DE20100804U1 - Device for locking a thrust body - Google Patents

Description

Device for locking a thrust body

The invention relates to a device for locking a sliding body or a pivotable pivoting body which can be displaced against an actuating spring and is mounted so as to be rotatable about a pivot axis, to a housing part fixed to the frame with a link control into which a pin of a pivotably mounted locking lever engages.

A corresponding locking device is known from DE 44 27 768 C 1. This is a locking device for locking a swivel body which is mounted so as to be rotatable about a swivel axis and is pre-tensioned by an actuating spring, with a link control into which a pin of a swivel-mounted locking lever

Examples of applications for such locking devices are ashtrays, coin boxes, storage compartments or similar parts that are installed in vehicles, for example on the dashboard or in the doors. Similar locking devices are also known for drawer-like sliding containers or the like that are under spring preload and are locked in the rest position by a sliding gate control. The function of the known locking devices is explained below using a swivel body.

In the vehicle equipped with this device, a housing part is fixed, for example in the dashboard or in a vehicle door, in which the swivel body, for example a swivel flap, is pivotally mounted with a swivel axis arranged in its lower area, so that the part can be swiveled into an open position and a closed position. If the swivel body is moved into the

If the corresponding housing is pushed back, the gate control causes the pin of the locking lever to be brought into its locking position along a guide element and a guide wall. As soon as the locking lever has reached its locking position, the storage compartment or the pivoting flap or the like can be released and the actuating spring pushes the pivoting body out of the housing until the pin rests against the guide element and holds the pivoting body in this position. To open the storage compartment, a light finger pressure on the upper area of the pivoting body is sufficient to remove the guide element from the pin, so that the guide wall pivots the pin and the locking lever into a position in which the pivoting body is released, and the actuating spring can independently pivot the storage compartment or the like out of the housing. In practice, it happens that when the vehicle door equipped with such an element slams shut, the corresponding pivoting body inadvertently pivots towards the inside of the door and in doing so pushes the locking lever out of its

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locking position, so that the storage compartment (the swivel body) opens unintentionally. The problem also arises with corresponding devices arranged in the dashboard, for example in the event of a crash, that significant acceleration forces act on the swivel body, so that the locking device is automatically unlocked and the corresponding compartment or the like opens automatically, so that objects located therein are no longer safely stored in the compartment, but are accelerated out of the compartment and pose a danger to the occupants of the vehicle.

From the publication cited at the beginning, a locking device is known in which an unintentional opening of the swivel body, in particular when the vehicle door is slammed shut, is reliably prevented. For this purpose, an unlocking lock is provided there, by means of which the locking lever is held in a locking position if a strong impulse is applied to the swivel body.

and the locking device is activated. This ensures that, for example, when the vehicle door equipped with a corresponding part is slammed shut, the locking lever remains in its locking position and an unintentional opening of the storage compartment is prevented without affecting the intended opening and closing of the storage compartment. As long as an impulse only acts on the swivel body, the storage compartment opens as intended and the unlocking lock is not activated. Only when the strong impulse acts on both the swivel body and the locking device is the unlocking lock activated and the locking lever fixed in its locking position. A weight or the like is arranged on the locking lever as an unlocking lock, which can move freely back and forth along the locking lever. In addition, a spring is provided, by means of which this weight is normally pushed into a rest position at the end of the locking lever and is held in this position. If a

If a strong impulse acts on the locking device, the weight moves against the force of the spring along the extension of the locking lever until it reaches a stop. In this stop position, the weight rests against a stop that prevents the locking lever from pivoting away and causes the pin of the locking lever to remain in its locking position in the guide element of the guide rail control and consequently the storage compartment cannot open. In a modification, it is also possible to arrange the guide rail control on the housing and the locking lever with the weight and the stop on the corresponding pivoting body while retaining the functional principle.

A disadvantage of the known arrangement is that two additional functional elements are required, namely the weight which is movably held on the locking lever and the retaining spring which acts on the weight.

