Abstract:
A lock for a motor vehicle gate or door including a lock latch having a main catch projection which is movable between an open position that disengages the gate or door lock and a catch position that engages the gate or door lock, a detent pawl which is movable between a lowered position maintaining the lock latch in the catch position and a raised position to place the lock latch in the open position, a catch lever which is being movable from a first position maintaining the detent pawl in the catch position and a second position placing the detent pawl in the open position, and a handle connected to the catch lever at a location in an interior area of the gate or door. The handle is movable to an actuating position which places the catch lever in the second position to thereby disengage the gate or door lock from the inside area of the gate or door.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/058,239. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The invention relates to a motor vehicle gate lock arrangement, such as a lock arrangement for a trunk lid. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle rear door lock arrangement.  
           [0004]    2. Field of the Related Art  
           [0005]    Motor vehicle gate lock arrangements and motor vehicle rear door lock arrangements of the type under consideration are known both with manual activation and also with motorized activation (motorized opening aid). Gate locks are known generally with a catch, the main catch, rear door locks and side door locks with two catches, specifically the main catch and a preceding preliminary catch which secures the preliminary catch position of the door. Published German Patent Application DE 196 14 122 A1 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,717, describe this prior art comprehensively for locks with a lock latch and detent pawl, said U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,717 being incorporated herein by reference.  
           [0006]    For locks without a lock latch, in which the detent pawl acts directly on a closing clip or the like, reference is made to published German Patent Application DE 19 64 260 A1. This known lock has a key collar with a preliminary catch and a main catch in which a detent pawl engages.  
           [0007]    In motor vehicle gate lock arrangements and also in motor vehicle rear door lock arrangements of the type under consideration, a so-called “snow load lever” is used. It is also comprehensively described in published German Patent Application DE 196 14 122 A1. A snow load lever is an additional catch lever which engages when the raised position of the catch blade is reached relative to the detent pawl, such that the detent pawl is kept in the raised position until the lock latch, generally a rotary latch, has reached its open position. When the lock latch has reached its open position, the additional catch lever is pivoted away from the detent pawl so that it can operate again relative to the rotary latch. When the gate or rear door is closed again, the catch lever engages again in the main catch or first in the preliminary catch and then in the main catch.  
           [0008]    The aforementioned mechanical technique is proven and effective since it solves a problem of a gate or door which does not open by itself, either when loaded with snow, when the restoration force of the seal is not sufficient, or when the seal is frozen tight.  
           [0009]    The function of a “snow load lever” has already been addressed in a gate lock or rear door lock which can be opened by motor, specifically by a corresponding stop control. This is the subject matter of the teaching of published German Patent Application DE 196 14 122 A1.  
           [0010]    Although development in motor vehicle gate lock arrangements, as in motor vehicle rear door lock arrangements, has already reached a considerable status with respect to implementation of a “snow load function,” as before, further development is necessary.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    In accordance with the invention, further development is undertaken such that the gate lock of the gate lock arrangement, especially the rear lid lock of a motor vehicle body, can also be opened from the inside, and thus, from the inside of the gate, by way of an inside opening handle. Accordingly, an individual, such as a child, who has been inadvertently locked in or has become trapped when playing in the trunk of a motor vehicle can always escape from the trunk by himself. But in accordance with the invention, the catch lever, which implements the “snow load function” from the outside during opening, is used to keep the detent pawl likewise in the lifted position upon actuation from the inside opening handle. In this way, a safety measure is taken in that pulling from the inside of the gate one time on the inside opening handle is enough in any case to be able to press the gate up, especially the trunk lid. Thus, even when an individual reacts by panicking when trapped, reliable opening of the gate is possible and escape is ensured.  
           [0012]    An advantageous feature in accordance with the invention is that the catch lever is activated by actuating the inside opening handle, and is coupled to the inside opening handle such that the catch lever can be deactivated again only by an additional actuation measure with release of a detent pawl. Because an additional actuation measure leads to deactivation of the catch lever and re-release of the detent pawl, a further improvement in ease of operation is achieved. If specifically the gate, such as the trunk lid, is closed by the pressure of a load or wind gust without the loading or unloading process not yet being completed, in this design the gate lock does not engage if it has been moved beforehand into the desired catch position by actuating the inside opening handle. By way of this additional manipulation on the inside opening handle which is present anyway, an additional luxury function is implemented because tedious looking for the key or the remote control can be reliably abandoned. Deactivation of the catch lever can take place by a manual actuation measure in the same way as by a motorized actuation measure when the gate lock is motorized.  
           [0013]    A corresponding function can be implemented in a motor vehicle rear door lock arrangement whereby the catch lever, which is activated by actuating the inside opening handle, is coupled to the inside opening handle such that the catch lever can be deactivated again only by an additional actuation measure with release of the detent pawl.  
           [0014]    A corresponding function can also be implemented when there is no inside opening handle on the gate or rear door. Then, in accordance with the invention, an additional catch-actuation element which assumes the function of the inside opening handle with respect to the additional catch lever.  
