EP0099820B1 - Electric safety lock for vehicle doors - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electric security lock more especially for doors of motor vehicles or the like which has been studied with a view to obtaining a product of very low weight in order to be able to be easily mounted on modern motor vehicles while obtaining however a lock which exactly meets the safety standards and which can be remote controlled so that all the doors as well as the engine cover, the cap of the fuel tank cap as well as the top of the trunk are unlocked by a single operation.

In addition, it is recalled that the electric locks known at present include a locking and unlocking device actuated by electric or manual means, but this always required acting on the manual opening control to unlock the lock and allow its release this which is in particular the case for US patent - A - 2 898 138 in which an electric motor drives via a reduction gear a cam acting on levers cooperating with a keeper.

In the present case, the electric security lock is used for unlocking a door, in particular for motor vehicles, in order to allow its opening; this is why all the usual control levers have been removed and simply replaced by an electronic device which only works when it is programmed for unlocking.

To allow on the one hand, the mounting of the electric lock from the outside on the field of the door, which allows a considerable saving of labor and, on the other hand, to ensure the unlocking in case failure of the electronic circuit, this embodiment provides a certain number of complements.

This electric security lock allows the locking of rear doors when transporting children and also meets American anti-rape security standards to protect the passenger or passengers of the vehicle if it is parked.

The present invention provides an electric lock whose main characteristic is the electric unlocking of the lock, so the opening by rotation of the door is done by a simple movement, and it is the pressure of the seals surrounding the door which pushes the latter so that it opens.

• a) l'arbre du moteur fait tourner un pignon coopérant avec une denture d'une coupelle fixée à l'extrémité d'un arbre reposant dans des paliers et portant en son centre une vis sans fin engrenant en permanence avec une came dentée dont le redan coopère avec un pion ou doigt de poussée traversant le boîtier précité et la paroi intérieure d'un carter de façon à commander la rotation d'un rochet dont la dent d'extrémité vient se placer dans la denture d'un pêne rotatif monté dans le boîtier et présentant une découpe dans laquelle se loge le barreau formant gâche de la serrure,
• b) l'alimentation du moteur est placée sous le contrôle d'un circuit imprimé permettant à partir d'interrupteurs l'ouverture ou la fermeture de la portière et sa condamnation temporaire pour la protection des passagers du véhicule, et selon un deuxième mode de réalisation en ce que l'arbre du moteur entraîne par l'intermédiaire d'un pignon un réducteur assurant la rotation du pignon pendant un tour complet de façon à ce que ce pignon assosié à une came provoque le déplacement du pion ou doigt qui commande le déplacement d'un rochet dont la dent en libérant la denture du pêne permet sous l'action d'un élément élastique la liberation d'une gâche solidaire du dormant de la portière considérée, l'alimentation du moteur étant placée sous le contrôle d'un microprocesseur.

According to the invention, the electric security lock and more specifically for motor vehicle doors in which each vehicle door as well as the engine cover, the fuel tank cover and the trunk top of a vehicle receive a set composed of a housing in which is mounted an electric micro-motor whose shaft drives a gear train whose movement is transmitted to a cam cooperating with a keeper is characterized according to a first embodiment in that:

• a) the motor shaft turns a pinion cooperating with a toothing of a cup fixed to the end of a shaft resting in bearings and carrying in its center an endless screw permanently meshing with a toothed cam whose redan cooperates with a pin or thrust pin passing through the aforementioned case and the inner wall of a casing so as to control the rotation of a ratchet whose end tooth is placed in the teeth of a rotary bolt mounted in the housing and having a cutout in which the bar forming a keeper of the lock is housed,
• b) the power supply to the engine is placed under the control of a printed circuit allowing, from switches, the opening or closing of the door and its temporary locking for the protection of the passengers in the vehicle, and according to a second mode of embodiment in that the motor shaft drives by means of a pinion a reduction gear ensuring the rotation of the pinion during a complete revolution so that this pinion associated with a cam causes the displacement of the pin or finger which controls the displacement of a ratchet whose tooth by releasing the toothing of the bolt allows under the action of an elastic element the release of a keeper secured to the frame of the door considered, the power supply of the engine being placed under the control of a microprocessor.

