Vehicle Door Lock Mounting Base for Insert-Free Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing locks for vehicle doors and hatches require reinforcement with denser, stronger inserts due to weak composite panels, leading to increased weight and cost.
Innovation Solution
A lock with a mounting base piece made of rigid material that engages with the metal frame of the door, allowing secure fastening without additional inserts, using recesses and fastening holes aligned with the frame's structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If reinforcing inserts are added to composite panels for lock fastening, then fastening strength is improved, but weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mounting base piece as an intermediary component between the lock and the composite panel. This base piece features a large surface area that distributes fastening forces across multiple small fastening points, allowing secure attachment without requiring dense reinforcing inserts in the panel itself. The base piece acts as a force-distributing mediator that bridges the weak composite material and the lock mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a point-based fastening approach (requiring strong localized inserts) to a surface-based approach. The mounting base piece spreads the fastening action across a two-dimensional area with multiple distributed fastening points, converting the stress concentration problem into a distributed load problem that the lightweight composite panel can handle.
2Strength
If reinforcing inserts are added to composite panels for lock fastening, then fastening strength is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting base piece serves as a pre-fabricated intermediary component that encapsulates the fastening complexity. Instead of modifying the composite panel structure during assembly, the base piece is designed separately with integrated fastening features, simplifying the door manufacturing process while ensuring adequate fastening strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening system is segmented into separate functional components: the mounting base piece handles the fastening complexity with its multiple distributed points and large surface area, while the composite panel maintains its simple lightweight structure. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its specific function.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
Simplified assembly lock for doors and hatches of motor vehicles such as vans, caravans, motorhomes and the like. The lock may be fastened with simple rivets and it is adapted to allow an effective fastening to the door or hatch without the need to reinforce the panels of the door with inserts of a material having increased density and robustness such as to allow an adequate support for the screws or similar fastening means in use with current locks.