           [0015]    The implementation of the teaching in accordance with the invention is made especially compact and user-friendly in that the inside opening handle or the catch-actuation element is made as a rotating or rotary actuating handle. With this rotary actuating handle, which has an engagement element and a mechanical interface, the detent pawl can be shifted into its raised position. In a quite special embodiment, the aforementioned catch lever can be integrated in terms of its function into the rotary actuating handle.  
           [0016]    The teaching of the invention can be applied to almost all known motor vehicle gate locks, especially locks with a lock latch and detent pawl as well as locks without a lock latch in which the detent pawl acts directly on the closing clip or the like should be considered.  
           [0017]    The invention is explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings which show only some of the various possible embodiments of the invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is a side view of the rear of a motor vehicle body with a partially opened trunk lid and a gate lock arrangement for the trunk lid;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1A is an enlarged view of the encircled detail “A” of FIG. 1;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIGS. 2A &amp; 2B show an inside opening handle or a catch-actuation element in accordance with the invention in perspective and side views, respectively;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIGS. 3A &amp; 3B show another inside opening handle or catch-actuation element according to the invention in perspective and side views, respectively;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4 shows an arrangement of the detent pawl and inside opening handle or a catch-actuation element in accordance with the invention; and  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 5 shows another view of the arrangement of the detent pawl and inside opening handle or a catch-actuation element shown in FIG. 4. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]    [0024]FIGS. 1 &amp; 1A show the rear of a motor vehicle body  1  with the trunk space  2  which is closed by a trunk lid  3  or trunk gate. The trunk lid  3  is easily raised to expose an interior space of the trunk. The frame of the trunk includes a closing clip  4 . As more clearly shown in FIG. 2, on the trunk lid  3 , itself, is the gate lock arrangement including a gate lock  5  with a lock latch  6 , a main catch  7  and a detent pawl  8  which keeps the latch lock  6  in the main catch position.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIGS. 1 &amp; 1A illustrate only a highly schematic representation of a first embodiment and are intended to explain the basic principle of the invention. All other parts of such a gate lock arrangement are omitted from these figures. For example, an outside opener and a central interlock mechanism, as well as a motorized opening drive, auxiliary closing drive or central interlock drive are omitted. In this respect, reference is made to the prior art, especially to the initially mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,717, but such structure can also be found in German Patents DE 38 01 581 C2 and DE 39 32 268 C2, as well as published German Patent Application DE 32 42 527 A1.  
         [0026]    In the above-explained gate lock  5  of FIGS. 1 &amp; 1A, a “snow load function” is implemented. For this purpose, after reaching the raised position, the detent pawl  8  is kept in the raised position by way of a catch lever  9  proceeding from the main catch position until the lock latch  6  has reached its open position shown in the drawings.  
         [0027]    Normally, the gate of a trunk  2 , in this case the trunk lid  3 , can only be opened from the outside. There is no inside opening mechanism because cargo is carried in the trunk 2 . This is different than in the cargo space of a station wagon which is closed with a rear door. In such a vehicle, a rearward facing, third bench seat can often be installed so that the rear door is already equipped beforehand with an inside opening handle.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIGS. 1 &amp; 1A show a feature whereby an inside opening handle  10  is provided on the inside of the gate  3 ; by its activation with the hatch  3  closed, the detent pawl  8  can be moved into the raised position and can be held there until the lock latch  6  has reached its open position. Thus, the additional function of a panic safety which is described in the general part of the specification is achieved, the gate  3  can then always be completely opened by the individual inside.  
         [0029]    According to one preferred embodiment, it is furthermore provided that the catch lever  9  is coupled to the inside opening handle  10  so that the catch lever  9  may be activated by actuating the opening handle  10 . In addition, the catch lever  9  is coupled to the inside opening handle  10  such that the catch lever  9  can be deactivated again by an additional actuation measure with release of the detent pawl  8 . FIGS. 1 &amp; 1A indicate that the catch lever  9  is located directly on the inside opening handle  10 , and under the force of a spring  11 , engages when the inside opening handle  10  is activated and keeps the inside opening handle  10  in the actuation position.  
         [0030]    The drawings show that the catch lever  9  has an actuation end  12  and by pressing on the actuation end  12  against the reset force of the spring  11  can be pressed back, and thus, deactivated so that the detent pawl  8  can engage again because the inside opening handle  10  has been released again. As an alternative, a latch can also be provided which rises under spring force and which fixes the inside opening handle  10  in the actuation position as soon as the inside opening handle  10  has been pulled. Of course, the catch lever  9  can be assigned directly to the detent pawl  8  in the known manner, and, for this reason, can be located directly on the gate lock  5  itself. The manner of operation of the catch lever  9  within the framework of the teaching of the invention is always important; this leads to the fact that the gate  3  cannot engage and lock unintentionally with the catch function activated.  
         [0031]    In the embodiment shown in the FIGS. 1 &amp; 1A, the inside opening handle  10  is in the top area of the gate  3 , and the gate lock  5  in the lower area by the edge of the gate  3 . A transfer rod  13  couples the detent pawl  8  to the inside opening handle  10  in this respect. One alternative is to support the inside opening handle  10  directly on the pivot axis of the detent pawl  8 , therefore, to provide direct actuation of the detent pawl  8 . The inside opening handle  10  can also be located elsewhere on the hatch lock  5 .  
