double function. For the significance of the tolerance compensation when fitting a door lock reference is made to DE 196 19 869 A1.

In order to achieve the external door actuation and the deflector element moving together if the external door skin is deformed, the external door actuator and the deflector element are connected through a common structural door group to the external skin of the vehicle door which can also serve as a supporting part of the external door actuator and deflector element of a section which may be referred to as a handle dish. In one exemplary embodiment, such a structural door group may be a socket for the external door actuator, which comprises, for example, a grip indent and bearing socket.

The deflector element and coupling element may be formed by separate interconnected components or groups in which the deflector element is a rigid swivel mounted component part in one exemplary embodiment.

In one exemplary embodiment, a pulling movement is converted or reversed into a pushing movement through the deflector element. According to this exemplary embodiment, the deflector element can be at least a double-armed lever in which the adjusting part of the external door actuator engages on the one arm, and the coupling element, e.g. in the form of a coupling rod, engages on the other arm.

In another exemplary embodiment the deflector element is provided for converting linear movement of the adjuster part of the external door actuator into a rotary movement. Particularly suitable for this is a deflector element in the form of a roller which interacts with the adjuster part, which may be a toothed rod gearing or which has a curved guide slide in which a guide element that the adjuster part engages for generating a rotating movement. In one exemplary embodiment, this roller can advantageously be formed as a winder element on which a coupling element in the form of a wind-up tension member can be wound and unwound.

In another exemplary embodiment, the roller can be provided for holding a coupling element in a rotationally secured manner, and which rotates together with the roller and thus acts on the operating element of the door lock. The operating element is in this case formed as a lock follower.

The arrangement of the deflector element in the region of the external actuator may advantageously be provided so that the deflector element moves together with the external actuator should the exterior skin of the vehicle door become compressed through a crash (e.g. in the event of a front impact crash).

The distance or spacing compensating means can be designed to both permit movement of the deflector element relative to the operating element of the door lock along one direction, and also to enable movement of the deflector element relative to the operating element along two substantially opposite directions.

Thus, the distance or spacing compensating means permit a movement of the deflector element relative to the operating element of the door lock only in the direction of the space outside of the vehicle. This is advantageous if the exterior skin of the vehicle door is designed so that in particularly critical crash situations, the exterior skin of the vehicle door deforms uniformly outwards in the region of the deflector element and external door actuator.

In other cases, it may be advantageous if the distance or spacing compensating means, hereafter referred to as the distance compensating means or element, permit movement of the deflector element relative to the operating element of the door lock both in the direction of the space above the vehicle and in the direction of the interior of the vehicle.

According to another exemplary embodiment of the invention, the distance compensating means are mounted between the coupling element and the actuating element (operating element) of the door lock. The coupling element and the operating element can thereby interact through positive locking elements in the manner of a detent or ratchet coupling, e.g. through inclined teeth which permit a movement of the coupling element relative to the operating element in the direction of the exterior space of the vehicle while, during movement of the coupling element in the opposite direction, the operating element is entrained along.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention the distance compensation is undertaken by the interaction of the deflector element with the coupling element. To this end a coupling element can be wound up in the manner of a wind-up tension member onto a deflector element in the form of a winding element so that during movement of the winding element in the direction of the exterior space of the motor vehicle, the coupling element can be unwound. Since a coupling element formed as a wind-up element, e.g. a cable, can only transfer traction forces and not pushing forces, this also enables a movement of the deflector element relative to the operating element of the door lock in the direction of the vehicle interior without the operating element causing the door to open.

In another exemplary embodiment, the distance compensating means may be directly integrated in the coupling element, e.g. by the coupling element having a telescopic design.

InFIGS. 1ato1can external door actuator1is shown fixed on exterior skin100of a motor vehicle door. This door actuator1has an exterior handle12attached for swivel movement to the exterior skin100and is connected to same through a handle dish10provided with a handle indent11.

The exterior handle12is pretensioned by a spring element13shown diagrammatically inFIG. 1b, towards the exterior skin100and handle indent11and in order to open the vehicle door (when the door lock is unlocked), the exterior handle12is pulled outwards along direction R, and against the pretension of the spring element13.

Next to the exterior handle12on the exterior skin100of the vehicle door is a locking cylinder65which is connected to the door lock6which is provided in the region of an end side120of the door body or, more precisely, of an inner door panel. The inner door panel extends up to a door module support110which is fixed on the inner door panel and which serves to hold various functional components of the vehicle door.