Based on this state of the art, the

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The invention is based on the object of creating a device of the generic type which is structurally simplified and in particular contains a smaller number of functionally essential components with regard to the locking mechanism.

To solve this problem, it is proposed that the link control is displaceable in the insertion direction or in the pivoting direction against the force of a retaining spring, so that in the event of a strong impulse directed in the insertion or pivoting direction both on the sliding or pivoting body and on the housing part fixed to the frame, the link control as well as the locking lever with the pin are moved in the same direction and are held in the locking position.

With this device, it is initially irrelevant whether the link control is arranged on the movable thrust body or swivel body and the locking lever is mounted fixed to the housing or whether the kinematically reversed design is provided. The design according to the invention

desired functional reliability is achieved, whereby only the arrangement of a retaining spring is required against which the guide control can be moved. With the design according to the invention, the normal function and operation of the device is ensured. If the user acts on the sliding or swiveling body, i.e. exerts pressure on the front panel or the like of the swiveling body, for example, the swiveling body swivels into the open position or the sliding body is pushed out into the open position. Only when a corresponding impulse acts on both the sliding or swiveling body and the housing part fixed to the frame and thus the entire locking device, is the guide control held in engagement with the pin of the locking lever in the closed position for as long as the impulse acts, whereby when the impulse no longer acts in the direction of insertion or swiveling action of the sliding or swiveling body, the normal closed position and the guide control and pin are adjusted to each other again. The arrangement of the guide control, which can be moved against the spring force of the retaining spring, ensures that in the event of a

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A sufficiently strong impulse on the thrust or swivel body and on the housing part fixed to the frame not only moves the thrust or swivel body in the insertion or swiveling direction, but also the guide control arranged on the housing part, for example, is moved in the same direction, so that the engagement position of the pin in the closed position is maintained in the guide control. The pin of the locking lever cannot therefore slip out of the closing contour of the guide control. An unintentional opening of the thrust or swivel body is thus avoided.

An alternative solution to the problem is seen in that a mass is arranged eccentrically to the pivot axis on the pivotably mounted locking lever, so that in the event of a strong impulse directed in the insertion or swiveling direction on both the sliding or swiveling body and the housing part fixed to the frame, the locking lever is moved by the impulse with the pin from the locking contour of the link control in the insertion or swiveling direction and executes a limited rotary movement.

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and is moved in the direction of the contour of the link control into which the pin engages during normal pivoting or pushing of the thrust or swivel body, and that after the impulse the pin slides back into the locking contour of the link control.

This arrangement also ensures that the swivel body or the thrust body can be moved from the locked closed position to the open position as intended. Only when a sufficiently strong impulse acts on both the thrust or swivel body and the housing part fixed to the frame is an opening of the thrust or swivel body from the closed position to the open position prevented, since with such an impulse the pin of the locking lever is moved out of the locking contour of the gate control, but this pin does not - forced by the gate control contour - then slide into the opening path of the gate control, but rather the pin is moved into the opening path of the gate control by the limited rotary movement imposed by the eccentrically arranged mass on the locking lever.

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moved to such a position that when the impulse is released, the pin slides back into the locking contour of the link control and the corresponding compartment (sliding body or swivel body) is held in the locking position.

Embodiments of the invention are shown schematically in the drawing and described in more detail below. It shows:

Figures 1 to 13 a device according to claim 2

in different functional positions;

Figure 14 shows the variant according to claim 1 in

a functional position.

