Patent ID: 12196014

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the drawings, a motor vehicle lock is shown, which is a motor vehicle door lock1within the scope of the exemplary embodiment and is not limited to this. For this purpose, the motor vehicle door lock1has a lock housing2, inside which, for example and without limitation, a locking mechanism consisting of a catch and a pawl with the usual functionality is arranged. In addition, inside the housing2or the motor vehicle door lock1, there is an actuation lever chain3, which is indicated only schematically according to the exemplary embodiment inFIG.1. The actuation lever chain3is designed in the exemplary embodiment and not restrictively as a locking lever chain and in particular a central locking chain.

In the overview according toFIG.1, a motor vehicle-side control device or control unit4can also be seen. In addition, an emergency energy store5for providing electrical power to a drive6for the actuation lever chain or locking lever chain3. The drive6acts on the locking lever chain3against the force of a restoring spring7in the event of an emergency unlocking to be described in more detail below.

However, before such an emergency unlocking occurs, an authentication check is carried out for an operator wishing to gain access. For this purpose, the operator wishing to gain access has a key8on the operator side. In the event of an emergency operation or emergency unlocking, the energy store5ensures that the control device or the control unit4is supplied with the required electrical energy, so that a preferably wireless (and indicated inFIG.1) communication between the control unit4and the operator-side key8can take place.

In the event of this wireless or wired communication between the key8on the operator's side and the control unit4supplied with the aid of the emergency energy store5, data are exchanged, by virtue of which the authorization of the operator carrying the key8on the operator's side is checked. If this authentication check of the operator is completed positively, the energy store5then ensures that the electromotive drive6is energized by virtue of the energy store5in order to transfer the locking lever chain3from its assumed “locked” position to the “unlocked” position.

For this purpose, the energy store5is connected to the control unit4, and the control unit4in turn ensures that the electromotive drive6is acted upon if the authentication check has been completed positively. In the event of this emergency unlocking, the unidirectional drive6acts on the actuation lever chain or locking lever chain3against the force of the restoring spring7. In detail, the drive6works on a lever3aas part of the locking lever chain3via a downstream gear9,10shown in detail inFIG.2.

The gear9,10is a high-ratio gear9,10, i.e. one that directly transmits rotations of an output shaft9of the electromotive drive6or an electric motor6implemented at this point to the lever3aaccording to the exemplary embodiment, because the gear9,10is a thread gear. This has a thread10wound on the output shaft9, which thread converts the rotations of the output shaft9and consequently of the electric motor6directly into a shortening of the thread10indicated inFIG.3. The shortening of the end of the thread10acting on the pivotable lever3awith each revolution of the output shaft9results, as shown in the detail view inFIG.3, in the lever or locking lever3aultimately being transferred from its “locked” position shown in dashed lines to the “unlocked” position shown in solid lines. This process may take several seconds due to the number of revolutions of the electric motor6corresponding to the pivoting path in question, but this is acceptable for the emergency operation or emergency unlocking described here. This is because the implemented high transmission ratio of the gear9,10or the thread gear9,10implemented by way of example corresponds to the fact that the drive6or electric motor can work with low currents. As a result, the emergency energy store5is only slightly loaded or an emergency energy store5with a small capacity can be used.

As a result, there is also the possibility that the electric motor6and the restoring spring7together with the energy store5define, as a whole, an attachment module5,6,7or6,7indicated inFIG.1, which energy store can be attached as a structural unit to the lock housing present there. However, the attachment module5,6,7in question can also only comprise the electric motor6and the associated restoring spring7.

A comparison ofFIGS.2and3also reveals that the gear9,10works via a flexible connecting means10on the lever3aas part of the locking chain3. According to the exemplary embodiment, the flexible connecting means10and the thread10as part of the thread gear9,10coincide, so that the structural design is particularly simple.

The fact that the drive6works unidirectionally also contributes to this, i.e. it can transfer the lever3afrom its “locked” position shown in dashed lines into the “unlocked” position shown in solid lines only in the direction indicated inFIG.3, as an additional arrow drawn there makes clear.

In contrast, the return movement of the lever3aand also of the drive6or the electric motor takes place by virtue of the restoring spring7. For this purpose, the restoring spring7may be in the form of a spiral spring which is connected at one end to a rear extension of the output shaft9of the electric motor6, whereas the other end of the restoring spring7or the spiral spring implemented in this context may be connected in a stationary manner, for example to the housing2of the motor vehicle door lock1.

A comparison ofFIGS.2and3also shows that the lever3ais equipped with a freewheel. This means that it is only possible to act on the lever3aso as to pull it from its position shown in dashed lines to the position shown in solid lines. The reverse movement of the lever3a, on the other hand, may be ensured by an indicated spring associated with the lever3a. On the other hand, after the described emergency unlocking, the restoring spring7ensures that the thread10previously wound up on the output shaft9during this process is unwound again. This means that the drive6acts on the lever3afor emergency unlocking, while its return takes place without force, namely while being acted upon by the previously tensioned restoring spring7which can relax after the end of the emergency unlocking and thereby resets the motor and specifically unwinds the thread10from the output shaft9.

In addition, an actuation element11is also shown inFIG.1. The actuation element11may be a mechanical actuation element11and specifically an actuation nut11that can be acted upon, for example, with a tool, a key, a screwdriver, etc. According to the exemplary embodiment, the actuation nut11is located in the inlet region of the motor vehicle door lock1. As a result, the actuation nut11is accessible when the motor vehicle door is open. If the motor vehicle lock1assumes the “unlocked” state of the locking lever chain3because the electromotive drive6is faulty, emergency locking can be ensured in this case and additionally by virtue of the mechanical actuation element or the actuation nut11. For this purpose, the mechanical actuation element or the actuation nut11works on the lever3ain such a way that it is transferred from the assumed “unlocked” position shown in solid lines to the “locked” position shown in dashed lines. At the same time, a locking button12may be moved accordingly, which is only shown for the sake of a simpler illustration. The actuation nut11is of course not necessary for the functionality described above in the event of the emergency unlocking.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

1Motor vehicle door lock

2Lock housing

3Actuation lever chain

3aLever

4Control unit

5Emergency energy store

6Drive

7Restoring spring

8Key

9Thread

10Output shaft

11Actuation nut