• La fig. 1 est une élévation latérale du carter contenant différents organes de commande du pêne de la serrure.
• La fig. 2 est une coupe suivant la ligne II-II de la fig. 1 montrant le carter et le boîtier de la serrure ainsi que les organes contenus dans ceux-ci.
• La fig. 3 est une coupe suivant la ligne III-III de la fig. 1 montrant une partie du mécanisme de la serrure.
• La fig. 4 est une coupe-élévation du boîtier montrant le pêne et ses organes de commande, la serrure étant fermée.
• La fig. 5 est une vue correspondant à la fig. 4 mais montrant la serrure ouverte.
• La fig. 6 est une coupe suivant la ligne VI-VI de la fig. 4.
• La fig. 7 est un schéma électrique de fonctionnement des serrures d'un véhicule automobile permettant de verrouiller les portières et les différents capots.
• La fig. 8 est une vue de face de la serrure sans la plaque de fermeture.
• La fig. 9 est une élévation latérale sensiblement suivant la flèche F2 de la fig. 8.
• La fig. 10 est une coupe suivant la ligne X-X de la fig. 8.
• La fig. 11 montre la face arrière de la serrure suivant la ligne XI-XI de la fig. 12.
• La fig. 12 est une coupe suivant la ligne XII-XII de la fig. 11.
• La fig. 13 est un schéma simplifié montrant la commande électronique des moteurs des serrures pour un véhicule.

An embodiment of the object of the invention is shown, by way of nonlimiting example, in the accompanying drawing.

• Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the housing containing different control members of the bolt of the lock.
• Fig. 2 is a section along line II-II of FIG. 1 showing the housing and the housing of the lock as well as the members contained therein.
• Fig. 3 is a section along line III-III of FIG. 1 showing part of the lock mechanism.
• Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the housing showing the bolt and its control members, the lock being closed.
• Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 but showing the lock open.
• Fig. 6 is a section along the line VI-VI of FIG. 4.
• Fig. 7 is an electrical diagram of the operation of the locks of a motor vehicle making it possible to lock the doors and the various covers.
• Fig. 8 is a front view of the lock without the closure plate.
• Fig. 9 is a side elevation substantially along the arrow F2 in FIG. 8.
• Fig. 10 is a section along line XX of FIG. 8.
• Fig. 11 shows the rear face of the lock along the line XI-XI of FIG. 12.
• Fig. 12 is a section along the line XII-XII of FIG. 11.
• Fig. 13 is a simplified diagram showing the electronic control of the lock motors for a vehicle.

In fig. 1-2 the plate is shown on which is fixed on one side the housing 1 which contains in its right part an electric micro-motor 2 whose shaft 3 carries a pinion 4 which meshes with a toothing 5 carried by a cup 6 secured to a shaft 7, the central part of which is provided with an endless screw 8. The shaft 7 rests in bearings 9, 10 of the housing 1. The latter is fixed by screws 11 on the plate 1a. On the other face of the plate 1a is mounted a casing 12 of substantially rectangular shape (see FIGS. 4 and 5) which contains, on the one hand, a ratchet 13, and on the other hand, a bolt 14 which will be described further. The worm 8 placed in the housing 1 meshes with a cam 15 also placed in the housing 1, a cam which has a shoulder 16 coming to bear on the inner face 1b (see fig. 3) of the housing and, also, an extension circular 17 centered on a boss 18 on the front face of the housing 1. The circular extension 17 externally carries a toothing 19 which permanently meshes with the worm 8 of the shaft 7.

The cam 15 cooperates by its step 1 5a with a pin or thrust pin 20 which, through a curved window 21 pierced in the housing 1, and in the inner wall of the casing 12, is in connection with the ratchet 13. Thus this ratchet 13 can rotate under the action of the pin 20 around the axis 13a of which it is integral and which is mounted in the walls of the casing 12. The pointed front end 13b of the ratchet 13 is intended to cooperate with the teeth 14a of the latch 14 which is also mounted in rotation on an axis 23 integral with the walls of the casing 12.

