DE20209030U1 - Locking device in particular for a vehicle door holder - Google Patents

Description

10450/VII/bj

Friedr. Fingscheidt GmbH, Friedrichstr. 29, 42551 Velbert

"Holding device, particularly for a vehicle door holder"

The present invention relates to a locking device for releasably locking two functional parts that are movable relative to one another in different relative positions, in particular for use in a vehicle door holder.

Such locking devices are known in numerous designs. They are usually locking devices. For example, DE 197 27 098 A1 describes a so-called hinged door holder or a "door lock structurally combined with a door hinge" in which spring-loaded locking elements are provided. Specifically, these are tapered rollers that are rotatably mounted in a carrier. The carrier is permanently acted upon by a coil spring that acts as an energy storage device. The tapered rollers interact with recessed locking marks in such a way that mutual locking or locking of the hinge parts is only possible in a few special preferred positions. In addition, the locking force or locking torque (holding torque) depends on the respective spring force of the energy storage device, so that sufficient locking can only be guaranteed by a relatively high spring force. However, this has the disadvantage that the spring force, which is constantly in effect even when the door is moving, means that the door can only move with a relatively high actuation torque and the locking device is subject to a high level of wear. In addition, there is also quite noticeable operating noise.

The present invention is based on the object of creating a locking device of the type mentioned, which on the one hand ensures a stepless or at least "quasi-stepless" locking with a high holding force or high holding torque and on the other hand enables a dynamic, largely free-running, light, low-wear and low-noise relative movement between two locked relative positions.

10450/Vll/bj

According to the invention, this is achieved by the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are contained in the dependent subclaims.

According to the invention, one functional part has a large number of holding recesses distributed over a movement path, while the other functional part has at least one holding element arranged in a guide receptacle and a slide-like blocking element arranged in the area of the guide receptacle in an area that moves over the movement path during relative movement, such that in a blocking position of the blocking element, the holding element is held in engagement with one of the holding recesses by the blocking element and in a release position of the blocking element that releases the holding element, the holding element is essentially free to move, i.e. without spring force, in order to release the holding recess in the guide receptacle. The movement path can be designed as a corrugated or toothed path with the holding recesses and intermediate elevations in an alternating sequence, in any order for a relative longitudinal or rotational movement. By dividing the movement path accordingly finely with a large number of holding recesses, it is advantageously possible to achieve almost stepless locking in almost any relative position. In addition, in the release position of the blocking element, an almost unhindered relative movement of the functional parts is possible because the holding element has a tendency to fall downwards against the path of movement solely due to its weight. In the case of a dynamic relative movement, only an oscillating, "dancing" up and down movement of the holding element is caused, namely via the holding recesses and the areas in between that are raised compared to the recesses.

In an advantageous development of the invention, these pulse-like movements or the resulting kinetic energy of the holding element are used to hold the blocking element in its release position for the duration of the dynamic relative movement. For this purpose, the blocking element is designed in such a way that it can be acted upon by the oscillating, dancing holding element in such a way that a counterforce is generated which counteracts a particularly spring-elastic and/or gravitational closing force. As a result, the blocking element can only be released after or upon completion of the relative movement by the then

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missing or decreasing counterforce due to the then predominant closing force moves back into the blocking position, whereby the two functional parts are then locked against each other again in both directions of movement very rigidly, with a high holding force.

The blocking element can be subjected to an opening force to move it into the release position that releases the holding element. This opening force can be generated by external control means, for example by an electrical and/or mechanical actuating device. The actuation can be carried out arbitrarily or controlled by certain control means. In a preferred embodiment, however, it is advantageous, especially for use with a vehicle door holder, to automatically generate the opening force by self-control means. For this purpose, one of the functional parts is preferably connected to a connecting part via elastic coupling means in such a way that in each relative position of the two functional parts locked by the holding element and the blocking element, slight relative elastic control movements of the connecting part are possible by applying a control force to the connecting part, whereby such an elastic control movement can be applied to the blocking element via self-control means designed for this purpose and thus brought into its release position that releases the holding element. A specific exemplary embodiment of this will be explained in more detail below.

