Vehicle Console Box Latch Structure to Prevent Impact Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional console boxes in vehicles tend to open undesirably during impacts, such as rear or front crashes, which can obstruct airbag deployment and pose safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A console box design featuring a cover with a first engaging element and a second engaging element that restricts movement from a closed to an open position upon impact, utilizing a hook element and slit configuration to prevent pivotal movement, allowing minimal retrofitting and meeting safety standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the console box cover is pivotally configured to allow easy opening and closing, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates during impact events causing undesired opening
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism dynamically transitions between two states: during normal operation, the cover pivots freely on the hinge allowing easy opening/closing; during impact, the inertial force activates the anti-opening mechanism where the latch ball engages with the latch pocket to prevent opening. This dynamic state change resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability during impact.
Solution Approach 2:
The anti-opening mechanism is pre-configured with the latch ball and latch pocket positioned to automatically engage when inertial forces occur during impact. This preliminary arrangement ensures that before the cover can undesirably open during impact, the latch mechanism is already in position to prevent it, thus resolving the reliability issue while maintaining normal operability.
2Ease of operation
If the cover is allowed to move freely for normal operation, then the ease of operation is improved, but the harmful factors increase during impact when the cover may open and obstruct airbag deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The latch ball and latch pocket act as intermediary elements between the cover and the body. During normal operation, they remain disengaged allowing free movement. During impact, they engage as a mechanical intermediary to prevent the cover from moving into a position that would obstruct airbag deployment, thus eliminating the harmful effect while preserving normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The anti-opening function is extracted as a separate mechanical subsystem (latch ball, latch pocket, and engaging element) from the main pivotal connection. This extracted mechanism selectively activates only during impact events to prevent harmful effects, while leaving the primary pivotal connection intact for normal ease of operation.
3Reliability
If a complex anti-opening mechanism is added to prevent cover opening during impact, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-opening mechanism is designed to be self-activating through inertial forces during impact. The ball and socket joint, combined with the latch pocket positioning, automatically engages without requiring external sensors, actuators, or control systems. This self-service approach achieves reliable impact protection while minimizing added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism utilizes changes in inertial parameters during impact (sudden deceleration forces) to trigger the anti-opening function. The latch ball is positioned and dimensioned so that under normal gravitational forces it remains disengaged, but under impact deceleration forces it automatically engages with the latch pocket. This parameter-based activation achieves reliability without complex control systems.
4Ease of manufacture
If existing console box designs are used without modification, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the safety requirements are not met during impact events
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-opening mechanism is segmented into discrete, independently manufacturable components: the latch ball, the latch pocket, and the engaging element on the cover. These segmented components can be added to existing console box designs through minimal modification, avoiding complete redesign and thus maintaining cost-effectiveness while achieving safety compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch ball and latch pocket are pre-positioned on the body during manufacturing, and the engaging element is pre-configured on the cover. This preliminary arrangement allows the existing console box structure to be retained while adding the safety function through minimal modifications, thus maintaining ease of manufacture while meeting safety requirements.
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
Effectively prevents the console box cover from opening during vehicle impacts, ensuring safe airbag deployment and reducing the risk of injury or damage, while being cost-effective and easy to implement.
Implementation Method 1
in an event of impact/crash preferably in rear/front impact, it is most likely that the armrest may open due to the inertia effect of the cover/armrest
Data Source
AI summary
A console box for a vehicle. The console box includes a body, and a cover pivotally configured with the body. The cover is configured to move between an open position and a closed position. The cover includes a first engaging element, and the body includes a second engaging element. The first engaging element and the second engaging element are adapted to engage with each other when the cover is in the closed position so that a movement of the cover along a first direction is restricted to prevent the cover from moving from the closed position to an open position in an event of an impact being applied on the vehicle.