WO2004065734A1 - Locking aid for locking a door or hinged lid - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a locking aid for locking a door or hinged lid (1), which can be locked at least in one main locking position by a door lock (3). The locking aid has, on the door or hinged lid or on a door holding or hinged lid holding fixture (5), a driver (18) that can be displaced by a motor drive (11). Said driver (18) can be displaced roughly in the direction of closing of the door or hinged lid (1) from a pulled-back position and into a protruding driving position, and comprises a head part (20). This head part, when in the driving position while the door or hinged lid (1) is in a locked position, engages behind a projection (32) on the other part, on the door holding or hinged lid holding fixture or on the door or hinged lid (1) itself, and thus displaces the door or hinged lid (1) into its main locking position in the event of a pull-back movement into the pulled-back position that is effected by the motor drive (11).

Description

 Locking aid for closing a door or flap

The invention relates to a closing aid for closing a door or flap, with the features specified in the preamble of claim 1.

Such a closing aid is provided in DE 199 21 517 C2 on a door or flap of a motor vehicle. This has a locking element which is arranged on a pivotable support part and which is gripped by a leg of a rotary latch in a closed position of the door or flap and is locked automatically by a pawl which has fallen into position before the rotary latch has engaged. An adjustment movement of the door or flap from the pre-closing position into a main closing position against the force of a door seal is brought about by a motor drive and a downstream transmission which pivot the support part accordingly.

After the locking aid acts on the closing element of the door lock, the forces acting on the door lock, in particular the holding force for holding the fully closed door or flap, must be taken into account in the design and dimensioning of the components when designing, in particular, the motor drive and the transmission elements, as a result of which these components are correspondingly complex and expensive to manufacture. To relieve the motor drive and / or the gear elements, in particular in the main closed position of the door or flap, an additional locking device may be required.

The invention is based on the object of specifying a closing aid for closing a door or flap with the features in the preamble of claim 1, which enables a larger adjustment path from the closed position into the main closing position and largely after the door or flap has been closed is to be relieved.

This object is achieved by the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention can be found in the subclaims. The locking aid is provided independently of the door lock as an additional device which causes the door or flap to be moved from the pre-closed position to the main closed position, but does not hold the door or flap in the main closed position. The load on the locking aid is correspondingly lower, which means that fewer simple and inexpensive parts can be used.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of a locking aid according to the invention it is provided that the locking aid consists of at least two structural units arranged spatially separated from the door lock, the first structural unit with the door or flap receptacle or the vehicle-fixed part and the second structural unit with the door or Flap or vehicle door or the first structural unit can be connected to the door or flap or vehicle door and the second structural unit can be connected to the door or flap receptacle or the part fixed to the vehicle, the first structural unit moving from a retracted position or rest position into a Driving position or front end position and axially displaceable, connected to a gearbox and having a head part and the second structural unit comprises a receiving device with locking means, and wherein the first and second structural unit interact when the locking aid is used as intended such that in a vo In the closed position or open position of the door or flap or vehicle door, the displaceable bolt of the first structural unit is pushed into the receiving device by the transmission and the head part is held by the latching means such that the bolt then moves from the transmission into a retracted position or retracted position is, in which the door or flap or vehicle door lies closely against the door or flap or the vehicle-fixed part, and that after locking the door or flap or vehicle door by the door lock, the latching connection between the head part and latching means of second unit and the bolt is retracted from the transmission into its retracted position or rest position.

Advantageously, the receiving device of the second structural unit comprises at least two spring-loaded, lever-shaped parts as latching means, which are provided with hook-shaped ends on their side facing the head part of the displaceable bolt, the head part of the displaceable bolt having a rear has a cut, so that when the bolt is inserted into the receiving device, the lever-shaped parts are first pressed apart against the pressure of the springs by the head part and the hook-shaped ends then engage in the undercut of the head part.