The locking device according to the invention can be designed either for a linear or rotary relative movement of the functional parts. The rotary variant is particularly suitable for use with a vehicle hinge door holder.

The holding element can have almost any spatial shape, for example a pin shape. In addition, the holding element can advantageously also consist of several individual elements, in particular formed by balls. These individual elements are arranged in a row in the guide receptacle, so that the two outer individual elements act against the movement path or the holding recesses on the one hand and interact with the blocking element on the other. For example, it can be a row of three or four individual elements arranged one behind the other.

10450/VII/bj

The invention will now be explained in more detail using the drawings as examples. They show:

Fig. 1 and 2 are schematic, sectional perspective views of a simplified embodiment of a locking device according to the invention to explain the general operating principle, namely

Fig. 1 in the locking or blocking position and

Fig. 2 in the release position,

Fig. 3 is a partially cut-away side view of a hinged door holder equipped with a locking device according to the invention for a vehicle door (not shown), in the locking position,

Fig. 4 the hinge door holder according to Fig. 3 in a corresponding

cutaway perspective view,

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but in the unlocked release position, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of the area Vl in Fig. 5.

In the various figures of the drawing, identical or functionally corresponding parts are always provided with the same reference symbols. Therefore, any description of a part that may only appear once with reference to a specific figure also applies equally to every other figure in which the part can also be recognized with the corresponding reference symbol.

In Fig. 1 and 2, a locking device 1 according to the invention is shown as an example in a simplest minimal version. The locking device 1 serves to releasably lock two functional parts 2 and 4 that are movable relative to one another in various, almost arbitrary relative positions. In this embodiment, the two functional parts 2, 4 are linearly movable relative to one another (see the double arrow 5 in Fig. 2). In principle, it can be

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but can also be a rotary relative movement (see Fig. 3 to 6). According to the invention, one (first functional part 2) has a plurality of holding recesses 8 distributed over a movement path 6. The other (second) functional part 4 has, in an area covering the movement path 6 of the first functional part 2, (at least) one holding element 12 arranged in a guide receptacle 10 and a slide-like blocking element 14 arranged in the area of the guide receptacle 10 such that in a blocking position of the blocking element 14 (Fig. 1), the holding element 12 is held in engagement in one of the holding recesses 8 and in a release position (Fig. 2), the holding element 12 is essentially freely movable in the guide receptacle 10 to release the holding recess 8. In the blocking position according to Fig. 1, the blocking element 14 covers and closes the guide receptacle 10, the total length of the guide receptacle 10 plus the depth of the respective holding recess 8 being approximately equal to the total length of the holding element 12. As shown, the holding element 12 can consist of several individual elements 12a, b, c and optionally d, e.g. arranged in a row (see Figs. 3 to 6). In the blocking position according to Fig. 1, however, the individual elements act like a single rigid element by directly contacting one another. The guide receptacle 10 is designed or aligned in such a way that a weight force FG of the holding element 12 acts due to gravity essentially downwards in the direction of the holding recesses 8.

As can also be seen from Fig. 1 and 2, the blocking element 14 is subjected to a closing force F1, for example, which is spring-elastic, i.e. generated by a spring (not shown), and can be subjected to an opening force F2 in the opposite direction, which acts against the closing force F1. The closing force F1 can alternatively or additionally be generated by gravity. The opening force F2 can be generated by suitable external control means for the voluntary or controlled active opening or transfer of the blocking element 14 into its release position. These can be electrical and/or mechanical actuating elements, for example. Alternatively, the opening force F2 can also advantageously be generated automatically by internal control means. This will be explained in more detail below with reference to Fig. 3 to 6.