It should be noted that the bolt 14 includes a cutout 24 of substantially circular shape and into which the bar 25 which constitutes the keeper of the lock, keep keeper fixed on the frame or frame of the door.

It should be noted that the housing 12 has in its upper central zone an opening 27 allowing the introduction of the bar 25 forming a keeper (see fig. 1, 3, 4).

As shown in fig. 7, an electronic circuit or microprocessor CI makes it possible to control the supply or the interruption of the supply of electric current to the motor 2 under the supervision of the unlocking switches, 41 for locking, 42 for unlocking the doors during slamming of one of them, 43 for control by button inside the door, 44 for locking each door for child safety and 45 for the end of travel of the cam 15. The control of this switch 45 limit switch is shown in fig. 1 with its deformable finger 46. The source of electrical power is constituted by the battery of the vehicle 70. Owing to its design and the distribution of the functions by electronic circuit or microprocessor, the various controls can be arranged at any location. of the vehicle.

Due to the above description, it is easy to understand the operation of the lock because, when it is open, the keeper 25 (see fig. 5) is completely released from the cutout 24 of the bolt 14 and the ratchet 13 is released the toothing 14a of the bolt 14.

When the door is closed, the keeper 25 enters the casing 12 through the opening 27 and into the cutout 24 of the bolt 14 which pivots in the direction of the arrow F5 (fig. 5). We are then in the position shown in FIG. 4, the door is closed, locked, locked since the pointed end 13b of the ratchet 13 is housed in one of the elements of the toothing 14a of the ratchet 14 under the effect of a spring not shown.

For the opening of the door, the supply of the motor 2 causes the rotation of the worm 8, the rotation of the cam 15 and therefore the rotation of the pin 20 which unlocks the ratchet 13 of the teeth 14a of the bolt 14 thereby releasing it which can easily pivot in the direction of arrow F4 (fig. 4). The door can therefore open since the keeper 25 is released.

Of course, this lock is controlled either by the switches mentioned above in FIG. 7, or using the key specific to the car in a known manner and which acts on the switches 43, 44.

It should be noted that this lock is very much lighter in its electrical construction than locks whose control functions are carried out either by an electro-mechanical element or by a pneumatic cylinder.

To guarantee a certain security in the event of a power supply break, it is possible to add a power outlet accessible from outside the vehicle which can be placed on it and thus allow the doors to be opened by a power supply current other than that of the vehicle. However, opening is only possible in this case with the vehicle's own key.

In the realization of fig. 8 and 9 the lock 80 is mounted in the thickness of a vehicle door or door which is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 11 by the sheet metal 81 while the keeper 82 formed by the cylindrical bar is fixed, by means of a threaded extension 83, on the sheet metal 84a of the door frame, that is to say on the body of the vehicle. 84 designates the striker counterplate which ends with an asymmetrical head 82a.

Another lock arrangement is shown in Figs. 11-12 and 13. The lock 80 consists of a housing 86 containing an electric motor 87 supplied from cables 88-89. The shaft 87a of the motor 87 rotates a pinion 90 guided during its rotation by a bore 91 hollowed out in the front part of the housing 86. The pinion 90 cooperates with a reduction gear 92 constituted by a first pinion 93 meshing with a double toothed crown 94 held by a fixed crown 95 and with a pinion 96, which makes it possible to obtain a reduction in the speed of rotation of the motor 87.

As shown in fig. 11, the pinion 96 has, on its front face, the shape of a cam 96a which, when it rotates in the direction of the arrow F40 (fig. 12) has the effect of driving in rotation, in the direction arrow F41 a finger 99 whose displacement is possible in a curved window 100 open in the plate 101 closing the housing 86. The pin or finger 99 is integral (see fig. 8) with the ratchet 113 placed inside the casing 112 mounted on the other side of the plate 101.

11 3a designates the end tooth of the ratchet 113 which is mounted on an axis 114 around which is placed a pressure spring 115 tending, by means of its free ends, to push the pin or finger 99 in the direction of the arrow F42 (fig. 8).

