Vehicle Door Latch Assembly for Quiet Low-Impact Closing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Motor vehicle doors produce significant noise when closed, particularly in electrified vehicles, which is a concern for urban areas and animal welfare.
Innovation Solution
A closing assembly featuring a locking bolt, a latch movable within a guide slot, and a spring providing a restoring force that urges the latch to a closed position, with a damping unit to apply variable damping force, reducing noise through automated, slow, and quiet closure without electronic components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a conventional closing mechanism is used, then the door closes quickly, but significant noise is produced
Solution Approach 1:
The guide slot is designed with a curved path that dynamically changes the closing speed. The latch follows a trajectory that starts with higher speed and gradually reduces to lower speed near the closed position, automatically adapting the closing characteristics without electronic control
Solution Approach 2:
The guide slot geometry changes the effective closing parameters throughout the motion. By designing the slot with specific curvature and orientation, the system transforms the closing speed profile and force distribution to reduce impact noise while maintaining functional performance
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a damping unit is added to reduce noise, then noise is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The damping function is merged with the existing guide slot structure. The guide slot simultaneously provides latch guidance and damping action through its geometric design, eliminating the need for separate damping components while achieving noise reduction
Solution Approach 2:
The guide slot geometry itself provides the damping effect through its design. The curved path and orientation create natural deceleration and force distribution that reduces noise without requiring additional active damping components or complex mechanisms
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 noise during door closure, is cost-effective, and does not increase energy consumption, providing a robust and quiet closing mechanism suitable for various vehicle components like doors and trunks.
Implementation Method 1
a spring (14) configured to apply a restoring force to the rotary latch (6)
Implementation Method 2
at least one damping unit (20) configured to apply a variable damping force to the rotary latch (6)
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates to a closing assembly for a motor vehicle, and more particularly to a closing assembly for body closures of motor vehicles. An example vehicle includes an immovable body component, a moveable body component configured to move relative to the immovable body component, and a closing assembly. The closing assembly includes a locking bolt configured to engage a latch moveable relative to a guide slot between a release position and a closed position. The closing assembly further includes a spring exerting a restoring force urging the latch in the direction of the closed position. The restoring force has no force component along a section of the guide slot corresponding to the release position of the latch. The closing assembly is a low cost and robust assembly which reduces noise associated with closing a vehicle door. These and other benefits will be appreciated from the following description.