Lock for a door of a motor vehicle

1. A lock ( 1 ) for a door of a motor vehicle comprising:

a closing mechanism ( 6 ) designed for coupling with a lock striker ( 2 ) along a direction (B) of relative coupling;

a supporting body ( 4 ) of said closing mechanism ( 6 ) having a housing seat ( 5 ) for an engagement portion ( 3 ) of said lock striker ( 2 ); said housing seat ( 5 ) having an entry area ( 11 ) for said engagement portion ( 3 ) and being delimited:

laterally, by a pair of opposing side walls ( 13 ), and

at an end opposite to said entry area ( 11 ), by a bottom wall ( 12 ) orthogonal to said direction (B) of relative coupling;

an elastically compliant buffer ( 30 ) including a first end ( 31 ) coupled to said bottom wall ( 12 ) retaining said buffer ( 30 ) in said housing seat ( 5 ), and a second end ( 33 ) having a concave surface for receiving an impact from said engagement portion ( 3 ) of said lock striker ( 2 ) and delimiting said housing seat ( 5 ) in said direction (B) of relative coupling in order to define damped arrest of said lock striker ( 2 ); and

a rigid protective shield ( 40 ) covering said second end ( 33 ) of said buffer ( 30 ) in an area of interaction with said engagement portion ( 3 ) of said lock striker ( 2 ) for evenly distributing said impact of said lock striker ( 2 ) over said second end ( 33 ) wherein opposite lateral edges ( 41 ) of said shield ( 40 ) are folded around said second end ( 33 ) of said buffer ( 30 ) thereby fixedly securing said shield ( 40 ) to said buffer ( 30 ).

2. The lock according to claim 1 , characterized in that said buffer ( 30 ) includes a projection ( 34 ) extending from said first end ( 31 ) disposed in a recess ( 17 ) formed in said bottom wall ( 12 ) of said housing seat ( 5 ) coupling said buffer ( 30 ) to said bottom wall ( 12 ).

3. The lock according to claim 2 , characterized in that said projection ( 34 ) is defined by opposite lateral edges ( 35 ) converging with respect to one another toward said first end ( 31 ).

4. The lock according to claim 3 , characterized in that said buffer ( 30 ) includes opposite lateral surfaces ( 32 ) bearing upon said side walls ( 13 ).

5. The lock according to claim 4 , characterized in that said buffer ( 30 ) includes a slot ( 36 ) disposed between said first end ( 31 ) and said second end ( 33 ), said slot ( 36 ) extending transversely to said side walls ( 13 ).

6. The lock according to claim 5 , characterized in that said buffer ( 30 ) and said shield ( 40 ) are generally U-shaped in said area of interaction with said engagement portion ( 3 ) of said lock striker ( 2 ).

7. The lock according to claim 6 , characterized in that said buffer ( 30 ) is made of an elastomeric material.

8. The lock according to claim 6 , characterized in that said shield ( 40 ) has, in said area of interaction with said engagement portion ( 3 ) of said lock striker ( 2 ), a surface coating of ceramic material.

9. The lock according to claim 1 , characterized in that said shield ( 40 ) is fixedly secured to said buffer ( 30 ) by forcing said opposite lateral edges ( 41 ) of said shield ( 40 ) around said second end ( 33 ) of said buffer ( 30 ).

10. A lock ( 1 ) for a door of a motor vehicle comprising:

a closing mechanism ( 16 ) adapted for coupling with a lock striker ( 2 ) along a direction (B) of relative coupling;

a supporting body ( 4 ) of said closing mechanism ( 6 ) including an opening ( 5 ) for receiving a lock striker ( 2 ) therein, said opening ( 5 ) including a pair of opposing side walls ( 13 ) extending between an entry area ( 11 ) and an opposite bottom wall ( 12 ) orthogonal to said direction (B) of relative coupling;

an elastically compliant buffer ( 30 ) including a first end ( 31 ) coupled to said bottom wall ( 12 ) by a projection ( 34 ) extending from said first end ( 31 ) and having opposite lateral edges ( 35 ) converging with respect to one another toward said first end ( 31 ) and disposed in a recess ( 17 ) formed in said bottom wall ( 12 ), opposite lateral surfaces ( 32 ) bearing upon said side walls ( 13 ), a second end ( 33 ) having a concave surface for receiving an impact from an engagement portion ( 3 ) of said lock striker ( 2 ) and delimiting said opening ( 5 ) in said direction (B) of relative coupling in order to define damped arrest of said lock striker ( 2 ), and a slot ( 36 ) disposed between said first end ( 31 ) and said second end ( 33 ) and extending transversely to said side walls ( 13 ); and

a rigid protective shield ( 40 ) covering said second end ( 33 ) of said buffer ( 30 ) in an area of interaction with said engagement portion ( 3 ) of said lock striker ( 2 ) for evenly distributing said impact of said lock striker ( 2 ) over said second end ( 33 ) wherein opposite lateral edges ( 41 ) of said shield ( 40 ) are folded around said second end ( 33 ) of said buffer ( 30 ) thereby fixedly securing said shield ( 40 ) to said buffer ( 30 ).

11. The lock according to claim 10 , characterized in that said buffer ( 30 ) and said shield ( 40 ) are generally U-shaped in said area of interaction with said engagement portion ( 3 ) of said lock striker ( 2 ).

12. The lock according to claim 11 , characterized in that said shield ( 40 ) has a surface coating of ceramic material in said area of interaction with said engagement portion ( 3 ) of said lock striker ( 2 ).

13. The lock according to claim 12 , characterized in that said buffer ( 30 ) is made of an elastomeric material.