According to Fig. 2, in the release position of the blocking element 14, the holding element 12 is held in place during a dynamic relative movement of the two

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Functional parts 2, 4 are moved up and down in an oscillating manner by interacting with the holding recesses 8 within the guide receptacle 10. This pulse-like kinetic energy is preferably used to hold the blocking element 14 in its release position for the duration of the dynamic relative movement against the closing force F1. According to Fig. 1 and 2, the blocking element 14 has, for example, an inclined surface 16 which, in the release position, lies above the actually open guide receptacle 10 in such a way that the oscillatingly moving holding element 12 acts in a pulse-like manner against the inclined surface 16 (see the double arrow 15 in Fig. 2). This kinetic excitation energy generates a counterforce F3 which acts against the closing force F1 and holds the blocking element 14 in its release position during the relative movement. The blocking element 14 only moves back into the blocking position according to Fig. 1 after or upon termination of the relative movement due to the then missing or decreasing counterforce F3 caused by the closing force F1.

3 to 6 show a door holder 20 for a vehicle door (not shown) as a preferred application example. This is preferably a so-called hinged door holder in which two hinge parts 22, 24 are connected by means of a hinge pin 26 so that they can rotate relatively freely about a hinge axis 28. In the example shown, the hinge pin 26 is connected to the first hinge part 22 in a rotationally fixed manner, while the second hinge part 24 is guided rotatably on the hinge pin 26. The hinge parts 22, 24 can be connected to a vehicle frame on the one hand and to a vehicle door on the other hand, whereby the assignment is basically arbitrary. The first hinge part 22 is only shown in Fig. 3.

The locking device 1 according to the invention is integrated in a special embodiment in the door holder 20. The first functional part 2 is connected to the first hinge part 22 via the hinge pin 26. The second functional part 4 is indirectly connected to the second hinge part 24. In this case, self-control means 30 are preferably provided in order to generate the release force F2 for the blocking element 14 solely by applying a force or moment to the hinge parts 22, 24. For this purpose, the second functional part 4 is connected to a connecting part 34 via elastic coupling means 32 in such a way that in each relative position of the two functional parts 2, 4 locked by the holding element 12 and the blocking element 14, by applying a control force or a moment to the connecting part 34, the locking device 1 according to the invention is released.

10450/VII/bj

Control moment slight relative elastic control movements of the connecting part 34 are possible, wherein by such an elastic control movement via the self-control means 30 the blocking element 14 can be subjected to the opening force F2 and thereby brought into its release position releasing the holding element 12 against the closing force F1 - here mainly generated by gravity.

The two functional parts 2, 4 can be rotated relative to one another about an axis of rotation 36 in the unlocked release position, the movement path 6 being a circular path around the axis of rotation 36. In the embodiment shown, the axis of rotation 36 is arranged offset parallel to the hinge axis 28 of the door holder 20, wherein relative rotational movements of the hinge parts 22, 24 about the hinge axis 28 are converted into the relative movements of the two functional parts 2, 4 via drive means 38, in particular with a specific transmission ratio. For this purpose, the connection part 34 is formed by a gearwheel coaxial with the axis of rotation 36, which cooperates with an internal toothing 40 of a gearwheel segment 42 which is connected to the second hinge part 24 and coaxial with the hinge axis 28 in terms of its curvature. The functional parts 2, 4 are ring-shaped or sleeve-shaped and arranged coaxially with the axis of rotation 36. The guide receptacle 10 is designed in particular as a through-opening that extends from the inside to the outside through the sleeve-shaped functional part 4 at an angle to the rotation axis 36, which is to be aligned approximately vertically. The holding element 12 acts approximately perpendicularly on the outside against the movement path 6, which is also inclined at an angle to it, and the holding recesses 8, and on the inside it interacts with the blocking element 14, which is designed as a central, tappet-like axial slide. This has the advantage that, due to the larger radius on the outside, a high holding torque can be achieved with a lower holding force on the inside. The tappet-like blocking element 14 has an annular groove 44 on its outer circumference, which is arranged relative to the holding element 12 in such a way that in the blocking position according to Fig. 3 and 4, the holding element 12 is blocked in the respective holding recess 8 with the upper edge delimiting the annular groove 24 or the peripheral area adjoining it. In the release position according to Fig. 5 and 6, the holding element can move inwards into the annular groove 44. As can be seen from Fig. 6, the holding element 12 can, in the manner already described above, impinge on the blocking element 14 in the area of the upper ring edge delimiting the annular groove 44 in such a pulse-like manner (double arrow 15) that the counterforce

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10450/VII/bj

is generated. In addition, reference is made to the above description of Fig. 1 and 2.

