Motor vehicle door lock arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9611675-B2
Application number	US-201414554624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2014
Priority date	May 23, 2014
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A motor vehicle door lock arrangement has a motor vehicle lock and a force transmission chain. An actuation movement may be transmitted via the force transmission chain for opening of the motor vehicle lock. A crash coupling arrangement is provided between two force transmission chain sections, and includes a deflectable coupling element that is at least partly bendable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle door lock arrangement with a motor vehicle lock, wherein a force transmission chain is provided and wherein an actuation movement may be transmitted via the force transmission chain for opening of the motor vehicle lock,
wherein a crash coupling arrangement is provided between two force transmission chain sections, which comprises a coupling element with a coupling contour assigned to one force transmission chain section and which comprises a counter contour assigned to the other force transmission chain section,
wherein the coupling element is deflectable into a coupling position, in which its coupling contour is coupled to the counter contour, thereby interconnecting the two force transmission chain sections, and into a decoupling position, in which its coupling contour is decoupled from the counter contour, thereby disconnecting the two force transmission chain sections,
wherein an inertial characteristic of the coupling element causes the coupling contour to become or to stay decoupled from the counter contour, when the actuation movement surpasses a rapidity threshold, and causes the coupling contour to become or to stay coupled to the counter contour, when the actuation movement is below the rapidity threshold,
wherein the coupling element is at least partly bendable and wherein the coupling element is deflectable into said positions by bending it into said positions, and
wherein at least one force transmission chain section comprises a bowden arrangement with a bowden cable and a bowden sheath, wherein the respective bowden cable provides the deflectable coupling element.

2. A motor vehicle door lock arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the motor vehicle lock comprises a catch and a pawl, which is assigned to the catch, wherein the catch can be brought into an opening position and into a closed position, wherein the catch, which is in the closed position, is or may be brought into holding engagement with a lock striker, wherein the pawl may be brought into an engagement position, in which it is in blocking engagement with the catch, wherein for opening of the motor vehicle lock the pawl may be deflected into a release position, in which it releases the catch.

3. A motor vehicle door lock arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein for deflecting the coupling element, the coupling element is elastically bendable.

4. A motor vehicle door lock arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the actuation movement of the force transmission chain goes along with an actuation movement of the coupling element, which actuation movement of the coupling element is oriented basically laterally with respect to the deflection movement of the coupling element.

5. A motor vehicle door lock arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling element is spring biased into its coupling position.

6. A motor vehicle door lock arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the actuation movement of the force transmission chain is followed by a reverse movement of the force transmission chain back into a non actuated state.

7. A motor vehicle door lock arrangement according to claim 6 , wherein during the reverse movement the coupling element is deflected into its decoupling position.

8. A motor vehicle door lock arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein a reset spring is provided for spring biasing the coupling element along a reset contour.

9. A motor vehicle door lock arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the actuation movement comprises an inertia movement section, which is followed by a driving movement section, wherein during the inertia movement section the inertial characteristic of the coupling element causes coupling to or decoupling from the counter contour depending on the rapidity of the actuation movement and wherein during the driving movement section the actuation movement is being transmitted to the motor vehicle lock or runs free depending on the coupling state of the crash coupling arrangement.

10. A motor vehicle door lock arrangement according claim 1 , wherein a blocking contour is arranged at the counter contour which prevents the coupling element from falling into the coupling position during the non actuated state of the force transmission chain.

11. A motor vehicle door lock arrangement according claim 1 , wherein the counter contour is hook-shaped and wherein in the coupling position the coupling element is hooked to the counter contour.

12. A motor vehicle door lock arrangement according claim 1 , wherein at least one section of the force transmission chain is part of the motor vehicle lock.

13. A motor vehicle door lock arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the crash coupling arrangement and at least one force transmission chain section is provided separately from the motor vehicle lock.

14. A motor vehicle door lock arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein for deflecting the coupling element, the coupling element comprises an elastically bendable wire or strip.

15. A motor vehicle door lock arrangement with a motor vehicle lock, wherein a force transmission chain is provided and wherein an actuation movement may be transmitted via the force transmission chain for opening of the motor vehicle lock,
wherein a crash coupling arrangement is provided between two force transmission chain sections, which comprises a coupling element with a coupling contour assigned to one force transmission chain section and which comprises a counter contour assigned to the other force transmission chain section, wherein the coupling element is deflectable into a coupling position, in which its coupling contour is coupled to the counter contour, thereby interconnecting the two force transmission chain sections, and into a decoupling position, in which its coupling contour is decoupled from the counter contour, thereby disconnecting the two force transmission chain sections,
wherein an inertial characteristic of the coupling element causes the coupling contour to become or to stay decoupled from the counter contour, when the actuation movement surpasses a rapidity threshold, and causes the coupling contour to become or to stay coupled to the counter contour, when the actuation movement is below the rapidity threshold,
wherein the crash coupling arrangement is provided separately from the motor vehicle lock, and
wherein at least one force transmission chain section comprises a bowden arrangement with a bowden cable and a bowden sheath, wherein the respective bowden cable provides the deflectable coupling element.

16. A crash coupling arrangement for the insertion between two sections of a force transmission chain for a motor vehicle lock, wherein in the installed state, an actuation movement may be transmitted via the force transmission chain for opening of the motor vehicle lock,
wherein the crash coupling arrangement comprises a coupling element with a coupling contour assigned to one force transmission chain section and comprises a counter contour assigned to the other force transmission chain section, wherein the coupling element is deflectable into a coupling position, in which its coupling contour is coupled to the counter contour, thereby interconnecting the two force transmission chain sections, and into a decoupling position, in which its coupling contour is decoupled from the counter contour, thereby disconnecting the two force transmission chain sections,
wherein an inertial characteristic of the coupling element causes the coupling contour to become or to stay decoupled from the counter contour, when the actuation movement surpasses a rap

Assignees

• Brose Schliesssysteme Gmbh

Inventors

• Wittelsbuerger Michael
• Rosales David
• Hanke Stepan

Classifications

• Y10T292/1043

  Swinging · CPC title

• E05B79/20

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

• E05B77/02 Primary

  for accident situations · CPC title

• E05B77/06 Primary

  by means of inertial forces · CPC title