IP Library Granted Patent US 12,338,664
Granted Patent B2
US 12,338,664 · App. 18/245,398 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Motor vehicle lock, in particular motor vehicle door lock

Inventor: Zbynek Louda (Pardubice, DO)
Assignee: Kiekert AG
E05B81/15E05B85/26E05B2015/041
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,338,664
App. No.
18/245,398
Granted
Jun 24, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A motor vehicle lock, in particular a motor vehicle door lock, which in its basic design is equipped with a locking mechanism consisting essentially of a rotary latch and a pawl. In addition, an accumulator lever that is controllable by the rotary latch is realized, which temporarily holds the pawl in its open position (accumulator position) at least during an opening process of the locking mechanism. According to the invention, a common spring acting on the rotary latch and the accumulator lever is provided.

Claims (33)

1. A motor vehicle lock comprising:

a locking mechanism including a rotary latch and a pawl,

an accumulator lever that is controlled by the rotary latch, wherein the rotary latch temporarily holds the pawl in an open accumulator position at least during an opening process of the locking mechanism, and

a spring configured to directly engage both the rotary latch and the accumulator lever,

wherein the rotary latch includes a control stop and a rotary latch stop, wherein the spring directly acts on the rotary latch stop, and wherein the control stop engages the accumulator lever when a pre-ratchet on the rotary latch has passed an engagement on the pawl to release the pawl from the open accumulator position.

2. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1 , wherein the spring is a leg spring with a wound section and two spring legs.

3. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 2 , wherein the spring is connected by the wound section to the rotary latch.

4. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 3 , wherein the wound section of the spring is arranged concentrically with a rotational axis of the rotary latch.

5. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 2 , wherein one spring leg of the two spring legs is a rotary latch spring leg directly acting on the rotary latch stop and another spring leg of the two spring legs is an accumulator lever spring leg directly acting on the accumulator lever.

6. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 5 , wherein the accumulator spring leg rests against an accumulator lever stop of the accumulator lever.

7. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 6 , wherein the rotary latch spring leg rests against the rotary latch stop generally radially in relation to a rotational axis of the rotary latch.

8. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 6 , wherein the accumulator lever spring leg rests against the accumulator lever stop generally tangentially in relation to a rotational axis of the rotary latch.

9. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary latch, the accumulator lever, and the pawl are mounted in a housing on different axes spaced apart from each other.

10. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 9 , wherein the different axes are parallel to each other.

11. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1 , wherein in a closed position of the locking mechanism, the accumulator lever engages in a recess in the pawl, and the accumulator lever further has an extension arm that engages against a stop in the pawl in the closed position.

12. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 11 , wherein in the open accumulator position, the extension arm of the accumulator lever acts on the stop of the pawl to build up tension in the spring.

13. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1 , wherein during an opening process of the locking mechanism, an extension arm of the accumulator lever engages a stop of the pawl to space the pawl from the rotary latch until the rotary latch reaches a rotary latch open position where the control stop on the rotary latch engages the accumulator lever to disengage the extension arm from the stop of the pawl.

14. A motor vehicle lock comprising:

a locking mechanism including a rotary latch and a pawl,

an accumulator lever that is controlled by the rotary latch, wherein the rotary latch temporarily holds the pawl in an open accumulator position at least during an opening process of the locking mechanism, and

a spring acting on both the rotary latch and the accumulator lever,

wherein the spring is a leg spring with a wound section and two spring legs,

wherein one spring leg of the two spring legs is a rotary latch spring leg acting on the rotary latch and another spring leg of the two spring legs is an accumulator lever spring leg acting on the accumulator lever, and

wherein the rotary latch spring leg rests against a rotary latch stop of the rotary latch, and the accumulator spring leg rests against an accumulator lever stop of the accumulator lever,

wherein the rotary latch further includes a control stop, and

wherein the control stop engages the accumulator lever when a pre-ratchet on the rotary latch has passed an engagement on the pawl to release the pawl from the open accumulator position.

15. A motor vehicle lock comprising:

a locking mechanism including a rotary latch and a pawl,

an accumulator lever that is controlled by the rotary latch, wherein the rotary latch temporarily holds the pawl in an open accumulator position at least during an opening process of the locking mechanism, and

a spring acting on both the rotary latch and the accumulator lever,

wherein the spring is a leg spring with a wound section and two spring legs,

wherein the spring is connected by the wound section to the rotary latch, and

wherein the wound section of the spring is arranged concentrically with a rotational axis of the rotary latch.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2023
From: LOUDA, ZBYNEK
To: KIEKERT AG
Reel/Frame 063045/0694 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2020 123 948.3 · Sep 15, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230349203A1 · Nov 2, 2023
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