Lock for a panel or door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9777517-B2
Application number	US-201314383922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2013
Priority date	Mar 9, 2012
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

The aim of the invention is to provide a reliably functioning lock for a motor vehicle in particular. This is achieved in that the claimed lock for a door or a panel has a locking mechanism consisting of a rotary latch and at least one pawl for locking the rotary latch. The rotary latch and the pawl are preferably designed such that the rotary latch is capable of introducing an opening torque into the pawl. The locking mechanism has a triggering lever for opening the locking mechanism. A transmission device is further provided which increases the pivotal movement of the triggering lever and which comprises a transmission lever in particular for moving the pawl out of the locking position of the pawl by means of a follower. On the basis of the pivotal movement transmission caused by the transmission lever, a relatively small pivotal movement of the triggering lever is sufficient to move the pawl completely out of the locking position by means of the follower. The invention thus ensures that a locking mechanism can be reliably opened even when the triggering lever can no longer be pivoted over the entire original distance due to the effects of aging.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lock for a door or panel for a motor vehicle or a building, the lock comprising:
a rotary latch;
a pawl comprising a detent, wherein the pawl is rotatable between two conditions, a closed condition in which the detent blocks rotation of the rotary latch relative to the detent and an open position where the rotary latch is rotatable relative to the detent;
a trigger lever rotatable in an opening direction and an opposite direction, wherein the pawl and the trigger lever are pivotally mounted on a common axis;
a stop that abuts the pawl when the pawl is in the closed condition and blocks further movement of the pawl away from the open condition and also abuts the trigger lever and defines a stop point when the trigger lever is rotated in the opposite direction; and
a transmission lever comprising a follower, wherein the transmission lever is rotatable in a first direction and a second direction, wherein the trigger lever is adapted to contact the transmission lever and rotate the transmission lever in the first direction when the trigger lever is rotated in the opening direction, and wherein the follower is adapted to contact the pawl and rotate the pawl to the open position when the transmission lever is rotated in the first direction.

2. The lock according to claim 1 , wherein rotating the trigger lever up to 20° is sufficient to completely move the pawl to the open position.

3. The lock according to claim 1 , wherein rotating the trigger lever up to 16° is sufficient to completely move the pawl to the open position.

4. The lock according to claim 1 , wherein rotating the trigger lever up to 14° is sufficient to completely move the pawl to the open position.

5. The lock according to claim 1 , wherein moving the pawl to the open position required rotating the trigger lever at least 8°.

6. The lock according to claim 1 , wherein moving the pawl to the open position required rotating the trigger lever at least 10°.

7. The lock according to claim 1 , wherein moving the pawl to the open position required rotating the trigger lever at least 12°.

8. The lock according to claim 1 , wherein the pawl further comprises a first arm that the follower contacts.

9. The lock according to claim 8 , wherein a physically effective length of the follower is longer than a physically effective length of the first arm.

10. The lock according to claim 1 , further comprising a blocking lever rotatable between two conditions, a blocking condition in which the blocking lever blocks rotation of the pawl while the pawl is in the closed condition and an unblocked condition where the pawl is rotatable relative to the blocking lever.

11. The lock according to claim 10 , wherein the trigger lever further comprises a second arm adapted to contact the blocking lever and rotate the blocking lever from the blocking condition to the unblocked condition when the trigger lever is rotated in the opening direction.

12. The lock according to claim 11 , wherein the trigger lever comprises a third arm that contacts the transmission lever.

13. The lock according to claim 12 , wherein the transmission lever further comprises a fourth arm, wherein the fourth arm is adapted to contact the pawl to prevent bouncing of the locking mechanism.

14. The lock according to claim 10 , wherein the rotary latch, the pawl and the blocking lever are located on a common plane.

15. The lock according to claim 14 , wherein the triggering lever is located on a different plane than the common plane.

16. The lock according to claim 1 , further comprising a transmission lever spring that biases the transmission lever in the second direction.

17. The lock according to claim 16 , wherein the transmission lever further comprises a fourth arm that contacts the pawl and rotates the pawl to the closed condition when the transmission lever is rotated in the second direction.

18. The lock according to claim 17 , wherein the pawl further comprises a first arm which contacts the follower, with the follower contacting a first side of the first arm, wherein the fourth arm contacts the first arm on a second side of the first arm opposite the first side.

19. A lock for a door or panel for a motor vehicle or a building, the lock comprising:
a rotary latch;
a pawl comprising a detent, wherein the pawl is rotatable between two conditions, a closed condition in which the detent blocks rotation of the rotary latch relative to the detent and an open position where the rotary latch is rotatable relative to the detent;
a blocking lever rotatable between two conditions, a blocking condition in which the blocking lever blocks rotation of the pawl while the pawl is in the closed condition and an unblocked condition where the pawl is rotatable relative to the blocking lever;
a trigger lever rotatable in an opening direction and an opposite direction, wherein the trigger lever comprises a first arm adapted to contact the blocking lever and rotate the blocking lever from the blocking condition to the unblocked condition when the trigger lever is rotated in the opening direction; and
a transmission lever comprising a follower, wherein the transmission lever is rotatable in a first direction and a second direction, wherein the trigger lever is adapted to contact the transmission lever and rotate the transmission lever in the first direction when the trigger lever is rotated in the opening direction, wherein the follower is adapted to contact the pawl and rotate the pawl to the open position when the transmission lever is rotated in the first direction, wherein the trigger lever comprises a second arm that contacts the transmission lever and wherein the transmission lever further comprises a third arm adapted to contact the pawl to prevent bouncing of the locking mechanism.

20. A lock for a door or panel for a motor vehicle or a building, the lock comprising:
a rotary latch;
a pawl comprising a detent, wherein the pawl is rotatable between two conditions, a closed condition in which the detent blocks rotation of the rotary latch relative to the detent and an open position where the rotary latch is rotatable relative to the detent;
a trigger lever rotatable in an opening direction and an opposite direction;
a transmission lever comprising a follower, wherein the transmission lever further comprises an arm that contacts the pawl and rotates the pawl to the closed condition when the transmission lever is rotated in the second direction, wherein the transmission lever is rotatable in a first direction and a second direction, wherein the trigger lever is adapted to contact the transmission lever and rotate the transmission lever in the first direction when the trigger lever is rotated in the opening direction, and wherein the follower is adapted to contact the pawl and rotate the pawl to the open position when the transmission lever is rotated in the first direction; and
a transmission lever spring that biases the transmission lever in the second direction.

Assignees

• Kiekert Ag

Inventors

• Scholz Michael
• Handke Armin

Classifications

• Y10T292/108

  Lever · CPC title

• E05B85/20 Primary

  Bolts or detents · CPC title

• E05B77/34

  Protection against weather or dirt, e.g. against water ingress (closures or guards for keyholes E05B17/14) · CPC title

• E05B85/26 Primary

  Cooperation between bolts and detents · CPC title