The drawing shows a device for locking a sliding body or swivel body that can be moved against an actuating spring and is mounted so that it can rotate about a swivel axis, to a housing part that is fixed to the frame. The function of the locking device is independent of whether

which part (fixed to the frame or on the thrust or swivel body) one or the other component of the device is arranged. In the exemplary embodiment, it is assumed that a link control 1 is provided, into which a pin 2 of a pivotably mounted locking lever 3 engages. The locking lever 3 is fastened at 4, for example, to an element 5, which is part of the thrust body that can be pushed out of the corresponding housing part or the swivel body that can be swung out. The link control 1 is part of a housing part 6 that is fixed to the frame. The arrangement can also be provided kinematically in reverse. In the exemplary embodiment according to Figure 14, the direction of actuation of the entire device is indicated by an arrow at 7. For example, the thrust body 5 can be swung into the housing part 6 in the direction of arrow 7 and locked, or pushed out or swung out of the housing 6 in the opposite direction, that is, downwards in Figure 14, after unlocking. In the illustration according to

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In Figure 1, for example, it is assumed that the housing part fixed to the frame is indicated at 106, while the locking lever 103 is held at 104 on the extendable or swing-out part. The corresponding normal actuation direction is again indicated by the arrow 107.

In the embodiment according to Figure 14, the part that holds the link control 1 can be moved in the insertion direction 7 against the force of a retaining spring (not shown in the drawing). During normal operation of the device, when the device is closed, the part 5 with the locking lever is pivoted into the housing part 6 in the direction of the arrow 7. The pin 2 of the locking lever 3 hits the guide contour 8 of the link guide 1. The pin 2 is guided along this guide contour 8 in the direction of the arrow 9, whereby the locking lever 3 is freely movable in the direction of the movement arrow 10 and is pivoted by the guide contour of the link 1. As soon as the pin 2 reaches the end of the guide contour at 11, a resistance is felt against the

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A pushing movement of the operator is generated. The resistance allows the operator to determine that further insertion or pivoting is no longer possible. If he then lets go of the corresponding part (push body or swivel body) 5, the actuating spring of the push or swivel body 5 (not shown in the drawing) pushes the push or swivel body 5 back, against the direction of the arrow 7, whereby the pin 2 then engages in the locking contour 12 of the link guide 1. The device is thus held in the closed position. If a force is now exerted on the swivel or pushing body 5 in the direction of the movement arrow 7, it is moved upwards in Figure 14, so that the pin 2 slides out of the locking contour 12 and runs into an opposite guide contour 13. The pin 2 and thus the locking lever 3 are deflected by this guide contour 13 so that it slides into the guide channel in the drawing figure at 14 to the right of the link guide 1 and can slide out of the closed position according to the arrow 14 so that the thrust body or swivel body is adjusted to the open position by the actuating spring.

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To ensure that the pin 2 does not move the slotted guide 1 in the direction of arrow 7, particularly when the pin 2 hits the guide wall 20, which would mean that the pin 2 could not reach the end 11 of the guide contour because this moves with the pin 2, the guide wall 20 is held fixed to the frame and only the remaining area of the slotted guide 1, which is outlined in dashed lines in the drawing, is held in a spring-loaded manner. The pin thus hits the fixed guide wall 20 and, when moving further in the direction of arrow 7, reaches the end of the guide contour at 11, so that the further functional sequence is ensured.

If, in the closed position shown in Figure 14, a strong impulse is exerted in the direction of arrow 7 on both the thrust or swivel body 5 and the housing part 6, the link control 1 moves against the force of a retaining spring in the direction of arrow 7 in the drawing figure 14 upwards, as does the locking lever 3, as a component of the thrust or swivel body 5. This ensures that

the pin 2 is held in the locking contour 12 of the link guide or even the link guide 1 with the locking contour 12 is pressed even more strongly against the pin 2, so that when the impulse is subsequently relieved, the parts return together to the position shown in the figure without the thrust body or swivel body being able to open, since the pin 2 cannot leave the locking contour 12.

In the embodiment according to Figure 1 to Figure 13, the same reference numerals have been used for the same parts, only with the reference number increased by 100. Here too, the link control 101 can be arranged on the housing part 106 fixed to the frame and the locking lever 103 can be articulated on the corresponding thrust body or swivel body 105 with the pivot pin 104.

