DESCRIPTION

The following invention relates to a lock for vehicle side-hinged doors.

Some vehicles, and especially commercial vehicles, such as vans, have one or two side-hinged doors.

In case of two side-hinged doors, two doors are hinged to the frame of the vehicle. The doors open outwards in opposite directions and close in such a way that two lateral edges of the doors are stopped one against the other. In such a case, a lock is provided on each door in order to be engaged in a striker disposed on the frame of the vehicle. Evidently, the striker may be disposed in the door and the lock may be disposed in the frame of the vehicle, or vice versa.

US8348309 discloses a lock for side-hinged doors comprising a revolving catch, a pawl that locks the catch in closed position and a striker device configured in such a way to go in contact with the striker when the striker is engaged with the catch. The striker device comprises:

- a dampening surface that dampens the noise of the striker when closing,

- a stop surface, in orthogonal position relative to the dampening surface, against which the striker is stopped at the end of the closing step, and

- a coupling wall that connects the dampening surface with the stop surface.

The lock of US8348309 is impaired by the fact that the striker is not perfectly guided inside the lock and is not firmly held in the lock.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art by disclosing a lock for vehicle side-hinged doors that is noiseless, reliable and capable of perfectly and precisely guiding the striker in the lock and firmly holding the striker in the lock.

Another purpose is to disclose such a lock that is versatile and easy to make and install. These purposes are achieved according to the invention with the characteristics of the independent claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention appear from the dependent claims.

The lock according to the invention is defined by claim 1.

The provision of two flanges with outward-projecting housings that receive inserts made of anti-noise plastic material inserts allows for precisely guiding the insertion of the striker in the lock, avoiding all types of noise and misalignment during the closing step.

Moreover, when the lock is closed, the striker is perfectly locked in the lock, without creating any clearance or noise.

Additional features of the invention will be clearer after the following detailed description, which refers to a merely illustrative, not limiting embodiment, which is shown in the appended figures, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the lock according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the lock of Fig. 1 in closed position and applied to a portion of a door or frame of a vehicle;

Fig. 3 is the same view as Fig. 2 wherein a semi-body of the lock is omitted;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a first semi-body of the lock;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a first flange of the lock;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the first flange of the lock;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a second semi-body of the lock;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a second flange of the lock;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the second flange of the lock;

Fig. 10 is a front view of the lock in open position;

Fig. 1 1 is a sectional view taken along the sectional plane XI-XI of Fig. 10, which shows the lock in open position;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view as Fig. 1 1 , which shows the lock in closed position; and

Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken along the sectional plane XIII-XIII of Fig. With reference to the Figures, a lock according to the invention is disclosed, which is generally indicated with reference numeral (100).

The lock (100) comprises a box (A) with parallelepiped shape, which is suitable for housing the parts of the lock.

With reference to Fig. 3, the parts of the lock comprise a catch (3) hinged to the box (A) in a pivoting axis (30), and a pawl (4) hinged to the box (A) in a pivoting axis (40) parallel to the pivoting axis (30) of the catch.

The catch (3) has a“U”-shaped slot (31 ) suitable for receiving a striker (S) shaped like a“U”-bent section.

The pawl (4) interacts with the catch (3) to lock the catch in a closing position, as shown in Fig. 3. To that end, the pawl (4) has a stop tooth (42) that is engaged in a housing (32) of the catch.

With reference to Fig. 10, a first spring (M1 ) stresses the catch (3) towards an opening position (Fig. 1 ); a second spring (M2) stresses the pawl (4) towards a locking position, wherein it locks the catch (Fig. 3). Although not shown in the figures, actuation means, such as for example a Bowden cable, are connected to the pawl (4) to move the pawl towards a release position wherein the catch (3) is released.

The box (A) comprises a first semi-body (1 ) and a second semi-body (2) that are mutually coupled.

With reference to Fig. 4, the first semi-body has a body (10) shaped like a substantially planar plate with an edge (1 1 ) that is bent inwards. The body (10) of the first semi-body is provided with a“U”-shaped slot (12) that is crossed by the striker (S).

A tab (13) protrudes orthogonally outwards from the body (10) of the first semi-body. The tab (13) is provided with a slot (14) that receives screw means for fixing to a part (P) (Fig. 2) of a door or frame of the vehicle.

An arm (15) protrudes from the body (10). The arm (15) has a housing (16) to receive the actuation means of the pawl (4).

A first flange (5) is fixed to the body (10) of the first semi-body.

With reference to Fig. 5, the first flange (5) comprises a housing (50) that protrudes outwards, which is disposed in correspondence of the“U” shaped- slot (10) of the first semi-body. The housing (50) has a“U”-shaped cross- section.

