Kiekert Ag

Thomas Hulsmann

Michael Scholz

Holger Schiffer

Stefan Feige

Omar Inan

Damien Labonde

Klaus-Peter Reis

Lothar Patzelt

The problem addressed by the invention is to devise a method for closing a motor vehicle hood which makes it possible to minimize a gap between the hood and the vehicle body. This should in particular make it possible to keep the risk of injuries low. In order to solve said problem, the hood is closed as follows by means of a hood closing device comprising a locking bolt () and a locking mechanism consisting of a rotary latch () and a pawl (): the open hood is moved in the direction of the closed position; this movement of the hood causes the locking bolt () to pivot the rotary latch () about its pin () in the direction of the latched position until the rotary latch () hits a breakthrough preventing contraption, in particular a catching lever (), whereupon the hood or the rotary latch along with the hood is moved using a drive unit (), in particular an electric drive unit, in such a way that the gap between the hood and the motor vehicle body is reduced; following this movement caused by the drive unit, the rotary latch () is locked by the pawl ().

Method for closing a motor vehicle hood

The problem addressed by the invention is that of providing a closing device for a motor vehicle, by means of which a gap in a door or flap can be minimized. One aim in particular is to minimize the risk of injury. To solve this problem, a closing device comprises a locking mechanism that consists of a rotary latch and a pawl for locking said rotary latch in place. A drive is provided, with which said locking mechanism can be moved, totally or partially, by means of a pivot lever, also called a rocker, such that a gap in a door or flap can be reduced. Therefore, when a door or flap is closed, a gap initially remains between the door and doorframe, or between a frame and its associated flap. The drive allows the rocker, and therefore the locking mechanism or parts thereof, to be moved such that this gap is reduced. In order to minimize the weight and number of parts, the rotary latch and pawl are preferably rotatably secured to the rocker by means of shafts.

Closing device for a motor-vehicle hood, and method

A door panel formed with a throughgoing hole carries adjacent the hole a shaft pivotal about an axis and having radially projecting retaining formations. An assembly body engaging the panel around the hole carries a movable handle. Retaining formations on the body are engageable with the shaft retaining formations in a predetermined angular holding position of the shaft. The body formations are disengaged from the shaft retaining formations in an angularly offset freeing position of the shaft. The shaft formations are cam lobes and the body has an inwardly extending projection formed with a seat snugly receiving the shaft formations in the holding position of the shaft.

Motor-vehicle door-handle assembly

A connector for interconnecting a plurality of spaced electrical subassemblies in a motor-vehicle door has a basically rectangular flexible foil having a core part and formed with a plurality of strips extending from the part and carrying conductive paths. The strips are separable from one another and foldable to extend to the different subassemblies. The conductive strips and the core part are formed of a flexible and conductive material or of an insulating synthetic resin provided with the conductive paths. This core part has a plurality of different fields each provided with electronic circuit components, for instance a key-pad field, a decoding field, a processing field, an H-bridge field, and a transfer field. The circuit components can be passive or active, for instance whole integrated circuits can be mounted on the core part.

Foil-type connector for motor-vehicle subassemblies

A motor-vehicle door has an outer door panel, an annular inner door panel including a front frame member fixed to the outer door panel, a lower frame member fixed to the outer door panel, a separate upper frame member, and a rear frame member fixed to the outer door panel. The front, lower, and rear members together form an opening and the front frame member is formed with a pair of vertically spaced hinge holes each having a horizontal front part and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined rear part. An insert plate carries the upper frame member, fits in the opening, and is provided with hinge lugs engaged in the openings. The insert plate is pivotal about the lugs in the hinge holes between a raised position projecting inward from the door and a lowered position fitting in the opening. Mechanical, electromechanical, and electronic subassemblies are fixed on the insert plate, and fasteners retain the insert plate on the inner door panel in the lowered position of the plate.

Growing community of inventors

Velbert, Germany

Thomas Hulsmann