IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,428,881
Granted Patent B2
US 12,428,881 · App. 17/799,032 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Electrically actuatable motor vehicle lock

Inventor: Carsten Fuchs (Essen, DE)
Assignee: Kiekert AG
E05B81/14E05B79/20E05B81/06E05B81/30E05B81/34E05B81/90
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 12,428,881
App. No.
17/799,032
Granted
Sep 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electrically actuatable motor vehicle lock comprising: a locking mechanism with a rotary latch and at least one pawl, a release lever, the release lever interacting with the locking mechanism in such a way that a locked locking mechanism can be unlocked, an electric drive unit, the release lever being actuatable at least by means of the drive unit and the drive unit having at least one control element for actuating the release lever, and the motor vehicle lock having a means for manually resetting the actuated release lever.

Claims (19)

1. An electrically actuatable motor vehicle lock comprising:

a locking mechanism having a rotary latch and at least one pawl,

a release lever, the release lever interacting with the at least one pawl in such a way that the locking mechanism can be locked or unlocked,

an electric drive unit, the release lever being actuatable by the electric drive unit, and the electric drive unit having a control element for actuating the release lever from a starting position to an actuation position, wherein the starting position is a position of the release lever when the locking mechanism is in a locked state, and wherein the actuation position is a position of the release lever when the locking mechanism is in an unlocked state, and

a means for manually resetting the release lever from the actuation position to the starting position after the release lever has been actuated,

wherein the means for manually resetting comprises a lever extension formed on the control element configured to travel with the control element as the electric drive unit drives the control element, wherein the lever extension is further configured for manual actuation to pivot the control element, and wherein the release lever is spring biased toward the starting position.

2. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1 , wherein the release lever is actuated by the means for resetting pivoting the release lever.

3. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1 , wherein the means for resetting includes an actuating nut.

4. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 3 , wherein the actuating nut is arranged in a region of an inlet mouth of the motor vehicle lock.

5. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1 , wherein the lever extension has an engagement contour.

6. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1 , wherein the means for resetting is indirectly actuatable by a flexible actuation element.

7. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1 , wherein the control element engages with the release lever in a form-fitting manner.

8. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1 , wherein the control element is designed as a separate component in the motor vehicle lock.

9. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1 , wherein the electric drive unit includes a gear stage that drives the control element.

10. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 9 , wherein the gear stage includes an output wheel having toothing that engages with toothing of the control element.

11. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 6 , wherein the flexible actuation element is a Bowden cable.

12. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1 , further comprising a housing having an opening, and the means for resetting the release lever extends through the opening of the housing.

13. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 1 , wherein the means for resetting the release lever is configured to manually reset the release lever in the event of failure of the electric drive unit.

14. The motor vehicle lock according to claim 12 , wherein the means for resetting the release lever comprises a lever extension that passes through an opening in the housing, and wherein ends of the opening serve as stops for rotation of the lever extension.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2023
From: FUCHS, CARSTEN
To: KIEKERT AG
Reel/Frame 062820/0322 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2020 102 073.2 · Jan 29, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230074045A1 · Mar 9, 2023
References Cited (13)
US 10378252B2 · Ottino · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10844639B2 · Nelsen · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 11377883B2 · Taurasi · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20130300133A1 · Margheritti · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20170159331A1 · Handke · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20190226246A1 · Schiffer · 2019 [cited by examiner]
DE 102017124525A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
DE 102017124531A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
DE 102018110700A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
EP 1320652B1 · 2005 [cited by examiner]
WO 2019068277A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2019076403A1 · 2019 [cited by examiner]
International Search Report mailed Mar. 29, 2021, for priority International Patent Application No. PCT/DE2021/100038. [cited by applicant]