DE29916092U1 - Locking system, especially for motor vehicles - Google Patents

Description

BUSE · MENTZEL LUBe'WIGT "' "" Patent Attorneys EUROPEAN PATENT AND TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS

PO Box 2014 62 Kleiner Werth 34 Dipl.-Phys. Mentzel

D-42214 Wuppertal D-42275 Wuppertal Dipl.-Ing. Ludewig

26 Wuppertal, 14.09.1999

Password: "Container-Griff I - Gbm"

Huf Hülsbeck & Fürst GmbH & Co. KG, Steeger Str. 17, D-42551 Velbert

Locking system, especially for motor vehicles

The invention is directed to a locking system of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1. In such a locking system, control electronics are activated by means of a switching element integrated in a handle, via which a lock arranged on a vehicle door, hatch or body is transferred from a state that prevents the opening of a door, hatch or the like to a state that enables the opening of a door, hatch or the like. The field of application of the invention is directed in particular to motor vehicles, access to security zones, etc.

In locking systems of the type mentioned above, it is known to allow a person access to a vehicle, for example, by querying data from a data carrier, e.g. a check card (keyless go). The data query is triggered by a mechanical switching element attached to the door, flap or similar in the area of the handle, which is attached to a door handle or at least in the area of a

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door handle. The person requesting access triggers the data query of the data carrier by a control unit, e.g. in a vehicle, by activating the switching element, or more precisely, by moving the handle. The triggered impulse is passed on from the control unit to a transmitter, which transmits the data query to the data carrier. The data carrier receives the command to query the data and passes it on to a data unit, which forwards the requested data to a transmitter. The transmitter then transmits the data again via the vehicle-side transmitting/receiving unit to the control unit in the vehicle, which, if the data is positively recognized, issues a command to unlock the locking system.

The electronics associated with the switch are protected from water ingress by encapsulation, e.g. with a plastic compound. This is time-consuming and expensive to manufacture.

Furthermore, the data query only takes place when a handle is first operated, such as a handle bar or a handle flap on a door handle, when the user pulls on it and thus triggers the switch. The data query therefore takes place at a relatively late point in time, since, as can be seen from the above description, several steps follow. This delayed data query, as well as the subsequent reaction time of a central locking system, make such a system inconvenient. In some cases, this means that the locking system is not yet unlocked when the door handle is operated for the first time and the person requesting access has to operate the door handle again to open a door.

The object of the invention is to develop a locking system of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1 which avoids the disadvantages mentioned. This is achieved according to the invention by the measures mentioned in the characterizing part of claim 1, which have the following special significance.

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The special feature of the measures described there is that the switching element is integrated into a container which has a button for actuating the switching element on at least one accessible side. The handle has a receptacle into which the container with the switching element is inserted when the handle is assembled. In the area of the receptacle, the handle has an opening in its outer wall. When the container is pushed into the receptacle, the container surface carrying the buttons lies in this opening. The button can be flush with the opening in the handle. The button of the container can also protrude over the opening in the handle and/or the adjacent areas of the outer wall of the handle can partially overlap on one or more sides of the button. The opening can be provided in the handle shell of the handle, or it can also be in two parts, so that part of the opening is in the handle shell of the handle and a second part of the opening is in the handle cover of the handle. The container is preferably designed to be waterproof so that the sensitive switching elements are protected from water ingress and short circuits cannot occur if moisture penetrates. By arranging the switching elements in a waterproof container, the manufacturing costs are also reduced considerably, as the time-consuming casting of the separate interior of the handle is no longer necessary.

The container's button is located directly on the inner surface of the handle, so that the switching elements are activated by simply touching the button when the user's hand grasps the handle. The handle therefore no longer has to be pulled to trigger the unlocking process of the lock. This has the advantage that the system's reaction time to the expressed access request is significantly reduced.

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It is particularly advantageous according to claim 3 if the switching elements provided are electronically operated pressure switching elements. These electronically operated pressure switching elements have the advantage that the switching path is very short and that this saves time, which enables the control electronics of the locking system to react quickly to the user's request to access the vehicle.