The exterior handle12has a projection15which projects into the interior I of the vehicle door (i.e. the space between the exterior skin100and the inner panel or door module support110). When the exterior handle12is actuated, projection15is moved along direction R and together with the exterior handle12towards the exterior door space A. The end of the projection15remote from the external handle12is connected for articulated movement at the articulation point21to a deflecting element2which is in the form of a double-armed deflecting lever in the illustrated embodiment. The deflecting lever, i.e. deflecting element2, is mounted for swivel movement about an axis20on a bearing block25of the handle dish10projecting into the interior space I of the vehicle door. The deflecting element2is connected by its second lever arm to a coupling element3through an articulation point22. In the illustrated embodiment, coupling element3is a slide bar, and hereinafter may be referred to alternatively as slide bar3with respect to the exemplary embodiment shown inFIGS. 1a-1c.

The slide bar has a toothed section30which is provided with inclined teeth31shown inFIG. 1c. Through this toothed section30the slide bar3is in engagement with a sleeve50which has an internal toothing51corresponding to the inclined toothing31. The sleeve50is provided on its side facing away from the toothing51with an integral elastic element55which acts on the toothed section30of the slide bar so that it engages continuously with the toothing51of the sleeve. The two toothed sections31,51of the slide bar on the one side and the sleeve50on the other, respectively, form a ratchet coupling or detent coupling which enables movement of the slide bar (coupling element3) relative to the sleeve50(against the action of the elastic section55) towards the exterior space A of the vehicle, but during movement of the slide bar3in the opposite direction B, however, ensures that the sleeve50is entrained by the slide bar3or its toothed section30.

The sleeve50is in turn connected (in one piece or through additional fastening means) to a lever-operating element4of the door lock mounted for swivel movement about an axis40. The vehicle door can be opened when the door lock6is unlocked, by swivelling the external operating element4. This takes place as follows: in order to open the vehicle door, the external handle12is drawn against the pretension of the spring element13along a direction R away from the external skin100of the vehicle door. The external handle12thereby acts through projection15on the deflecting element2. This converts the pulling movement of the external handle12into a pushing movement of the slide bar (coupling element3) in the opposite direction B. The slide bar thereby entrains the sleeve50which results in swivel movement of the external operating lever4about its axis40. This enables the vehicle door to be opened in a known way.

If a crash situation (for example a front impact crash) leads to compression of the external skin100of the vehicle door, then it can result in a movement of the external handle12as well as the deflecting element2towards the exterior space A. The external handle12and the lever which is deflecting element2thereby move substantially in unison since they are both connected to the exterior skin100of the vehicle door through a common supporting part, handle dish10. Deflecting element2is connected to bearing block25. As the deflecting element2moves in the direction R of the exterior space A the coupling element3(slide bar) is entrained by the deflecting element2in this direction R. This movement is however not transferred to the deflecting lever4since the coupling element3can move in the direction R relative to the sleeve50of the external operating lever4. As a result of the special configuration of the inclined teeth31,51, the sleeve50thus acts on the coupling element3on one side and the teeth51on the other side to permit movement of the deflecting element2as well as the coupling element3relative to the external operating lever4in the direction R of the external space A. In this manner, the mechanism of teeth31,51, sleeve50including elastic section55, and coupling element3function as, and may be referred to as a distance compensation element5.

The pretensioning force of the spring element13, through which the external handle12is pretensioned towards the handle dish10, is advantageously greater than the pretensioning force of the elastic element55which pretensions the inclined toothing31of the coupling element3in the direction of the associated toothing51the sleeve50. This ensures that a crash-conditioned movement of the external door handle12outwards does not result in relative movement of the external operating lever4inwards (direction B) in relation to the external handle12, which would lead to the vehicle door opening.

The distance compensating element5thus enables a compensation of crash-conditioned distance changes between the external door handle12and the deflecting element2on the one hand, and the external operating lever4on the other hand, without the risk of a crash-conditioned opening of the vehicle door due to the deflecting element2or its swivel axis20moving together with the external door handle12.

If the length of the toothed section30of the slide bar (coupling element3) is made sufficiently long, then the slide bar still remains in engagement with the toothing51of the sleeve50even at the end of a crash process and after distance compensation. This ensures that even after a crash the vehicle door can be opened by means of the external handle12and the associated gearing2,3,4,5.

