Motor Vehicle Door Latch Transfer Lever Crash Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle door latch designs face challenges in balancing functional safety, weight reduction, and cost-effectiveness, particularly in preventing unintentional door opening during crashes without adding unnecessary weight or cost.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle door latch design featuring a transfer lever as a locking element, which is mechanically blocked in the 'bolted' position and freewheels in the 'unbolted' position, integrated with the activation lever system and bolting unit, allowing for reduced weight and cost while maintaining safety by preventing unintentional opening during crashes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an additional locking element is added to prevent unintentional door opening during crashes, then crash safety is improved, but the weight of the door latch increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the locking element with the existing transfer lever, which is already part of the door latch mechanism. By integrating the crash safety function into the transfer lever rather than adding a separate component, the weight increase is minimized while maintaining the required safety functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer lever is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the normal operational transfer lever for door locking/unlocking and as the crash safety locking element. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for additional components, thereby reducing overall weight while ensuring crash safety.
2Reliability
If an additional locking element is added to prevent unintentional door opening during crashes, then crash safety is improved, but the cost of the door latch increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking element is merged with the transfer lever, reducing the total number of components that need to be manufactured, assembled, and quality-checked. This integration simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces costs associated with additional parts and assembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer lever performs both normal door operation and crash safety functions, eliminating the need to manufacture and install a separate locking element. This reduces material costs, manufacturing complexity, and assembly costs while maintaining the required safety functionality.
3Reliability
If the locking element is designed to be robust to ensure functional safety throughout lifetime, then reliability is improved, but the weight of the door latch increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robust locking element is integrated into the transfer lever structure, which is already designed to withstand operational loads. By combining the crash safety function with the existing structural component, the weight penalty is minimized compared to adding a separate robust locking element.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer lever is designed to handle both normal operational stresses and crash forces, consolidating the load-bearing requirements into a single component. This approach ensures functional safety throughout the vehicle's lifetime while avoiding the weight increase that would result from adding a separate heavy-duty locking element.
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 design ensures durable functional safety and reduced weight and cost by integrating the locking mechanism into the door latch, eliminating the need for additional components and simplifying installation, while maintaining effective crash safety and operational functionality.
Implementation Method 1
A corresponding handle can only be activated in a release position of the mass lock or the pivotable locking element. On the contrary, the handle is blocked in the case of a crash.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock equipped with a locking mechanism, an actuation lever mechanism acting on said locking mechanism, and a locking element. The locking element disables the actuation lever mechanism when accelerating forces of a defined magnitude occur, for example in the event of an accident. According to the invention the locking element is a transmission lever which can be impinged upon by a locking unit and is located between the actuation lever mechanism and the locking mechanism.