Cover Displacement Mechanism With Decoupling Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage compartment covers lack the ability to partially open and close without jerky movements, providing uncomfortable haptic feedback, and often require manual effort to fully close, which can be inconvenient and noisy.
Innovation Solution
A cover with a guide, slide, and spring device featuring a guide link with a latching position, allowing the slide to decouple from the spring tension after reaching the locked position, enabling easier manual opening and automatic closure with reduced user interaction and damping to prevent jerky movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a spring device is used to automatically close the cover, then the closing function is improved, but jerky movements and uncomfortable haptic feedback occur
Solution Approach 1:
The guide link is divided into multiple sections: a first section that guides the slide during opening, a second section that provides the latching position for decoupling, and a third section that guides the slide during automatic closing. This segmentation allows the system to provide automatic closing in the final section while maintaining smooth manual operation in other sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically transitions between coupled and decoupled states. During opening, the cover and slide are coupled. At the latching position, they decouple to reduce effort. During automatic closing, they recouple. This dynamic behavior allows the spring device to activate only when needed, avoiding jerky movements during manual operation.
2Extent of automation
If the slide remains coupled to the spring device throughout the entire displacement path, then automatic closing is achieved, but manual opening requires excessive effort
Solution Approach 1:
The spring device applies its closing force only partially - specifically in the final section of the displacement path after the latching position. During the majority of the opening path, the spring is decoupled and does not resist user input, requiring minimal opening force.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful spring resistance is extracted or removed from the system during manual opening operations. The decoupling mechanism at the latching position effectively takes out the spring device from the force transmission path, allowing effortless manual opening while preserving automatic closing capability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a damping device is used to control cover movement, then jerky movements are reduced, but uncomfortable haptic feedback is generated
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a complex damping device that provides continuous resistance, the system uses a simple decoupling mechanism that temporarily disengages the spring device. This 'disposable' engagement - where the spring acts only in the final section - achieves smooth movement without the continuous haptic feedback of traditional dampers.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the cover can be completely opened, then full access to storage compartment is achieved, but partial relocation is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides self-service functionality where the user can stop the opening motion at any point, and the cover will remain in that position due to the decoupled state. The latching position acts as a natural stopping point that requires minimal force to engage, enabling easy partial opening without requiring the cover to be fully opened first.
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
Enables smooth, effort-reduced opening and automatic closure of storage compartments without perceivable haptic feedback, providing a high-quality user experience by decoupling the slide from the spring device after the locking position is reached, and using a braking device for homogeneous closure.
Implementation Method 1
a spring device, which supports the displacement
Implementation Method 2
The cover can additionally have a braking device, which dampens displacement of the slide by the spring device
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A cover with a device (18) for supporting displacement is described, comprising at least one guide (32) and a guide track (34) extending partially along the guide (32), a slide (70) with a drive mechanism and at least one guide pin (80; 82), and a spring mechanism. The slide (70) is displaceable along the guide (32) and connected to the spring mechanism, wherein the at least one guide pin (80; 82) is displaceably mounted in the guide track (34) and the guide track (34) has a first end section (40) that defines a detent position of the slide (70). The slide (70) is tensioned in the detent position by the spring mechanism, wherein the cover (20) is at least partially displaceable via the drive mechanism, and the slide (70) can be moved into and out of the detent position via the cover (20).