In order to assemble the closing device illustrated inFIGS. 1ato1c, the coupling element3may be pre-fitted together with the deflecting element2on the projection15of the external door handle12. The toothed section30of the coupling element3can then be inserted in simple manner through the opening in the external skin100, which is provided to receive the handle dish10, and into the sleeve50. Access from inside the vehicle to the component parts which are to be connected is not necessary. Assembly is therefore readily possible even if the external actuator1is only then fitted after a door module has been mounted on the inner door panel so that the closing device is no longer (or only under difficult conditions) accessible from inside the vehicle.

FIGS. 2aand2bshow another exemplary embodiment which is a modification of the closing device ofFIGS. 1ato1cwherein like component parts include like reference numerals and are not explained further below.

With the embodiment according toFIGS. 2aand2bthe projection15of the external handle12has a longitudinal toothing17which engages with an external toothing24of deflecting element2′ which is a rotatable guide pulley2′ in the illustrated embodiment. Deflecting element2′ may be mounted in the region of the handle dish10, directly on the external door skin100or on a projection of the handle shell10. Deflecting element21may alternatively be referred to as guide pulley2′ with respect to the exemplary embodiment shown asFIGS. 2a-2c. The guide pulley2′, which is rotatable about an axis20, forms a winding element on whose winding face23a flexible element, such as a wire or cable or belt, is disposed. The flexible element is wound up under pretension and is fixed by its end34facing away from the guide pulley2′ on an external operating lever4′ which is mounted for swivel movement on the door lock. The flexible element serves as a coupling element3′ and may alternatively be referred to as flexible element3′.

In order to hold the flexible element3′ under tension, a pretension torsion spring (not shown inFIGS. 2aand2b) can be mounted by way of example on the winding axis20.

In order to open the vehicle door—as already explained with respect to the previous embodiment—the external handle12is moved in the direction R towards the exterior space A of the vehicle whereby the projection15interacts through its longitudinal toothing17with the external toothing24of the deflecting element (guide pulley)2′ and generates a rotational movement D of the guide pulley2′. The coupling element (flexible element)3′ is thereby wound onto the winding face23of the deflecting element (guide pulley)2′ and the external operating lever4′ of the door lock is swivelled out of its rest position against the action of a spring element43(tension spring) so that the door can open.

The spring element13acting on the external handle12, the torsion spring which is to be mounted where necessary on the winding axis20, and the spring element43which acts on the external operating lever4′, are designed in conjunction with each other so that the external operating lever4′, in the absence of external force action on the external handle12, is located in its rest position (seeFIG. 2b) from which it has to be swivelled out, i.e. pivot about axis40, in order to open the door by means of the external handle12. More particularly, the resetting force of the spring element43acting on the external operating lever4′ has to be sufficiently great compared with the force generated by the torsion spring, so that the external operating lever4′ returns to its rest position.

Alternatively, if the external door handle12, the projection15and the deflecting element (guide pulley)2′ move in unison outwards as a result of a crash-conditioned compression of the external skin100of the vehicle door, then the wire which forms coupling element3′ is unwound from the pulley because the longitudinal toothing17of the projection15does not act on the external toothing24of the pulley2′, so that it does not result in any swivelling of the external operating lever4′. This avoids the condition whereby the vehicle door opens outward unintentionally due to the crash-conditioned deformation of the external skin100.

In this manner, the guide pulley2′ and the wire, which is the flexible element3′, form a distance compensation element5′ which enables a movement of the external handle12, projection15and guide pulley2′ outwards without leading to a swivel movement of the external operating lever4′.

Furthermore the door can still be opened even after a crash by means of the external handle12if a piece of wire is wound up onto the winding surface23of the guide pulley (deflecting element2′).

In the event of a crash or other event causing a deformation of the external door skin100inwards, then a distance compensation readily takes place between the pulley (deflecting element2°) and the external operating lever4′ in that the tension is released from the flexible element3′ and this is wound up onto the winding face23of the pulley. This further ensures that, after a crash, the vehicle door can be opened further by means of the external handle12.

Also with the present embodiment assembly is readily possible from the exterior space. The flexible element3′ is to be fixed at one end of the external operating lever4′ and can be accomplished through the opening provided in the external skin100for receiving the handle indent10. No access from the interior of the vehicle is necessary for assembly.