The ratchet 113 cooperates with a bolt 116 substantially in the form of 4 mounted idly on an axis 117 and having two teeth 118-119 intended to cooperate with the tooth 113a of the ratchet 113.

A pressure spring 120 permanently tends to rotate the bolt 116 in the direction of arrow F43 (fig.8).

In addition and as shown in Figs. 10 and 12, the hook 97 has on a part of its periphery two guides 97a-97b on which are mounted flexible cables 125 allowing in the event of non-supply of electric current, and by pulling these cables 125 in the direction of the arrow F45 (fig. 12) to unlock the ratchet 113 of the bolt 116 to release the latter. 98 is the axis on which the ratchet 97 turns.

The lock described above works as follows.

When a door fitted with this lock is open, the various elements are at rest in the position shown in FIGS. 8 and 12.

But the bolt 116 is pivoted completely in the direction of the arrow F43 (fig. 8) and thus, by bringing the door closer to the frame 84, one can easily make the strike 82 enter the bolt 116 which causes the pivoting of this bolt 116 in the opposite direction to arrow F43. The ratchet 113 first enters the tooth 118 and then into the tooth 119 of the latch 116. The door is thus locked since the keeper 82 is trapped inside the latch 116, itself locked by the ratchet 113, which is itself blocked by means of the pin or finger 119 and the spring 115 (movement in the direction of arrow F42 of the ratchet 113). The tooth 113a of the ratchet 113 is produced in such a way that there is no pivoting reaction of the ratchet 113 when a force is exerted on the teeth 119 and 118, which has the effect of being self-locking. The spring 115 holds the tooth 113a of the ratchet 113 in the teeth 118-119 when there is no pressure (rotational force) on the bolt 116.

What has just been said for a door can be said for all the other doors, doors and hoods of the same vehicle.

The supply circuits of the various motors 87 are then closed for each by a contact switch 140 (see fig. 11) controlled by a second cam 96b of the pinion 96.

When one wishes to open a hood or the doors of the vehicle considered either from the inside or from the outside, one can by acting by a digital command, by speech, by a magnetic card or by a particular key for the vehicle command the electronic circuit to shut off the power supply to the various motors. The electronic circuit can be constituted for example by a microprocessor. Each motor drives, via the pinion 90, the reduction gear 92 which rotates the cam 96 in a turn so that the pin or finger 99 is raised in the opposite direction to the arrow F42 (see fig. 8 ) thus causing the unlocking of the ratchet 113. Each bolt 116 being free, each pressure spring 120 causes the rotation, in the direction of arrow F43, of the bolts 116 which release each keeper 82. Under the pressure of the seals the doors and covers can then rotate towards the opening.

As explained above, it is possible with the aid of a manual command constituted by the cables 125, to unlock the locks in the event of lack of electrical supply, but it is also possible to provide, in the circuit for power supply to the motors 87, a dry cell or battery ensuring some unlocking actions by unlocking the ratchets 113.

As indicated above, the locks according to the invention are intended for unlocking, that is to say unlocking, to allow the opening of a door or a cover using the pressure of seals on doors and covers to separate the elements of the lock from the strike concerned.

Of course and as indicated above, the motor control by electronic control allows the external control and the internal control, the "child" safety preventing the untimely unlocking of the doors as well as the locking of the doors and covers known as "anti-rape safety" provided for by the regulations of certain foreign countries.

By way of nonlimiting example, it is shown in FIG. 13 an electrical diagram in which for a passenger vehicle four motors 87A, 87B, 87C, 87D have been indicated, the supply of which is made from a battery 130 by means of a conductor 131 leading to an electronic circuit or microprocessor 132 and from there to circuits 133, 134, 135, 136.

The circuits 134, 135, 136 are subjected to control via the printed circuit or microprocessor 132 to control buttons 201a, 201b, 201e, 201d (control buttons outside the vehicle) and 202a, 202b, 202c, 202d (interior vehicle control buttons). In addition, the various functions allowed by the printed circuit or microprocessor are given by function buttons 303, 303c, 303d, 304 ₁ , 3042,305, 3052,306,307,308.

