Vehicle Cover Actuator With Force Decoupling for Overload Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle covering devices face issues such as high force requirements for motor operation, leading to injury risks and damage, especially in automatic systems, and they often fail to provide access during power failures due to self-locking drive elements and inadequate protection of gear mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A covering device with a force-limitation apparatus that limits the force applied by the drive element to prevent injuries and damage, featuring a torque-shifting safety clutch and elastic elements like torsion springs, allowing access even during power failures by decoupling the drive from the cover when a limit force is reached.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a motor is used to drive the cover automatically, then the opening and closing process is automated, but the high force required causes injury risk to users and damage to the covering device
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a force-limitation apparatus with elastic elements (such as torsion springs) that are pre-loaded to limit the maximum force transmitted to the cover. This cushioning mechanism activates before injury or damage can occur, absorbing excess force while still enabling automated operation through the motor-driven actuator.
Solution Approach 2:
The force-limitation apparatus acts as an intermediary between the motor and the cover. It includes components like a toothed belt, pulleys, and elastic elements that mediate the force transmission, allowing the motor to operate automatically while the intermediary mechanism limits the force applied to the cover to safe levels.
2Volume of moving object
If a high transition ratio is used in the drive element to achieve compactness, then the installation space is reduced, but the drive element becomes self-locking and prevents access during power failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic force-limitation apparatus with elastic elements that can store and release energy. The system transitions between different operational states: during normal operation, the motor drives the cover through the compact high-ratio drive; during power failure, the elastic elements can be manually activated to provide the necessary force to move the cover, enabling access without requiring continuous power.
Solution Approach 2:
The force-limitation apparatus changes the mechanical parameters of the system by introducing elastic energy storage. The elastic elements (torsion springs) can be pre-loaded during normal operation and then release this stored energy during power failure to enable manual operation, effectively changing the system's capability from motor-dependent to manually operable when needed.
3Ease of operation
If the gear mechanism is exposed for manual closure, then manual operation is possible, but the gear mechanism is vulnerable to damage and users can be injured
Solution Approach 1:
The force-limitation apparatus serves as a protective intermediary between the user's manual input and the gear mechanism. When a user manually operates the cover, the elastic elements and force-limiting components absorb and limit the transmitted force, preventing both user injury from pinching points and damage to the gear teeth, while still allowing the cover to be opened or closed manually.
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 solution effectively reduces the risk of injury and damage to the covering device while ensuring access to compartments or fuel tanks even without power, by limiting the force applied and incorporating a restoring mechanism to revert to a transmission state when the overload is removed.
Implementation Method 1
at least one elastic element (35), in particular a torsion spring, for transmitting force, which is arranged at least substantially within the force-take-up part (38)
Implementation Method 2
at least one elastic element (35), in particular a torsion spring, for transmitting force
Data Source
AI summary
A covering device (100) for a vehicle, includes: a cover (10); a drive element (40a, 40b) formed to enable a movement of the cover, wherein the drive element brings about a force which acts on the cover. The covering device has a force-limitation apparatus (30a, 30b) which limits the force brought about by the drive element to a limit force so that the covering device is protected in the event of an overload acting on the covering device and/or a user is protected when using the covering device. An actuator (200) has a drive apparatus (210) with a drive element (211); an output drive element (290); and a force-decoupling apparatus (230). The force-decoupling apparatus is formed so that it at least temporarily does not output a force taken up by the drive element or at least temporarily outputs it in a delayed manner to the output drive element.