Composite Inertial Element for Vehicle Locking Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Motor vehicle locking systems face challenges in achieving cost-effective production with high design freedom while meeting requirements for mass inertia, functional reliability, and noise behavior, particularly in terms of weight and installation space constraints.
Innovation Solution
A composite material component produced from plastic granules with metallic additives, such as iron or aluminum, is used to create a mass inertia element, allowing for adjustable weight and density, enabling efficient production and design flexibility while matching the requirements of modern locking systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a metallic material is used for the mass inertia element, then sufficient mass and inertia are provided, but production cost increases and design freedom is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining plastic with metallic additives (such as iron powder or aluminum powder) to create a composite component that provides sufficient mass inertia while enabling cost-effective production through injection molding. The composite material achieves the desired weight characteristics without requiring expensive solid metal components, thus resolving the contradiction between providing adequate mass inertia and reducing production costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by adjusting the concentration and type of metallic additives in the plastic matrix to fine-tune the density and mass inertia of the component. By varying the additive content (e.g., 20-80 wt% metallic powder), the design can optimize the inertia characteristics to meet specific requirements while maintaining the cost advantages of plastic-based composite manufacturing.
2Weight of moving object
If a metallic material is used for the mass inertia element, then sufficient mass is provided, but design freedom and production flexibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The composite material approach enables design freedom by allowing complex geometries to be molded directly from composite granules using standard injection molding techniques. Unlike solid metal components that require machining and assembly, the composite component can be produced as a single integrated part with intricate shapes, thereby providing both sufficient mass inertia and maximum design flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
By adjusting the metallic additive content and distribution within the plastic matrix, the patent enables versatile design adaptations. The composite formulation can be modified to achieve different densities, weights, and inertia characteristics while maintaining the same manufacturing process, thus providing adaptability for various application requirements without sacrificing design freedom.
3Reliability
If traditional metal inertia elements are used, then functional reliability is ensured, but installation space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The composite component maintains functional reliability by incorporating metallic additives that provide the necessary mass inertia for the locking system's safety functions. The plastic matrix provides structural integrity and dimensional stability, while the metallic particles contribute to the required weight. This composite approach achieves reliable performance in a more compact form factor compared to solid metal alternatives.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composite material component provides a cost-effective and design-friendly solution that meets the mass inertia needs of motor vehicle locking systems, ensuring functional reliability and noise reduction, while being adaptable to specific installation space requirements.
Implementation Method 1
The inertia elements counteract an external impulse and prevent, for example, a side door of a motor vehicle from being opened unintentionally
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a composite component and to a composite component for a motor vehicle locking system, consisting of a plastic material (14) and a metal material, the composite component (13) being producible from granules of a plastic material (14) with at least one metal additive (15) admixed thereto.