In one embodiment of the invention, the gear is a worm drive with a worm and a worm wheel carrying a cam, the cam engaging in an elongated hole in the form of a control groove of a lever which can be pivoted about a fulcrum and which at its end facing away from the fulcrum with the movable one Bolt is connected such that a rotation of the worm wheel by 360 ° causes a displacement of the bolt from its retracted position or rest position into its driving position or front end position and back.

In order to ensure that the head part can be removed from the receptacle again, the head part has axial recesses whose width corresponds at least to the width of the hook-shaped ends of the lever-shaped parts and whose circumferential distance corresponds to the distance between the hook-shaped ends. In addition, the head part of the bolt can be rotated by the gear through a predetermined angle about the longitudinal axis of the bolt. For this purpose, the first structural unit comprises a toothed rack which can be displaced against the pressure of a spring, the longitudinal axis of which has a substantially perpendicular course to the longitudinal axis of the displaceable bolt, a pinion being non-rotatably connected to the displaceable bolt and engaging in the teeth of the toothed rack. The rack is connected to a driver against which the cam of the worm wheel presses within a predetermined path in such a way that when the retracted position or retracted position of the displaceable bolt is reached by further rotation of the cam wheel and corresponding displacement of the rack, the head part via the pinion in its release position is rotated.

Further details and advantages of the invention result from the following exemplary embodiment explained with reference to figures. Show it Fig. 1 shows a section through a schematically shown, not yet closed or in a pre-closed position tailgate and through the corresponding opposite area of the vehicle in the area of the closing aid, wherein a movable pin is arranged on the vehicle opposite a receiving device arranged on the tailgate and

2 to 4 the head part of the displaceable bolt which is inserted into the receiving device and is enclosed by latching means, the tailgate in the individual figures being motorized to different extents from the vehicle.

In Fig. 1, the tailgate 1 of a motor vehicle 2 is partially shown, which is in a not yet closed closed position or open position and can be closed by a door lock 3. The door lock has a spring-loaded latch 4. A striker 6 is arranged on the non-pivotable part 5 of the motor vehicle 2 which is fixed to the vehicle and which is enclosed by the latch 4 in the closed position of the tailgate 1 (FIGS. 3 and 4).

According to the invention, in addition to the door lock 3 and the striker 6, a locking aid 7 is provided, which has a first structural unit 8 fastened to the vehicle-fixed part 5 and a second structural unit 9 opposite the first structural unit 8 and fastened to the tailgate 1.

The first structural unit 8 comprises a worm drive 11 arranged in a housing 10 with a worm 12 and a worm wheel 14 carrying a cam 13. The cam 13 engages in an elongated hole 15 in the form of a control groove of a lever 17 which can be pivoted about a fulcrum 16. The lever 17 is connected at its end remote from the fulcrum 16 to a bolt 18 which is arranged so as to be displaceable in the direction of its longitudinal axis 19 such that a rotation of the worm wheel 14 by 360 ° causes the bolt 18 to be displaced from it in FIG. 1 Retreat position or rest position shown, in which the bolt 18 except for a front head part 20 completely within the Housing 10 is located in its driving position or front end position shown in Figure 2 and back to its retracted position or rest position.

The head part 20 has an undercut 21 and two axial cutouts 22 (FIG. 2), the mode of operation of which will be explained in more detail below.

The first structural unit 8 also has a toothed rack 24 which can be displaced against the pressure of a spring 23 and whose longitudinal axis 25 has a profile which is essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 19 of the displaceable bolt 18. A pinion 26 is non-rotatably connected to the displaceable pin 18, into which the teeth of the rack 24 engage, so that a displacement of the rack 24 causes the displaceable pin 18 to rotate. In addition, the rack 24 is connected to a driver 27 against which the cam 13 of the worm wheel 14 presses within a predetermined path of the cam 13.

The second structural unit 9 essentially comprises a receiving device 28 for receiving the head part 20 of the displaceable bolt 18 as well as latching means 29 which have two lever-shaped parts 31 acted upon by torsion springs 30. The lever-shaped parts 31 are provided with hook-shaped ends 32 on their side facing the head part 20 of the displaceable bolt 18. The width of the respective hook-shaped end 32 is selected to be somewhat smaller than the width of the axial recesses 22 of the head part 20 of the displaceable bolt 18, and the circumferential distance between the two hook-shaped ends 32 also corresponds to the corresponding distance between the two recesses 22 of the head part 20.