In this design, a mass 115 is mounted and arranged on the pivotably mounted locking lever 103 eccentrically to the pivot axis, which can be formed, for example, from a metal body or the like. The normal function is based on

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the sequence of figures 1 to 10. If the thrust body or swivel body is in the open position, the position is set as shown in figure 1. To close the thrust body or swivel body, the operator exerts a force on it in the direction of the movement arrow 107, so that the locking lever 103 slides with its pin 102 along the guide contour 108 of the link guide 101, i.e. from the position shown in figure 1 to the position shown in figure 2 and then to the position shown in figure 3. In the position shown in figure 4, the pressure point is reached which defines the maximum insertion movement or swivel movement. Here, the pin 102 is pressed into the guide contour 111 and can no longer be moved in the direction of the movement arrow 107. If the user now lets go of the thrust body or swivel body, it is pushed back slightly under the effect of the actuating spring. In the opposite direction to the arrow 107, the pin 102 then engages the locking contour 112 of the guide rail. This is shown in Figure 6. To open again, pressure is again exerted on the push or swivel body in the direction of the movement arrow 107, whereby

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the pin 2 of the locking lever 3 is lifted out of the locking contour 12 and transferred into the guide area 113. If the pushing body or swivel body is then released again by the user, the pushing body or swivel body moves against the movement arrow 107 and the pin 102 finally slides along the guide contour 108 of the link guide 101 via the position according to Figure 8 and Figure 9 into the position according to Figure 10.

If, for example, in the event of a crash or when such a device is installed in a vehicle door when the door is suddenly closed, a strong impulse in the insertion or pivoting direction 107 is exerted on both the push or pivoting body, i.e. on the locking lever 103, and on the housing part 106 fixed to the frame with the link control 101, the locking position is maintained, as can be seen from the sequence of figures in figures 11 to 13. Figure 11 shows the normal locking position. If an impulse now occurs on the entire device in the direction of the movement arrow 107, the locking lever

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103 from the locking contour 112 with its pin

102, while at the same time the locking lever

103 pivots anti-clockwise in the direction of the movement arrow 116 according to Figure 11, caused by the mass 115. This sets the position shown in Figure 11 and in which the reference numbers are each provided with a dash. During this movement, the pin 102 moves in the area of the guide contour 111. When the impulse is relieved, the locking lever 103 moves back into the position shown with the reference number without a dash, so that the pin 102 is again seated in the locking contour 112 of the link control 101. The closed position of the sliding body or pivoting body is therefore maintained. The corresponding movement sequence is illustrated in Figures 11, 12 and 13. The secure locking is thus achieved with extremely little effort, whereby the only structural implementation required is the eccentric arrangement of an additional mass 115 on the locking lever 103.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments, but is variable in many ways within the scope of the disclosure.

All new individual and combination features disclosed in the description and/or drawing are considered essential to the invention.

Claims (2)

1. Device for locking a sliding body or pivotable pivoting body (5) which can be displaced against an actuating spring and which is mounted so as to be rotatable about a pivot axis, to a housing part (6) fixed to the frame, with a link control (1) into which a pin (2) of a pivotably mounted locking lever (3) engages, characterized in that the link control (1) can be displaced in the insertion direction (7) or in the pivoting direction against the force of a retaining spring, so that in the event of a strong impulse directed in the insertion or pivoting direction (7) both on the sliding or pivoting body (5) and on the housing part (6) fixed to the frame, the link control (1) as well as the locking lever (3) with the pin (2) are moved in the same direction and are held in the locking position. 2. Device according to the preamble of claim 1, characterized in that a mass (115) is arranged on the pivotably mounted locking lever (103) eccentrically to the pivot axis (104), so that in the event of a strong impulse directed in the insertion or pivoting direction (107) both on the thrust or pivoting body and on the housing part (106) fixed to the frame, the locking lever (103) is moved by the impulse with the pin (102) out of the locking contour (112) of the link control (101) in the insertion or pivoting direction (7) and executes a limited rotary movement and is moved in the direction of the contour (111) of the link control (101) into which the pin (102) engages during normal pivoting or pushing of the thrust or pivoting body, and that after the impulse the pin (102) returns to the locking contour (112) of the Gate control (101) is initiated.