With reference to Fig. 6, the housing (50), in longitudinal section, has a tapered shape with decreasing height going from an opening (51 ) of the housing to a bottom wall (52) of the housing. Otherwise said, the housing (50) has an upper wall (53) that is inclined upwards, going from the bottom wall (52) to the opening (51 ). The height of the housing (50) in the opening (51 ) is higher than a diameter of the striker (S) and successively the height of the housing gradually decreases going towards the bottom wall (52) until it is lower than the diameter of the striker (S).

With reference to Fig. 5, when seen in plan view, the housing (50) has a tapered shape with decreasing width going from the opening (51 ) towards the bottom wall (52). When seen in plan view, the housing (50) has a first rectangular portion and a second portion shaped as an isosceles trapezium. The width of the first portion is higher than a diameter of the striker (S); whereas the width of the section portion decreases until it is lower than the diameter of the striker.

The housing (50) of the first flange has an internal surface that is coated with a first insert (6) of anti-noise plastic material.

The first insert (6) has the same shape as the housing (50), i.e. the first insert (6) has an upper wall (60), two side walls (61 ) and a bottom wall (62) in contact with the walls of the housing (50).

The first insert (6) is fixed to the housing (50), for example by means of co-molding. The first flange (5) is made of metallic material. The first flange (5) is inserted in a mold wherein the plastic material that forms the first insert (6) is injected. To that end, the housing (50) is provided with holes (55) in undercut for the passage of the plastic material of the first insert (6) that is attached to the housing (50).

Evidently, the first insert (6) can be made separately and then fixed to the housing (50) by means of gluing, fitting or other fixing systems.

With reference to Fig. 7, the second semi-body (2) has a body (20) shaped like a substantially planar plate with an edge (21 ) that is bent inwards. The body (20) of the second semi-body is provided with a“U”-shaped slot (22) that receives the striker (S).

A tab (23) protrudes orthogonally outwards from the body (20) of the second semi-body. The tab (23) is provided with two slots (24) that receive screw means for fixing to a part (P) of a door or frame of the vehicle.

A second flange (7) is fixed to the body (20) of the second semi-body.

With reference to Fig. 8, the second flange (5) comprises a housing (70) that protrudes outwards and is disposed in correspondence of the“U” shaped- slot (20) of the second semi-body. The housing (70) of the second flange has a“U”-shaped cross-section.

With reference to Fig. 9, when seen in longitudinal view, the housing (70) of the second flange has a tapered shape with decreasing height going from an opening (71 ) towards a bottom wall (72). The housing (70) has an upper wall that comprises a first section (73) parallel to the body (20) of the second semi-body and a second section (74) that is inclined upwards relative to the first section. The width of the housing (70) of the second flange is substantially constant.

A second insert (8) of anti-noise plastic material is disposed on an internal surface of the upper wall of the housing (70) of the second flange. The second insert (8) is shaped like a plate and is only disposed in a central position of an upper wall of the housing (70) of the second flange.

The second insert (8) is fixed to the housing (70), for example by means of co-molding. The second flange (7) is made of metallic material. The second flange (7) is inserted in a mold wherein the plastic material that forms the second insert (8) is injected. To that end, the housing (70) is provided with holes (75) in undercut for the passage of the plastic material of the second insert (8) that is attached to the housing (70).

Following is a description of the operation of the lock (100).

Initially, the lock (100) is open, as shown in Figs. 1 and 1 1 .

The lock (100) is moved closer to the striker (S), until the striker (S) is stopped against the catch (3), causing the rotation of the catch (3) towards a closing position (shown in Fig. 3) wherein the striker (S) is held inside the“U”- shaped slot (31 ) of the catch. In such a position, the pawl (4) locks the catch (3).

With reference to Fig. 1 1 , the striker (S) has a first angular portion (Sa) and a second angular portion (Sb).

With reference to Fig. 12, when the striker enters the“U”-shaped slots

(12, 22) of the first and of the second semi-body, the first angular portion (Sa) and the second angular portion (Sb) of the striker are stopped respectively against the first insert (6) and against the second insert (8), in such a way to limit the movement of the striker in the transverse directions indicated by the arrows X and Y.

It must be noted that the striker (S) is not in contact with the bottom wall (62) of the first insert that is situated on the bottom wall (52) of the housing of the first flange.

With reference to Fig. 13, the first angular portion (Sa) of the striker is caught between the two lateral walls (61 ) of the first insert. In fact, the two lateral walls (61 ) of the first insert have a tapered shape with decreasing width going towards the bottom wall (62), forming a narrowing with a width lower than the diameter of the striker (S), in such a way to catch the first angular portion (Sa) of the striker, which is not in contact with the bottom wall (62) of the first insert.

Numerous equivalent variations and modifications, which are within the reach of an expert of the field and fall in any case within the scope of the invention as disclosed by the appended claims, can be made to the present embodiment of the invention.