Locking aid drive for a motor vehicle lock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10100558-B2
Application number	US-201514973420-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2015
Priority date	Dec 18, 2014
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a locking aid drive for a motor vehicle lock, with a drive housing, the locking aid drive being coupleable in terms of drive to the motor vehicle lock via a Bowden cable with Bowden cable core and Bowden cable sheath, and a driving motor with a downstream feed mechanism for producing driving movements and a coupling element for transferring the driving movements being provided. It is proposed that the coupling element can be brought, in particular by means of the drive motor, into at least one coupling position in which said coupling element is accessible from the outside for the production of a coupling of the Bowden cable to the coupling element, and otherwise is inaccessible from the outside for the production of a coupling of the Bowden cable to the coupling element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A locking aid drive for a motor vehicle lock, comprising:
a drive housing, the locking aid drive being coupleable to the motor vehicle lock via a Bowden cable with a Bowden cable core and Bowden cable sheath and a drive motor with a downstream feed mechanism for producing driving movements; and
a coupling element for transferring the driving movements,
wherein the coupling element is moveable relative to the drive housing into at least one coupling position and at least one non-coupling position,
wherein in the at least one coupling position the coupling element is accessible from an outside of the drive housing, such that a coupling of the Bowden cable to the coupling element is exposed, and
wherein in the at least one non-coupling position the coupling element is inaccessible from the outside of the drive housing, such that the coupling of the Bowden cable to the coupling element is not exposed.

2. The locking aid drive as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the coupling element is adjusted within an operating movement range during a locking aid operation.

3. The locking aid drive as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the coupling position lies outside the operating movement range.

4. The locking aid drive as claimed in claim 2 , wherein, for the coupling of the Bowden cable, a core end piece of the Bowden cable core can be brought into engagement in a form-fitting manner with the coupling element when the coupling element is in the at least one coupling position.

5. The locking aid drive as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the form-fitting manner of engagement between the coupling element and the core end piece restricts movement in a direction of the driving movements between the coupling element and the core end piece, but permits a rotational movement between the coupling element and the core end piece about a longitudinal extent of the Bowden cable.

6. The locking aid drive as claimed in claim 4 , wherein, when the coupling element is in the at least one coupling position, the form-fitting manner of engagement between the core end piece and the coupling element is releasable, and wherein, when the coupling element is in the operating movement range, the release of the form-fitting connection between the core end piece and the coupling element is blocked by the drive housing.

7. The locking aid drive as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a covering element is provided which, when the Bowden cable is fitted, covers an entry point of the Bowden cable into the drive housing, and wherein, when the coupling element is in the at least one coupling position, the covering element locks the release of the form-fitting manner of engagement between the core end piece and the coupling element.

8. The locking aid drive as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the covering element provides a seal in relation to the drive housing and in relation to the Bowden cable sheath, such that a housing cutout is sealed towards the outside.

9. The locking aid drive as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the covering element comprises a covering bush.

10. The locking aid drive as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the coupling element has a coupling formation.

11. The locking aid drive as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the coupling formation permits a form-fitting coupling to a Bowden cable drum which has a rotationally symmetrical configuration with respect to a longitudinal extent of the Bowden cable.

12. The locking aid drive as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the downstream feed mechanism is configured as a spindle/spindle nut mechanism with a spindle and a spindle nut.

13. The locking aid drive as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the spindle is coupled to the coupling element.

14. The locking aid drive as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, for the coupling of the Bowden cable, a core end piece of the Bowden cable core is insertable into the coupling element with an installation direction transverse with respect to a longitudinal extent of the Bowden cable when the coupling element is in the at least one coupling position.

15. The locking aid drive as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the drive housing has a housing cutout through which the coupling element in the at least one coupling position is accessible from the outside for the coupling of the Bowden cable.

16. The locking aid drive as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the downstream feed mechanism has an output element which is coupled to the coupling element.

17. The locking aid drive as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the coupling element is guided in a longitudinally displaceable, but non-rotatable manner along a geometrical spindle axis in the drive housing.

18. A method for installing the Bowden cable on the locking aid drive as claimed in claim 1 , the method comprising:
bringing the coupling element into the at least one coupling position, and
coupling the Bowden cable to the coupling element.

Assignees

• Brose Schliesssysteme Gmbh
• Brose Schliesssysteme Gmbh

Inventors

• Graute Ludger
• Simkin Oleg
• Bettin Axel
• Kamberg Axel

Classifications

• E05B81/25

  Actuators mounted separately from the lock and controlling the lock functions through mechanical connections · CPC title

• F16C2350/52

  Locks, e.g. cables to actuate door locks · CPC title

• E05B79/20 Primary

  using flexible connections, e.g. Bowden cables · CPC title

• E05B81/20

  for assisting final closing or for initiating opening · CPC title

• F16C1/101

  Intermediate connectors for joining portions of split flexible shafts and/or sheathings · CPC title