         [0032]    In addition, a reversed arrangement of the closing clip  4  and the hatch lock  5  in an assignment to the trunk lid  3  and the frame of the trunk  2  is known and can be realized. This embodiment is a special version in which the catch lever  9  is activated only when the inside opening handle  10  is actuated. When the gate lock  5  is actuated from the outside via the external actuation lever or via a remote control, therefore by a motor, the additional catch function is not activated by the catch lever  9 . It is, therefore, only activated as an emergency function by an individual locked in the trunk  2  or is intentionally activated with the hatch  3  opened.  
         [0033]    In engineering and structural terms, the above-explained concept can be implemented while maintaining the “snow load function” in that, optionally, there is an additional catch lever with the same function, which is activated in some other fashion such as from the outside or via a remote control and is deactivated by the lock latch  6  when the open position of the lock latch  6  is reached. Thus the, “classical” snow load function in addition to the above-explained modified snow load function is present. The above-explained concept can be implemented otherwise in a motor vehicle rear door lock arrangement with the same advantage.  
         [0034]    Finally, the above explained concept can also be implemented when there is no inside opening handle  10 . In such a case, on the inside of the gate  3  or the rear door, there must be another catch-actuation element which may be activated and deactivated. Finally, it is fundamentally conceivable for the catch-actuating element to be activated and deactivated by motor, for example, within the framework of more complex remote control.  
         [0035]    In addition, it can be provided that by pulling on the inside opening handle  10  via a power transmission cable, especially a Bowden cable, on the hinge of the gate  3  a catch is activated which allows only one opening motion of the gate  3 , but no longer allows a closing motion. This catch can likewise be deactivated again by active manipulation of the catch lever  9  or a catch-actuation element. After deactivation of this catch normal opening and closing of the gate  3  from the outside is possible again.  
         [0036]    In the implementation of the teaching of the invention, especially with one of the aforementioned embodiments, it is especially advantageous if the inside opening handle  10  or the catch-actuation element is made as a rotary actuating handle  14 . This is shown schematically in FIGS.  2 - 5 . The rotary actuating handle  14  can be turned about the axis of rotation  15 .  
         [0037]    The rotary actuating handle  14  has an engagement element  16  and a mechanical interface  17 ,  18  which are rigidly coupled to one another, here, by a shaft  19 . The engagement element  16  is made such that it can be easily operated by hand. It is preferably made as a turning knob which has an engagement bar  20  which runs transversely relative to the axis of rotation  15  through the axis of rotation  15 . When the rotary actuating handle  14  is actuated, the mechanical interface  17 ,  18  acts directly or indirectly on the detent pawl  8  such that the latter is shifted into its raised position.  
         [0038]    In one especially preferred embodiment of the invention (FIG. 4), the mechanical interface  17  is made as a cam or cam disk and acts directly on the detent pawl  8 . In doing so, when the rotary actuating handle is actuated, the cam or cam disk  17  presses against the detent pawl  8  such that it is displaced around a pivot axis  21  into its raised position.  
         [0039]    One preferred embodiment of the cam or the cam disk  17  leads to the fact that, when the rotary actuating handle  14  has been actuated, therefore when the cam or cam disk  17  has moved the detent pawl  8  into its raised position, a state of stable equilibrium is produced. Then, the rotary actuating handle  14  remains in the actuated position and the detent pawl  8  in its raised position until it is turned manually back into its initial position. Therefore, here, another actuating measure is also necessary to release the detent pawl  8 . Thus, the rotary actuating handle  14 , at the same time, assumes the function of the catch lever  9 , the catch lever  9  being integrated in terms of its function into the rotary actuating handle  14 .  
         [0040]    According to another preferred embodiment (FIGS. 2A, 2B), the mechanical interface  18  is made such that it has shaped parts  22  which fit into corresponding opposing shaped parts of the detent pawl  8  when the rotary actuating handle  14  is actuated, and thus, enable displacement of the detent pawl  8  into its raised position. As a result, the shaped parts  22 , with the opposing shaped parts, form an interlocking coupling connection; they are known from the prior art in diverse forms. The implementation is made especially simple when the mechanical interface  18  in the rotary axis  21  engages the detent pawl  8  and the axis of rotation  15  of the rotary actuating handle  14  coincides with the axis  21  of rotation of the detent pawl  6 .  
         [0041]    To prevent malfunction, it is furthermore a good idea to make the rotary actuating handle  14  such that effective actuation, i.e., displacement of the detent pawl  8 , is only possible when the rotary actuating handle  14  is turned on the engagement element  16  or on the bar  20 , and at the same time, is pressed in the direction of the axis of rotation  15 . With the aforementioned interlocked coupling, such an implementation is easily possible. The interlocking would only occur in this implementation if the rotary actuating handle  14  were pressed in. Thus, unwanted raising of the detent pawl can be easily avoided.