| CPC E05B 77/34 (2013.01) [E05B 81/05 (2013.01); E05B 81/18 (2013.01); E05B 81/20 (2013.01); E05B 81/56 (2013.01); E05B 81/66 (2013.01); E05B 83/36 (2013.01); E05B 85/26 (2013.01)] | 10 Claims |
|
6. A method of operating a vehicle door lock of a vehicle door (14) to overcome a frozen state, the method comprising the steps of:
positioning a ratchet wheel (2) in a locked position, wherein the ratchet wheel (2) captures a lock catch (100) disposed on a vehicle body (8) when the ratchet wheel (2) is in the locked position, wherein the ratchet wheel is rotatable about a rod pin (5) and is moveable in a forward direction toward the locked position and is biased in a reverse direction toward an unlocking position;
moving a ratchet pawl (3) from a ratchet wheel holding positon to a ratchet wheel release position;
detecting a stuck condition of the ratchet wheel (2), wherein the ratchet wheel remains in the locked position in response to moving the ratchet pawl (3) to the ratchet wheel release position;
actuating an ice-breaking mechanism (7) disposed inside the vehicle door (14);
applying a torque to the ratchet wheel (2) by the ice-breaking mechanism (7), wherein the torque rotates the ratchet wheel (2) in the reverse direction to the unlocking position;
pushing against the lock catch (100) to open the vehicle door when the ratchet wheel (2) rotates in response to applying the torque;
wherein the ice-breaking mechanism is also supported for rotation about the rod pin (5);
wherein the ice-breaking mechanism (7) applies the torque to a part of the ratchet wheel (2) other than the rod pin of the ratchet wheel;
wherein the ice-breaking mechanism includes an ice-breaking pull cable (71) operatively connected to the ratchet wheel to transmit a pulling force on the ratchet wheel (2) in response to actuation of the ice-breaking mechanism;
wherein the ice-breaking mechanism (7) includes a wheel rod (72) pivotally coaxially coupled to the ratchet wheel (2) and connected to the ice-breaking pull cable (71), the method further comprising:
pulling the wheel rod via the ice-breaking pull cable (71),
rotating the wheel rod (72) by a predetermined angle,
abutting the wheel rod (72) against the ratchet wheel (2) when the ratchet wheel (2) is in the locked position, and
driving the ratchet wheel (2) to rotate in the reverse direction to the unlocking position when wheel rod (72) rotates past the predetermined angle;
biasing the ratchet wheel (2) in the reverse direction toward the unlocking position via a torsion spring (6);
wherein the torsion spring (6) is sleeved on the rotating shaft of the ratchet wheel (2), and two ends of the torsion spring (6) are respectively connected to the ratchet wheel (2) and the wheel rod (72) and configured to reset the wheel rod (72) in the forward direction.
|