FIGS. 3ato3cshow a further embodiment of a closing device of the present invention. In this embodiment, as with the embodiment according toFIGS. 2aand2b, a movement of the external handle12in the direction R of the external space of the vehicle is converted into a rotary movement. For this purpose, the projection15provided on the external handle12is provided with a nose18which engages in a guide groove27of a pulley2″ of cylindrical outer contour26mounted rotatable on a bearing block25of the handle dish10. In this exemplary embodiment, pulley2″ functions as the previously described deflecting element. The guide groove27thereby runs inclined to the cylindrical contour26of the pulley2″ so that a movement of the external handle12, and thus the projection15as well as the nose18in the direction R of the external space A of the vehicle, is converted into a rotational movement D of the pulley2″ about its axis20.

A coupling element3″ is mounted in the form of a coupling rod rotationally secured in the rotatably mounted pulley2″ where it engages by a front section38into a lock follower4″ of the door lock. For a rotationally secured mounting of the coupling element3″, the pulley2″ has a polygonal inner edge28(here in the form of a square edge) which is connected through webs28to the cylindrical outer contour26of the pulley2″. The polygonal inner edge28interacts with a corresponding rectangular section of the coupling element3″.

The operating lever in the form of lock follower4″ in turn is in active connection with the door lock6so that the door can be opened (when the door lock is unlocked) by actuating the lock follower4″ by means of the external handle12whereby the coupling element3″ acts in the manner described above on the lock follower4″.

According to this exemplary embodiment, the coupling element3″ is here formed as a telescopic coupling rod as it is formed by a rod37which is movable (longitudinally displaceable) telescopically in the polygonal inner edge28. The coupling element3″ is thereby adjoined in the region of the handle indent11by a projection14of the handle dish10. This projection14serves as a bearing for the pulley2″ and has a widened end section14a for axially securing the pulley2″.

The coupling element3″ in the form of a rod37engages positively in the polygonal inner edge28of the pulley2″ so that it is entrained during rotary movement and can act by its front end section38on the lock follower4″.

If in the event of a crash situation in which the external door skin100is compressed so that the handle dish10moves outwards, then the external handle12including projection15, and the projection14provided on the handle dish10, move together with the pulley2″. As a result of the common movement of the projection15with the nose18on the one hand and the pulley2″ with the guide groove27on the other, this does not result in a rotational movement of the pulley2″. As such, lock follower4″ is not acted upon and the door does not open.

At the same time during the movement of the pulley2″ outwards, its distance from the lock follower4″ is changed. This change in distance is compensated by the coupling element3′ which executes a relative movement with respect to the pulley2″ whereby the effective length of the coupling element3″ is increased. This relative movement is thereby possible since the rod37of the coupling element3″ is mounted such that it is longitudinally displaceable in the pulley2″.

In the event of deformation of the external skin100in the direction R of the exterior space the generation of a rotational movement of the pulley2″ which could result in unintended opening of the vehicle door, is now prevented according to the exemplary embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 3ato3c. In this situation, the pulley2″ moves outwards together with the external handle12and its projection15. The change in the distance between the pulley2″ and the lock follower4″, which is thereby caused, is compensated by the telescopic coupling element3″.

In the event of deformation of the external skin100inwards, the projection15and the nose18provided therein likewise move inwards together with the pulley2″ which is mounted rotatable on the handle dish10. The distance between the pulley2″ and the lock follower4″ is thereby reduced. The change in distance is compensated for by the end section38of the coupling element3″ associated with the lock follower4″, which is mounted with sufficient axial play Z in the lock follower4″ so that the coupling element3″ can move for distance compensation axially in the direction of the vehicle interior. Thus the distance compensation element5″ enables a distance compensation both in the event of deformation of the external skin100outwards and in the event of deformation inwards.

Also in this exemplary embodiment, after a crash, actuation of the lock follower4″ for opening the vehicle door by means of the external handle12is possible since the front end section38of the coupling element3′ is located as before in engagement with the lock follower4″.

Fitting the closing device can be carried out through the opening provided in the external skin100of the vehicle door for receiving the handle dish10. The front end section38of the coupling element3″ may be brought into engagement with the lock follower4″. Further assembly steps are not required since the external actuation1, the deflecting element2″ and the coupling element3″ can be supplied as a finished prefitted module.

A common feature of all the embodiments is that the relative movement is carried out between each two elements (deflecting element2,2′, or2″ and external operating lever4,4′, or4″ of the closing device which serve directly for force transfer from the external handle to the door lock.

Furthermore, in each of the aforementioned embodiments, the means for compensating distance (distance compensation element5,5′,5″) in a crash situation can also serve at the same time as means for compensating tolerance during assembly.