Vehicle Door Lock Active Lever Assembly Guide Groove
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vehicle door lock structures face difficulties in assembling the active lever such that the engagement portion is located between the pair of arm portions, making it challenging to switch between locked and unlocked positions effectively.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle door lock structure that includes a housing with a held portion, a spring with locked-position and unlocked-position holders, and an active lever with a spring holder, allowing for easy assembly and integration of the spring with the active lever, which can be easily assembled to the housing to hold the active lever at either locked or unlocked positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the engagement portion is hidden by the body when the active lever is assembled to the housing, then the active lever structure is compact, but it becomes difficult to assemble the active lever such that the engagement portion is located between the pair of arm portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing a guide groove on the active lever body before assembly. This guide groove预先 guides the engagement portion into the correct position between the pair of arm portions during assembly, making the assembly process easier without compromising the compact structure. The guide groove is formed in advance on the active lever body, which preliminarily positions the engagement portion correctly.
2Ease of manufacture
If the spring is not securely held by the active lever, then the assembly process is simpler, but the spring may separate from the spring holder during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing a dedicated spring holder structure that acts as a mediator between the spring and the active lever. The spring holder includes a holding portion that securely retains the spring, preventing separation during operation. This intermediary component ensures reliable spring retention while maintaining assembly simplicity through its integrated design with the active lever.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the active lever and spring are assembled separately to the housing, then the assembly process is more flexible, but it increases the time and complexity of the assembly process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by combining the active lever and spring into a single integrated assembly unit. The spring is pre-assembled onto the active lever using the spring holder, forming a combined component that is then assembled to the housing as one unit. This merging reduces assembly time and complexity while maintaining the flexibility needed for proper installation, as the combined unit ensures correct positioning of both components simultaneously.
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
This configuration enables easy assembly and effective switching between locked and unlocked positions, preventing the separation of the spring from the spring holder and ensuring the active lever is correctly positioned, facilitating easier assembly and reliable operation.
Implementation Method 1
a spring configured to selectively hold the active lever at either the locked position or the unlocked position
Implementation Method 2
a spring configured to selectively hold the active lever at either the locked position or the unlocked position
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle door lock structure includes: a housing; an active lever supported by the housing to be displaceable relative to the housing between locked position where the active lever prohibits opening of a vehicle door by a door opening operation of a door operation handle provided on the vehicle door and an unlocked position where the active lever allows the opening of the vehicle door by the door opening operation of the door operation handle; and a spring configured to selectively hold the active lever at either the locked or unlocked position. The housing includes a held portion held by the spring. The spring includes: locked-position and unlocked-position holders respectively holding the held portion such that the active lever is held at the locked and unlocked positions. The active lever includes a spring holder that holds the spring.