The ring-shaped first functional part 2 is fixedly mounted in a housing 46 connected to the hinge pin 26. The second functional part 4 is basically guided in a rotatable manner in the housing 46. The connecting part 34 has at least one axially movable control pin 48 as an elastic coupling means 32, which rests on the end face 50 of the second functional part 4, which is designed as an inclined cam track. On its opposite, upper side, the control pin 48 acts against a spring element 54 via a shim 52. This means that an elastic control rotational movement of the connecting part 34 is possible even when the two functional parts 2, 4 are blocked, in that the control pin 48 moves against the spring 54.

This displacement causes a driver element 56 - here bell-shaped - to be moved upwards in the direction of the arrow 58 via the shim 52. The driver element 56 is connected to the blocking element 14 via an axial pin 60, so that by lifting the driver element 56, the blocking element 14 moves into its release position. This then allows the second functional part 4 to be rotated relative to the first functional part 2. The control pin 48 moves back downwards due to the spring force and subsequently creates a torque-locking connection between the second functional part 4 and the connecting part 34. During a subsequent dynamic movement, as already explained, the blocking element 14 is held in its release position by the kinetic excitation energy of the holding element 12 through the counterforce F3. Only after the dynamic movement has ended and the counterforce F3 has decreased accordingly does the blocking element 14 move back downwards into its blocking position due to gravity.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a damping device 62 is additionally provided for damping the movement of the blocking element 14, in particular with regard to its movement from the release position downwards into the blocking position due to gravity. In the embodiment shown, this damping device 62 is formed by a spindle gear, wherein the blocking element 14 has a spindle thread 64 on its outer circumference.

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10450/VII/bj

which is guided in a spindle nut 66. This inevitably results in a rotational movement when the blocking element 14 moves axially. When the movement from the upper release position to the lower blocking position is caused by gravity, this causes a dampened, time-delayed axial movement. The spindle gear has a thread pitch that ensures a rotating freewheel when the blocking element 14 is subjected to the closing force F1 or the opening force F2, although the thread pitch is preferably only slightly outside the self-locking range. This ensures maximum movement damping. This supports the pulse-like effect of the holding element 12 during dynamic movements, so that the blocking element 14 can actually only move back to the blocking position in a dampened manner after the dynamic movement has ended.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and described, but also includes all designs that have the same effect within the meaning of the invention. For example, a design of the door holder 20 without movement transmission is also possible, in which case the rotation axis 36 would coincide with the hinge axis 28. The connection part 34 would be directly connected to the second hinge part 24 or even identical. Furthermore, the holding element 12 could also consist of an even larger number of individual elements or even smaller particles (holding medium).

Claims (16)