So we can perform the following actions:

Exterior buttons 201 a, 201 b, 201 c. 201 d

Possibility to power motors 87A, 87B, 87C, 87D to unlock the doors from the inside.

Interior buttons 202a, 202b, 202c, 202d

Possibility to power motors 87A, 87B, 87C, 87D to unlock the doors from the outside.

Function 303

It is possible to lock the rear doors (child safety) and by using functions 303c, 303d to temporarily unlock the rear right or left door without getting out of the vehicle.

Function 304 (304 _t , 304 ₂ )

Different means are used to open the doors: classic key acting on a switch, electronic means (electronic key, magnetic card, code number on keyboard, etc.)

Function 306

When one of the doors is open, the locks cannot be locked.

Function 305 ₁ - 305 ₂

Possibility of locking the four doors of the vehicle from inside the vehicle.

Function 308

The doors cannot be opened from inside the vehicle if they have not been unlocked before from the outside (theft protection).

Function 307

Possibility of unlocking the doors, in whole or in part, by an inertia system, for example in the event of an accident. It is also possible to provide other functions on the printed circuit or microprocessor.

87 designates a control lamp or lem.

Claims (8)

1 - Electric safety lock controlled by an electronic or microprocessor circuit and more specially for motorvehicle doors in which each vehicle door as well as the motor bonnet, the petrol tank cap and the luggage boot of a vehicle receive a set comprising a case (1) in which is mounted an electric micro-motor (2) the shaft (3) of which drives a gear train the movement of which is transmitted to a cam (15) cooperating with of a staple (25), characterized in that:

a) the shaft (3) of the motor rotates a pinion (4) cooperating with a toothing (5) of a cup (6) fixed at the end of a shaft (7) resting in bearings (9,10) and carrying in its center an endless screw (8) which permanently engages with a toothed cam (15) the protruding part (15a) of which cooperates with a pushing pole or finger (20) passing through the above mentioned case (1) and the interior wall of a casing (12) so as to control the rotation of a ratchet (13) the end tooth (13b) of which engages into the toothing (14a) of a rotating latch mounted in the casing (12) and having a cut portion (24) in which is housed the lock staple forming bar (25);

b) the motor supply is monitored by an electronic or microprocessor circuit enabling from switches (40, 41, 42, 43, 44) the door to be open or closed and to be temporarily blocked for protection of the occupants of the vehicle.

2 - Electric safety lock according to claim 1, characterized in that the cam (15) cooperates with a deformable finger (46) of a limit microswitch for the stopping and the supply or the starting of the supply of the micro-motor (2).

3 - Electric safety lock according to one or claim 1 and 2, characterized in that the case (12) has on the inner side an opening (27) enabling introduction of the staple forming bar (25).

4 - Electric safety lock according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the opening (21) passed through by the pole (20) has an arcuate shape.

5 - Electric lock more specially for motor vehicle doors according to the preamble of claim 1, characterized in that the shaft (87a) of the motor drives through a pinion (90) a reducer (92) ensuring the rotation of the pinion (96) during a full revolution so that this pinion associated with a cam (96a) causes the movement of the pole or finger (99) which controls the movement of a ratchet (113) the tooth (113a) of which, by disengaging the teeth (118-119) of the latch (116), enables under the action of a resilient element (120) the disengagement of a staple (82) rigidly fastened to the frame of the corresponding door, the supply of the motor (87) being placed under the control of a microprocessor (132) or any electronic circuit.

6 - Electric lock according to claim 5, characterized in that the ratchet (113) is permanently submitted to action of the compression spring (115) holding the tooth (113a) of the ratchet (113) in the teeth (118-119) of the bolt (116) when the door is closed.

7 - Electric lock according to claim 5, characterized in that the latch (116) is submitted to action of the compression spring (120) concentrically mounted to the spindle (117) of the latch (116), this spring tending to cause the latch (116) to turn in the opening direction.

8 - Electric lock according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the hook (97) idlely mounted on the spindle (98) comprises a hand control through a cable (125) enabling the pole or finger (99) to turn for ensuring the ratchet (113) to raise and the latch (116) to be unblocked in order to open the corresponding door.

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