IP Library Granted Patent US 12,735,920
Granted Patent B2
US 12,735,920 · App. 18/466,087 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Lock for a motor vehicle, in particular hood or hinged-panel lock

Inventor: Robert S. Pettengill (Farmington, MI)
Assignee: Kiekert AG
E05B83/243E05B81/14E05B81/20E05B81/66E05B81/68E05B83/24
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,735,920
App. No.
18/466,087
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A hood lock for a motor vehicle comprising a locking mechanism with a rotary latch and at least one pawl, a lock holder interacting with the locking mechanism, a release lever, the locked locking mechanism being able to be unlocked by means of the release lever, and the lock holder being transferable from a latching position into a support position after a first actuation, and the lock holder being transferable after a second actuation of the release lever into a release position, and a closing drive, wherein the locking mechanism can be moved by means of the closing drive from the support position into a main latching position, and wherein at least one position of the rotary latch can be detected by means of a switching means, and wherein at least one further switching means is provided for detecting the pawl position.

Claims (38)

1 . A hood lock for a motor vehicle, the hood lock comprising:

a locking mechanism having a rotary latch and a pawl,

a lock holder interacting with the locking mechanism,

a release lever, wherein the rotary latch in a main latching position and a pre-latching position, is unlocked by the release lever,

wherein the rotary latch is transferred from the main latching position into the pre-latching position after a first actuation of the release lever, and the rotary latch is moved into a release position from the pre-latching position after a second actuation of the release lever,

a closing drive, wherein the rotary latch is moved by the closing drive from the pre-latching position into the main latching position,

a control lever, wherein the control lever directly engages the rotary latch and is biased to move as a result of the rotary latch moving from the main latching position to the release position,

a first switch, wherein at least one position of the rotary latch is detected by the first switch via detecting a position of the control lever, and

a second switch that is only actuated when the pawl is in a pawl pre-latching position corresponding to the pre-latching position of the rotary latch,

wherein the first switch and the second switch are unactuated in the main latching position of the rotary latch corresponding to a pawl main latching position, and

wherein the second switch is unactuated when the pawl is in a pawl open position,

wherein the pawl is actuated electrically via the release lever, and

wherein the pawl pre-latching position is determined via detecting a position of the release level when the release lever actuates the second switch.

2 . The hood lock according to claim 1 , wherein the control lever directly engages a contour on the rotary latch.

3 . The hood lock according to claim 2 , further comprising a third switch, wherein the control lever engages at least one of the first switch and the third switch as the rotary latch moves between the release position and the main latching position.

4 . The hood lock according to claim 2 , wherein the contour is on a bolt of the rotary latch.

5 . The hood lock according to claim 2 , further comprising a closing lever, wherein the contour on the rotary latch is brought into engagement with the closing lever.

6 . The hood lock according to claim 5 , further comprising a spring element, wherein in the main latching position of the rotary latch, the control lever is preloaded by the spring element to the contour on the rotary latch.

7 . The hood lock according to claim 1 , further comprising a closing lever and a reinforcement plate that supports the locking mechanism, wherein the closing lever is guided by the reinforcement plate.

8 . The hood lock according to claim 1 , wherein the release lever and the control lever are pivotably accommodated on an electrical component carrier.

9 . The hood lock according to claim 1 , further comprising a transmission lever, wherein the transmission lever is in contact with the rotary latch in the main latching position and engages with the pawl when the rotary latch is released to the release position to position the pawl when the rotary latch is in the release position.

10 . The hood lock according to claim 1 , further comprising a positioner and a tension spring that provides a force on the lock holder in an opening direction.

11 . The hood lock according to claim 1 , further comprising a closing lever, wherein the closing drive includes an electromotive drive and a drive lever that acts on the closing lever.

12 . The hood lock according to claim 1 , further comprising a third switch that is actuated by the control lever.

13 . The hood lock according to claim 1 , wherein the first switch is actuated when the rotary latch is in the pre-latching position.

14 . The hood lock according to claim 1 , further comprising a third switch actuated by the control lever, wherein the third switch is actuated when the rotary latch is in the release position.

15 . A hood lock for a motor vehicle, the hood lock comprising:

a locking mechanism having a rotary latch and a pawl,

a lock holder interacting with the locking mechanism,

a release lever, wherein the rotary latch in a main latching position and a pre-latching position, is unlocked by the release lever,

wherein the rotary latch is transferred from the main latching position into the pre-latching position after a first actuation of the release lever, and the rotary latch is moved into a release position from the pre-latching position after a second actuation of the release lever,

a closing drive, wherein the rotary latch is moved by the closing drive from the pre-latching position into the main latching position,

a control lever, wherein the control lever directly engages the rotary latch and is biased to move as a result of the rotary latch moving from the main latching position to the release position,

a first switch, wherein at least one position of the rotary latch is detected by the first switch via detecting a position of the control lever, and

a second switch that is only actuated when the pawl is in a pawl pre-latching position corresponding to the pre-latching position of the rotary latch,

wherein the first switch and the second switch are unactuated in the main latching position of the rotary latch corresponding to a pawl main latching position,

wherein the second switch is unactuated when the pawl is in a pawl open position, and

wherein the first switch is actuated when the rotary latch is in the pre-latching position.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2023
From: PETTENGILL, ROBERT S.
To: KIEKERT AG
Reel/Frame 064985/0798 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250084675A1 · Mar 13, 2025
References Cited (41)
US 5150933A · Myslicki · 1992 [cited by examiner]
US 5785364A · Kleefeldt · 1998 [cited by examiner]
US 5938252A · Uemura · 1999 [cited by examiner]
US 6048003A · Shimura · 2000 [cited by examiner]
US 8608212B2 · Takeda · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 9428935B2 · Yamashita · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 10584520B2 · Scholz · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10669751B2 · Kim · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10697209B2 · Kim · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10890018B2 · Distefano · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11015375B2 · Lebsak · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11414904B2 · Klein · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 11428032B2 · Sturm · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 11441337B2 · Ney · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 11512504B2 · Lebsak · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 11933082B2 · Strole · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20100194120A1 · Kaiser · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 20170268265A1 · Hiramoto · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20210010304A1 · Rosales · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220106817A1 · Holbein · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20240337139A1 · Suk · 2024 [cited by examiner]
CN 111809988A · 2020 [cited by examiner]
CN 115434584A · 2022 [cited by examiner]
CN 116517409A · 2023 [cited by examiner]
CN 116696158A · 2023 [cited by examiner]
DE 29600386U1 · 1997 [cited by applicant]
DE 19643482A1 · 1997 [cited by examiner]
DE 102010061518A1 · 2012 [cited by applicant]
DE 102019110702A1 · 2020 [cited by examiner]
DE 102020115879A1 · 2021 [cited by examiner]
DE 102021119635A1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
EP 2155994B1 · 2010 [cited by applicant]
EP 2434077A1 · 2012 [cited by examiner]
KR 20170119013A · 2017 [cited by examiner]
KR 2019063319A · 2019 [cited by examiner]
WO 2015096830A1 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2019038233A1 · 2019 [cited by examiner]
WO 2022167556A2 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
Computer Generated Translation for KR 20170119013 A, Generated on Apr. 4, 2025, https://worldwide.espacenet.com/ (Year: 2025). [cited by examiner]
Computer Generated Translation for DE 19643482, Generated on Oct. 14, 2025, https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/ (Year: 2025). [cited by examiner]
International Search Report and Written Opinion mailed Jan. 3, 2025, for International Application No. PCT/US2024/044986. [cited by applicant]