1. Locking device ( 1 ) for releasably locking two functional parts ( 2 , 4 ) that are movable relative to one another in different relative positions, in particular for use in a vehicle door holder ( 20 ), characterized in that the one functional part ( 2 ) has a plurality of holding recesses ( 8 ) distributed over a movement path ( 6 ) and the other functional part ( 4 ) has at least one holding element ( 12 ) arranged in a guide receptacle ( 10 ) in the area of the movement path ( 6 ) and a slide-like blocking element ( 14 ) arranged in the area of the guide receptacle ( 10 ) in such a way that in a blocking position of the blocking element ( 14 ) the holding element ( 12 ) is held in engagement in one of the holding recesses ( 8 ) and in a release position of the blocking element ( 14 ) the holding element ( 12 ) is released the holding recess ( 8 ) in the guide receptacle ( 10 ) is essentially freely movable. 2. Locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide receptacle ( 10 ) is designed such that a weight force (FG) of the holding element ( 12 ) acts substantially in the direction of the holding recesses ( 8 ). 3. Locking device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the blocking element ( 14 ) is subjected to a closing force (F1) and can be subjected to an opening force (F2) acting against the closing force (F1). 4. Locking device according to claim 3, characterized in that the closing force (F1) is generated elastically by a spring element and/or by gravity. 5. Locking device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the opening force (F2) can be generated by external control means and/or self-control means. 6. Locking device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the holding element ( 12 ) interacts with the holding recesses ( 8 ) during a dynamic relative movement of the two functional parts ( 2 , 4 ) in such a way that it is moved in an oscillating manner within the guide receptacle ( 10 ) and thereby applies a counterforce (F3) to the blocking element ( 14 ) in such a pulse-like manner that the blocking element ( 14 ) is held in its release position during the relative movement and only moves back into the blocking position after or upon termination of the relative movement due to the then missing or decreasing counterforce (F3). 7. Locking device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the holding element ( 12 ) consists of several individual elements ( 12 a - d), in particular formed by balls. 8. Locking device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that one of the functional parts ( 4 ) is connected to a connecting part ( 34 ) via elastic coupling means ( 32 ) in such a way that in each relative position of the two functional parts ( 2 , 4 ) locked by the holding element ( 12 ), slight relative elastic control movements of the connecting part ( 34 ) are possible by applying a control force, wherein by such an elastic control movement via self-control means ( 30 ) the blocking element ( 14 ) can be subjected to the opening force (F2) and can thereby be brought into its release position releasing the holding element ( 12 ). 9. Locking device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by a damping device ( 62 ) for damping the movement of the blocking element ( 14 ), in particular with regard to its movement from the release position into the blocking position. 10. Locking device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by integration into a door holder, in particular a hinged door holder ( 20 ), for a vehicle door, wherein the functional parts ( 2 , 4 ) can be or are fixedly attached to a vehicle, in particular indirectly via hinge parts ( 22 , 24 ), on the one hand, and can be or are connected to a vehicle door on the other hand. 11. Locking device according to claim 10, characterized in that the functional parts ( 2 , 4 ) are rotatable relative to one another about an axis of rotation ( 36 ), wherein the movement path ( 6 ) is a circular path about the axis of rotation ( 36 ). 12. Locking device according to claim 11, characterized in that the rotation axis ( 36 ) coincides with a hinge axis ( 28 ) of the hinge door holder ( 20 ). 13. Locking device according to claim 11, characterized in that the rotation axis ( 36 ) is arranged offset parallel to a hinge axis ( 28 ) of the hinge door holder ( 20 ), wherein relative rotational movements about the hinge axis ( 28 ) are converted into the relative movements of the two functional parts ( 2 , 4 ) via drive means ( 38 ), in particular with a certain transmission ratio. 14. Locking device according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the functional parts ( 2 , 4 ) are ring-shaped or sleeve-shaped, wherein the guide receptacle ( 10 ) is designed as a through-opening extending from the inside to the outside through the sleeve-shaped functional part ( 4 ) preferably at an angle to the axis of rotation ( 36 ), which is to be aligned approximately vertically, and wherein the holding element ( 12 ) acts on the outside against the holding recesses ( 8 ) distributed over the movement path ( 6 ) and cooperates on the inside with the blocking element ( 14 ) designed as an axial slide. 15. Locking device according to one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that the damping device ( 62 ) is formed by a spindle gear, wherein the blocking element ( 14 ) has a spindle thread ( 64 ) which is guided in a spindle nut ( 66 ). 16. Locking device according to claim 15, characterized in that the spindle gear has a thread pitch which ensures a rotating freewheel when the blocking element ( 14 ) is axially acted upon by the closing force (F1) or the opening force (F2), but preferably lies only slightly outside the self-locking.