It may also be useful to provide another opening in the handle in which an additional sensor is located to secure the locking system. This additional opening can also be located on another side of the handle, for example.

Further measures and advantages of the invention emerge from the subclaims, the following description and the drawings. The invention is shown in three embodiments in the drawings. They show

Fig. 1 a handle according to the invention in a schematic

three-dimensional view,

Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of the handle according to the invention

from Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 the inventive handle according to Fig. 1 in

explosive, three-dimensional representation,

Fig. 4 shows the first embodiment of a handle according to the invention in

Longitudinal section according to section line IV-IV of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through another embodiment of the

handle according to the invention in a sectional position analogous to Fig. 4,

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Fig. 6 a cross section through the handle according to the invention

the section VI-VI in Fig. 2,

Fig. 7 shows a third embodiment of the handle according to the invention in

a cross-section according to Fig. 6.

Figures 1-4 and 6 show a first embodiment of a handle for the locking system according to the invention. The handle 10 consists of a base shell 11 onto which a cover part 12 is attached. An actuating arm 40 is attached to one end of the handle, by means of which a door lock can be actuated when the handle according to the invention is mounted on a vehicle. However, this handle arm 40 is not absolutely necessary, since there are now systems in which the lock is opened and the door is opened automatically after the access authorization of the person requesting access is recognized. In this embodiment, a plug part 42 is arranged at the front end 41 of the handle 10, by means of which the switching element(s) arranged in the handle are connected to vehicle-side electronics and/or a lock.

A window recess 14 is left open in the rear outer wall 19 of the handle, which faces the door when the handle is attached to a door. This window recess 14 is located in the area of a receptacle 16 (see in particular Fig. 3) into which a container 13 containing the switching elements 18, 25 is pushed and/or plugged.

The container 13 has a touch surface 15, which is made of a soft to rubber-elastic plastic, for example, and which fits positively to the

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surrounding window recess 14 when the container is inserted and/or pushed into the receptacle 16 of the handle 10. Specially identified markings 22 can be provided on the touch surface 15, which the hand grasping the handle can feel.

In the present first embodiment, a further window recess 27 is provided in the front outer wall 20 of the handle, in which a further touch surface 26 is located. In the present embodiment, this touch surface 26 is arranged on the same container 13 as the touch surface 15.

In the holder 16, various webs and inner surfaces of the handle are formed in the form of guides 17, by means of which the container 13 is fixed in the holder 16 of the handle 10 with almost no play.

The container according to the invention is essentially constructed as follows: it consists of a peripheral wall 31 which encloses a container interior 21 on four sides. The bottom part 30 adjoins the peripheral wall 31 at the bottom of the container 13. At the top of the container 13, this is closed off by a cover part 32 which contains the touch surface 15. In the area of the second, further touch surface 26, the container is closed off by the cover part 32". The cover parts are preferably made of a soft or rubber-elastic plastic. All parts of the container 13 are preferably glued or welded together so that a watertight container interior 21, 21', 21" is created. The switching element 18 in the form of a switching film is arranged on the bottom part 30 in the container interior 21. Actuating means 33 are arranged on the inside of the cover part 32 to actuate the switching film 18. In the interior 21" of the container 13, a further switching element 25 in the form of a microswitch is arranged. This microswitch 25 can be actuated directly via the touch surface 26. The connection of the switching elements 18, 25 with the control electronics and/or the lock is made via electrical control lines 43

Buse ••Mentzel ••Ludewig ··* ··'

which are connected to the plug part 42. The plug part 42 is connected during assembly to a mating plug from which the electrical control lines run to the control electronics or to the lock. In order to ensure that the cable 43 is fed into the container 13 in a watertight manner, a special cable duct 45 is provided in the front area of the container, in which the cable is enclosed in a media-tight manner, for example by rubber-elastic material.