The functioning of the locking aid 7 according to the invention is explained in more detail below with the aid of FIGS. 1 to 4. In this case, the starting position shown in FIG. 1 is to be assumed, in which the tailgate 1 is in a pre-closing position or is still open but is leaned against the vehicle-fixed part 5.

When this position is reached, a switch, not shown, activates an electric motor, also not shown, which actuates the worm drive 11. The worm wheel 14 rotates clockwise so that over the Cam 13 and the pivotable lever 17 of the displaceable pin 18 is moved outwards. As a result, the head part 20 of the bolt 18 enters the opposite receiving device 28 and briefly presses the two lever-shaped parts 31 against the pressure of the torsion springs 30 until they engage in the undercut 21 of the head part 20 with their hook-shaped ends 32 in a driving position (Fig. 2).

After reaching the driving position or the front end position of the displaceable bolt 18 and when the worm wheel 14 is turned further, the lever 17 is pulled inwards again so that the tailgate 1 is pulled against the vehicle seal (not shown) via the two lever-shaped parts 31 (FIG. 3). At the same time, the latch 4 of the door lock 3 engages around the striker 6.

However, the electric motor that actuates the worm drive 11 is only switched off when the worm wheel 14 has completed the complete stroke with its cam 13 and is running again in the opening direction (FIG. 4). The locking latch 4 and a pawl, not shown, of the door lock 3, which locks the locking latch 4, hold the tailgate 1, so that the corresponding holding forces do not have to be absorbed by the locking aid 7.

At the same time, the rotation of the worm wheel 14 in the opening direction causes the driver 27 and thus the rack 24 to be displaced by the cam 13 against the pressure of the spring 23. As a result, the pinion 26 rotates about the longitudinal axis of the displaceable bolt 18, so that it reaches its release position (FIG. 4), in which the two cutouts 22 of the head part 20 are rotated in the region of the hook-shaped ends 32 of the lever-shaped parts 31 that the displaceable pin 18 can be withdrawn again from the receiving device 28 into its retracted position or rest position (FIG. 1).

If the worm wheel 14 rotates again and drives the displaceable bolt 18 outwards, the toothed rack 24 is pushed back into its starting position by the spring 23 and the displaceable bolt 18 is likewise rotated accordingly via the pinion 26, so that after the head part has been reinserted 20 in the receiving device 28 (FIG. 2) the hook-shaped ends 32 of the latching means can engage behind the undercut 21 of the head part 20 again.

So that no dirt can penetrate into the opening 33 between the displaceable bolt 18 and the vehicle parts surrounding it when the tailgate 1 (FIG. 1) is open, a cover cap 35 acted upon by a compression spring 34 is provided, which in the rest position of the displaceable bolt 18 (FIG 1) covers this opening 33 and which, when the tailgate 1 is closed, is pushed back by the hook-shaped ends 32 of the lever-shaped parts 31 of the second assembly 9 in the direction of the housing 10 of the first assembly 8 (FIGS. 3 and 4).

Of course, the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment described above. For example, only one cutout or more than two cutouts in the head part can be provided, provided that the number of lever-shaped parts is selected accordingly. Furthermore, differently designed locking means are also conceivable, which can optionally be controlled by the locking latch to unlock the displaceable bolt. In addition, it can be provided that the lever-shaped parts of the latching means are tilted forward in their rest position by the torsion springs, in order to also close the receiving device against dirt.

