US 11,725,427 B2
Method for operating an opening mechanism
Tatjana Schmidt, Leverkusen (DE); Serkan Guelkan, Hattingen (DE); Kay-Olaf Loock, Wolfsburg (DE); Peter Jencus, Braunschweig (DE); and Christoph Fuchs, Hoedingen (DE)
Assigned to Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, Wolfsburg (DE)
Filed by Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, Wolfsburg (DE)
Filed on Oct. 11, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/599,799.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2018 125 208.0 (DE), filed on Oct. 11, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0115930 A1, Apr. 16, 2020
Int. Cl. E05B 77/22 (2014.01); E05B 81/56 (2014.01); E05B 81/64 (2014.01); E05B 81/16 (2014.01)
CPC E05B 77/22 (2013.01) [E05B 81/16 (2013.01); E05B 81/56 (2013.01); E05B 81/64 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for operating an opening mechanism which serves for opening a motor vehicle lock, wherein the opening mechanism is formed separately from the motor vehicle lock and the opening mechanism is spatially separated from the motor vehicle lock, wherein the motor vehicle lock has at least a lock latch and a pawl, and wherein, for the opening action, the opening mechanism is coupled mechanically to the motor vehicle lock, wherein the opening mechanism is assigned a control arrangement, wherein the opening mechanism comprises a triggering lever, by the triggering movement of which the motor vehicle lock is opened, wherein the opening mechanism comprises an electric drive arrangement, wherein the triggering movement of the triggering lever and therefore a motorized opening operation are produced by the electric drive arrangement, wherein the opening mechanism comprises an actuating lever which is coupled to a door handle and which is actuated from a starting position in a manual actuating stroke consisting of a forwards and return movement, wherein the opening mechanism comprises a switchable coupling arrangement between the actuating lever and the triggering lever, and wherein a manual opening operation is produced by the actuating lever via the coupling arrangement, wherein the overall pivoting region of the actuating lever starting from the starting position comprises a first pivoting region and a second pivoting region following and distinct from the first pivoting region, wherein the motorized opening operation has the capability to be triggered by an actuating stroke over the first pivoting region, wherein a surroundings warning signal from a surroundings warning unit is received by the control arrangement, and wherein upon the receipt of the surroundings warning signal by the control arrangement, the motorized opening operation is deactivated via a predetermined time delay, wherein, when the motorized opening operation is deactivated and when the coupling arrangement is in the disengaged state, engagement of the coupling arrangement is brought about by an actuating stroke over the two pivoting regions and, in the process, the transition from the first pivoting region to the second pivoting region is associated with a rise in the actuating force, and wherein a manual opening operation is produced by a subsequent actuating stroke over the two pivoting regions;
wherein the triggering lever and the pawl are distinct from each other and bearing independently of each other.