In a second embodiment of the handle 10' according to the invention, as shown in Fig. 5, a container 13' and a second container 28 are provided. In addition to the previous description, the following additional features are present: Between the first container 13' and the second container 28, a further electrical control line 44 is provided, which is led out of the first container 13' via the cable passage 45' and which runs into the second container 28 via the cable passage 46. The second container 28 has a separate base part 30', which covers the peripheral wall 3' downwards. The container 3' is closed to the outside by the cover part 32', in which the touch surface 26 is located. This container is also made media-tight, e.g. by welding or gluing.

A third embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 7. The handle 10" shown there also consists of a base shell 11 and a cover part 12. The container 13" is, however, designed as a one-piece lightweight plastic part, which encloses the container interior 21 in its interior. In this interior is again the switching element 18, which in this embodiment is again a switching foil. The container part 13" is shaped in such a way that it has grooves 34 on both sides of its side surfaces. When the handle 10" is assembled, the edges 35, 36 of the base shell 11 and the cover part 12 engage in these grooves 34 in a substantially form-fitting manner. In this way, the container part is fixed in its position in the handle with almost no play. To facilitate the operation of the switching element 18,

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The touch surface 15 is in turn provided with adjusting means 33 which shorten the switching path due to the spatial distance between the button and the switching element.

In the same sense as shown here, a second container can of course also be provided, the touch surface of which is arranged on the side of the handle facing away from the door, and not, as shown here, on the side 23 of the handle 10" facing the door.

Likewise, a one-piece container could have touch surfaces on both sides 23, 24 of the handle.

The present invention is not limited to the form of the handle shown here. It is also conceivable, for example, to have a handle whose base shell is covered on the viewing side by a cover part, such as a front panel, and a window recess for the touch surface of a container is provided in the front panel. A window recess in which a touch surface of a container is arranged can also be provided on the bottom side of the base shell facing the vehicle door.

Likewise, the base shell can be covered by a cover part or similar towards the vehicle door, and the window recess in which the touch surface of a container is located can be arranged entirely in the cover part.

The touch surface 15 shown here, located on the door side, and the switching element 18 that is operated via it are used to initialize an access authorization request from a control electronics arranged on a vehicle to a data carrier located on the user's device, such as a data card of a keyless go locking system. If the user touches the touch surface 15 and thereby triggers a switching process in the switching element 18, an electronic pulse is sent to the vehicle-side and/or door-side

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Control electronics (not shown here). The control electronics then transfers a query of the authorization data to the access data on a user-side keycard (data carrier), not shown here in a diagram, in a fraction of a second. The keycard then also sends the access data stored in it to the control electronics in a fraction of a second, which checks this and, if the data is recognized positively, grants the user access. This granting of access can either take place by unlocking the handle so that the user can open the door lock by pulling the handle further, such as a door handle or the like, or by the control electronics acting directly on the lock and the door or flap or the like is opened and springs open by the lock without any further action on the part of the user.

The second switching element 25 described above can, however, be used to secure the locking system. If the user touches the touch surface 27 and thus actuates the switching element 25, the locking system is transferred to a state in which the lock prevents the door, flap or the like from being opened.

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Buse · A&enizel · Isudfewig

List of reference symbols

10 Handle 10' Handle 10" Handle 11 Base shell (of the handle) 12 Lid part (of the handle) 13 Container 13' Container 13" Container 14 Window recess 15 Touch surface 16 Recording 17 Guided tours (in recording 16) 18 Switching element 19 rear outer wall (of the handle) 20 front exterior wall 21 Container interior 21' Container interior 21" Container interior 22 Markings 23 Door side 24 side facing away from the door 25 Switching element 26 Touch surface 27 Window recess 28 2. Container 30 Bottom part 30' Bottom part of the 2nd container 31 Perimeter wall 31' Perimeter wall of the 2nd container 32 Cover part 32' Cover part of the 2nd container 32" Cover part 33 Settling agent 34 Grooves 35 Edge of the base shell 36 Edge of the lid part