The invention can be used on any door or flap and can be carried out much more simply than the exemplary embodiment. In order to bring about a motor-driven closing of the door or flap from a pre-closing position into a main closing position, a driver which can be adjusted by a motor drive and which has a head part which is arranged in a protruding driving position with a door or flap in a pre-closed position, for example, a simple projection on the other part, on the door or flap receptacle or on the door or flap, engages behind and thereby the door during a retraction movement caused by the motor drive in the retracted position or the flap is adjusted to its main closed position. The projection can be fixed or adjustable. The driver can be adjustable on any, for example straight, path. Likewise, the driver can be made adjustable so that at least its head part can be adjusted from the retracted position to the entrained position and vice versa from the entrained position to the retracted position using different adjustment paths. During an adjustment movement of the driver into the driving position, the head part can come into contact with the projection before reaching the driving position and the projection and / or the head part of the driver can briefly move out of the adjustment range of the other part, the head part or against the force of a spring element. of the projection. In addition, the head part or the projection can be rotated during or after a motorized movement of the driver in the driving position and / or in the retracted position to the other part, the projection or head part, or away from the other part into the driving position or out of the driving position be pivotally or otherwise adjustable. A single driver and a single projection are sufficient to implement the locking aid. Of course, several drivers and / or projections can also be provided. In the pre-closed position, in which the locking aid activates the motor drive to completely close the door or flap, a pawl may have fallen in front of the latch of the door lock, whereby the door or flap is locked against an opening movement. Likewise, the door or flap in the pre-closed position can, for example, only be leaned against the door or flap receptacle or against a seal arranged thereon. When moving the door or flap from the locking position to the main locking position, the catch can be locked by a pawl or the like in a locking position and in the main locking position in a locking position or only in the main locking position.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

Vehicle door, tailgate

motor vehicle

Locks

Closing latch, vehicle-fixed part

Closing element, striker

closing aid

(first) unit

(second) unit

casing

Gear, worm drive

slug

cam

worm

Long hole

pivot point

lever

(sliding) bolt

Longitudinal axis (bolt)

headboard

undercut

recess

feather

rack

Longitudinal axis (rack)

