Lock, especially for automotive doors, flaps or the like

1. Lock, especially for vehicle doors, hatches, or the like,

with a rotary latch ( 20 ), into which a closing part ( 13 ) travels when the door is closed, thus pivoting the rotary latch ( 20 ) from an open position via a prelatching position into a main latching position;

with a catch ( 30 ), which, when in the prelatching position, engages in a prelatching stop notch ( 25 ) provided on the rotary latch ( 20 ) and, when in the main latching position, engages in a main stop notch ( 26 ) located on the rotary latch ( 20 ); and

with a motorized opening aid for the door, comprising a drive unit ( 15 ), which uses a power takeoff path to rotate the actuating element ( 40 ), which acts directly on the catch ( 30 );

where the actuating element ( 40 ) has an actuating surface ( 44 ), the radial dimension of which increases in the rotational direction ( 42 );

and where the actuating element ( 40 ) has, on its actuating surface ( 44 ), a blocking surface section ( 45 ), which serves to prevent the actuating element ( 40 ) from rotating in the opposite direction, which blocking surface section is gripped by a blocking element ( 37 ) of the catch ( 30 ) after the catch ( 30 ) has been lifted; and

with means for preventing the catch ( 30 ) from dropping back into the rotary latch ( 20 ) after the catch ( 30 ) has been lifted, wherein a load lever ( 50 ), which can be pivoted around the pivot axis ( 51 ) and moved into the path ( 19 ) along which the catch ( 30 ) pivots, prevents the catch ( 30 ) from dropping back into the rotary latch ( 20 ) after the catch ( 30 ) has been lifted; and in that a pivoting moment in the pivoting direction ( 57 ) is exerted directly on the load lever ( 50 ) by the rotary latch ( 20 ) as the latch rotates in the opening direction ( 22 ), as a result of which the load lever ( 50 ) is pivoted into a position beyond its rest position on the catch ( 30 ), i.e., a position a certain distance away from the catch ( 30 ), in which position the catch ( 30 ) is free to pivot along its path ( 19 ).

2. Lock according to claim 1 , wherein, after the rotary latch ( 20 ) has been released by the closing part ( 13 ), a drive start signal for the drive unit ( 15 ) can be transmitted, where the drive part ( 15 ) causes the actuating element ( 40 ) to move in rotational direction ( 42 ).

3. Lock according to claim 1 , wherein the drive energy of the drive unit ( 15 ) can be transmitted via a pinion ( 16 ) to a gear wheel ( 43 ), the gear wheel ( 43 ) being in working connection with the actuating element ( 40 ).

4. Lock according to claim 1 , wherein the gear wheel ( 43 ) and the actuating element ( 40 ) have the same axis of rotation ( 41 ), and in that the gear wheel ( 43 ) and the actuating element ( 40 ) are connected to each other for rotation in common, preferably constituting a single component.

5. Lock according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating element ( 40 ) functioning as an opening aid moves in rotational direction ( 42 ), and in that the rotary latch ( 20 ) moves in the opposite rotational direction ( 22 ) during the opening process.

6. Lock according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating element ( 40 ) functioning as an opening aid runs up against an actuating arm ( 38 ) of the catch ( 30 ) and lifts the catch ( 30 ) out of the main latching position or out of the prelatching position on the rotary latch ( 20 ) in opposition to a restoring force (F 2 ).

7. Lock according to claim 1 , wherein, after the catch ( 30 ) has been lifted out of the main latching position or out of the prelatching position on the rotary latch ( 20 ), it is brought by the actuating element ( 40 ) into an overstroke position, as a result of which the hook ( 34 ) on the latch ( 30 ) is held a certain distance (h) away from the circumference of the rotary latch ( 20 ).

8. Lock according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating surface ( 44 ) of the actuating element ( 40 ), the radial dimension of which increases in the rotational direction ( 42 ), is at its maximum distance from the axis of rotation ( 41 ) at radius (R 1 ), as a result of which the catch ( 30 ) is in its overstroke position and thus at its maximum distance (h) from the rotary latch ( 20 ), and in that, upon the further movement of the actuating element ( 40 ) in rotational direction ( 42 ), the radius (R 2 ) of the actuating surface ( 44 ) remains unchanged.

9. Lock according to claim 1 , wherein the blocking element ( 37 ) is located at the end of the adjusting arm ( 38 ) of the catch ( 30 ), and in that, after the catch ( 30 ) has been raised, the blocking surface section ( 45 ) of the actuating element ( 40 ) comes to rest against this blocking element when the actuating element tries to rotate in the direction opposite the rotational direction ( 42 ).

10. Lock according to claim 1 , wherein the blocking surface section ( 45 ) which has run up against the blocking element ( 37 ) triggers a drive stop signal and/or a signal for restoring the gearbox to the home position.

11. Lock according to claim 1 , wherein the catch ( 39 ) has another arm ( 35 ) with a thrust surface ( 36 ) at the end, which actuates a signal switch ( 17 ) only when the catch ( 30 ) is located in the main stop notch ( 26 ) on the rotary latch ( 20 ).

12. Lock according to claim 1 , wherein a spring loading (F 2 ) causes the hook ( 34 ) of the catch ( 30 ) to drop into the main stop notch ( 26 ) or into the pre-stop notch ( 25 ) of the rotary latch.

13. Lock according to claim 1 , wherein—after the catch ( 30 ) has been raised—the rotary latch ( 20 ) is guided automatically by the spring loading (F 1 ) acting on it out of its prelatching position or out of its main latching position into its open position.

14. Lock according to claim 1 , wherein, to prevent the catch ( 30 ) from dropping back into the rotary latch ( 20 ), a spring-loaded (F 4 ) projection ( 54 ) of the load lever ( 50 ) blocks the outward-pivoted adjusting arm ( 38 ) of the catch ( 30 ) and thus prevents the catch ( 30 ) from pivoting along its path ( 19 ).

15. Lock according to claim 1 , wherein the load lever ( 50 ) can be moved around a pivot axis ( 51 ).

16. Lock according to claim 1 , wherein the pivot axis ( 51 ) of the load lever ( 50 ) is a certain distance away from the axis of rotation ( 41 ) of the actuating element ( 40 ), where the pivot pin of the actuating element ( 40 ) representing the axis of rotation ( 41 ) engages in a recess ( 56 ) in the load lever ( 50 ), where the recess ( 56 ) preferably has a longitudinal dimension aligned with the pivoting movement ( 57 ).

17. Lock according to claim 1 , wherein the pivoting moment which moves the load lever ( 50 ) out of the rest position is produced by a shoulder ( 27 ) on the rotary latch ( 20 ), which in this case pushes a circumferential section ( 55 ) of the load lever ( 50 ) in the pivoting direction ( 57 ).

18. Lock according to claim 1 , wherein, when the load lever ( 50 ) is releasing the catch ( 30 ), it is moving in the pivoting direction ( 57 ), whereas the rotary latch ( 20 ) is moving in the opposite rotational direction ( 22 ).