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40 Actuating arm

41 front end

42 Plug part

43 electrical control cable

44 electrical control cable

45 Cable entry 45' Cable entry

46 Cable entry

Claims (18)

1. Locking system, in particular for motor vehicles, comprising a handle ( 10 ) and a lock ( 54 ) on at least one door ( 52 ), flap or the like, as well as control electronics,
wherein the lock ( 54 ) can be switched between two states, namely a first state preventing the opening of the door ( 52 ) and a second state enabling the opening of the door ( 52 ), flap or the like,
and in which at least one switching element ( 18 ) is arranged in the area of the handle ( 10 ), by means of which the control electronics are activated, via which the lock ( 54 ) is transferred from its first state to the second state enabling the door ( 52 ), flap or the like to be opened,
characterized ,
that the switching element ( 18 ) is integrated in a container ( 13 ),
and the container ( 13 ) has on at least one side a touch surface ( 15 ) for actuating the switching element ( 18 ),
and the container ( 13 ) is inserted into a receptacle ( 16 ) of the handle ( 10 ),
and the handle ( 10 ) has a window recess ( 14 ) in its outer wall ( 19 , 20 ) in the region of the receptacle (16), in which, when the container ( 13 ) is pushed into the receptacle ( 16 ), the container surface carrying the touch surface ( 15 ) lies. 2. Locking system according to claim 1, characterized in that in the region of the receptacle ( 16 ) guides ( 17 ) are provided in the handle ( 10 ) for shock-proof fixing of the container ( 13 ). 3. Locking system according to claim 1, characterized in that the switching elements ( 18 ) are electronically operating pressure switching elements. 4. Locking system according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that an additional switching element ( 25 ) for securing the locking system is installed in the handle ( 10 ), which can be actuated via a touch surface ( 26 ). 5. Locking system according to one of claims 1 and 3-4, characterized in that the switching elements ( 18 , 25 ) are microswitches. 6. Locking system according to one of claims 1 and 3-4, characterized in that the switching elements ( 18 , 25 ) are pressure sensors. 7. Locking system according to one of claims 1 and 3-4, characterized in that the switching elements ( 18 , 25 ) are switching foils. 8. Locking system according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the switching element(s) are connected to an electrical control unit which triggers the data query of a data carrier on the operator side by the electrical control unit,
wherein the electrical control unit is connected to a transmitting/receiving unit and transmits the data request to the operator-side data carrier via this,
and the data carrier in turn transmits its data from a data unit via a transmitter to the vehicle-side transmitting/receiving unit,
and the transmitting/receiving unit forwards the data to the electrical control unit,
and the electrical control unit, in the event of positive data identification, causes the lock(s) on at least one door, hatch or the like of the vehicle to be unlocked. 9. Locking system according to claim 4, characterized in that the additional switching element ( 25 ) for securing the locking system is integrated into the container ( 13 ). 10. Locking system according to claim 9, characterized in that the additional switching element ( 25 ) for securing the locking system is arranged on the side of the container ( 13 ) opposite the touch surface ( 25 ). 11. Locking system according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the container ( 13 ) is a self-contained structural unit. 12. Locking system according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the container ( 13 ) is designed in one piece and the switching element ( 18 , 25 ) is enclosed in its container interior ( 21 ). 13. Locking system according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the container ( 13 ) is closed in a media-tight manner. 14. Locking system according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the handle ( 10 ) consists of a base shell ( 11 ) having the receptacle ( 19 ) and a cover part ( 12 ). 15. Locking system according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the window recess ( 14 ) is arranged on the side (23) of the handle ( 10 ) facing the door. 16. Locking system according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that a window recess ( 27 ) is arranged on the side (24) of the handle ( 10 ) facing away from the door. 17. Locking system according to one of claims 8 to 16, characterized in that the switching element ( 25 ) for securing the locking system is arranged in the window recess ( 27 ) arranged on the side (24) of the handle ( 10 ) facing away from the door. 18. Locking system according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that marked and/or tactile markings ( 22 ) are provided on the touch surface ( 15 ) of the container ( 13 ).