pinion

takeaway

Claims

claims 1. Locking aid for closing a door or flap (1) which can be locked at least in a main closed position by a door lock (3), the locking aid on the door or flap or on a door or flap receptacle (5) being one of has a motor drive (11) adjustable driver (18), characterized in that the driver (18) is adjustable approximately in the closing direction of the door or flap (1) from a retracted position to a protruding driving position and has a head part (20) which, in the driving position with a door or flap (1) in a pre-locking position, engages behind a projection (32) on the other part, on the door or flap receptacle or on the door or flap (1), and thereby at one retraction movement brought about by the motor drive (11) into the retreat position adjusts the door or flap (1) into its main closed position. 2. Locking aid according to claim 1, characterized in that the projection is arranged in a stationary manner and the driver is guided such that it can be adjusted such that at least its head part can be adjusted in different adjustment paths from the retracted position to the driving position and from the driving position to the retracting position. 3. Locking aid according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that during the adjustment movement of the driver (18) in the driving position, the head part (20) comes into contact with the projection (32) before reaching the driving position and thereby the projection ( 32) and / or the head part of the driver is briefly adjusted against the force of a spring element (30) from the adjustment range of the other part, the head part (20) or the projection. 4. Locking aid according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the head part (20) or the projection during or after a motorized adjustment movement of the driver in the driving position and / or in the retracted position to the other part, the projection (32) or head part, or away from the other part (32) into the driving position or out of the driving position or is rotatable or adjustable in some other way. 5. Locking aid according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the locking aid is provided for closing a vehicle door (1) provided with a door lock (3), the vehicle door (1) being opened from an open door by the locking aid (7) a closed position is pulled against a vehicle-fixed part (5) and locked in the closed position by the door lock (3). , Locking aid according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the locking aid (7) has at least two structural units (8, 9) arranged spatially separated from the door lock (3), the first structural unit (8) with the vehicle-fixed part (5 ) and the second assembly (9) with the vehicle door (1) or the first assembly with the vehicle door and the second The unit can be connected to the part fixed to the vehicle and the first unit (8) has a bolt (18) which can be moved axially from a rest position or retreat position into an end position or driving position and back, connected to a gear (11) and having a head part (20). and the second structural unit (9) comprises a receiving device (28) with latching means (29). 7. Locking aid according to claim 6, characterized in that the first and second structural unit (8, 9) cooperate in the intended use of the locking aid (7) in such a way that in an open position or locking position of the vehicle door (1) the displaceable bolt ( 18) of the first structural unit (8) is pushed into the receiving device (28) by the gear (11) and the head part (20) is held by the latching means (29), so that the displaceable bolt (18) is then held by the gear (11) is pulled back so far that the vehicle door (1) is close to the part fixed to the vehicle (5) and that after the vehicle door (1) has been locked by the door lock (3), the latching connection between the head part (20) and the latching means (29) of the second structural unit (9) is released and the displaceable bolt (18) from the transmission (1) is withdrawn into its starting position or retreat position. 8. Locking aid according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the receiving device (28) of the second structural unit (9) as latching means (29) comprises at least two spring-loaded lever-shaped parts (31) on the the head part (20) of the sliding pin (18) facing side are provided with hook-shaped ends (32) and that the head part (20) of the displaceable bolt (18) has an undercut (21), so that when the displaceable bolt (18) is inserted into the receiving device (28) the lever-shaped parts (31) initially against the pressure of springs (23) from the head part (20) are pressed apart and the hook-shaped ends (32) then into the undercut (21) of the Engage the head part (20). 9. Locking aid according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the head part (20) of the displaceable bolt (18) introduced into the receiving device (28) of the second structural unit (9) by the transmission (11) by a predetermined amount An angle about the longitudinal axis (19) of the bolt (18) is rotatable and the head part (20) has axial recesses (22) whose width is at least the width of the hook-shaped ends (32) of the lever-shaped parts (31) of the second structural unit (9 ) as well as their circumferential spacing the corresponding distance of the hook-shaped ends (32) corresponds to the fact that after a corresponding rotation of the head part (20) the displaceable bolt (18) from the receiving device (28) of the second structural unit (9) can be pushed back into its rest position or retracted position. 10. Locking aid according to one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the gear (11) is a worm drive (12) with a worm and a worm wheel (14) carrying at least one cam (13), the cam ( 13) engages in an elongated hole (15), which is designed as a control groove, of a lever (17) which can be pivoted about a pivot point (16) and which is connected at its end remote from the pivot point (16) to the displaceable bolt (18), in such a way that a change - Hung the worm wheel (14) by 360 ° causes a displacement of the bolt (18) from its rest position or retreat position to its end position or driving position and back. 11. Locking aid according to one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the first structural unit (8) comprises a toothed rack (24) which can be displaced against the pressure of a spring (23), the longitudinal axis (25) of which extends essentially to the longitudinal axis ( 19) of the displaceable bolt (18) has a vertical course and with the displaceable bolt (18) a pinion (26) is rotatably connected, into which the teeth of the rack (24) engage and that the rack (24) has a driver (27) has against which the cam (13) of the worm wheel (14) presses within a predetermined path of the cam (13), which is selected such that the Reaching the retracted position or retracted position of the displaceable bolt (18) by turning the worm wheel (14) further, the head part (20) is rotated into its release position. 12. Locking aid according to one of claims 5 to 11, characterized in that the first structural unit (8) comprises a housing (10) which can be built into the respective motor vehicle (2), in which the gear (11) is arranged and the displaceable bolt (18 ) and that the housing (10) has an opening through which the displaceable bolt (18) can be partially pushed out at the front. 13. Locking aid according to claim 12, characterized in that the head part (20) in the rest position or retracted position of the displaceable bolt (18) is mounted outside the housing (10). 14. Locking aid according to claim 13, characterized in that between the undercut (21) of the head part (20) and the housing (10) a cover cap (35) acted upon by a compression spring (34) is arranged, which in the installed state of the first structural unit (8) in the rest position or retracted position of the displaceable bolt (18) covers the opening (33) between the displaceable bolt (18) and the vehicle parts surrounding it and which, when the vehicle door (1) is closed, through the ends of the lever-shaped parts (31) of the second structural unit (9) is pushed back towards the housing (10).