Vehicle Door Lock Bush Nesting for Compact Design

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing door lock apparatuses for vehicles, such as those described in Japanese Patent No. 4342502, face challenges in reducing size and weight due to the expansive movable range of components, which compromises their compactness and efficiency.

Innovation Solution

The proposed door lock apparatus incorporates a child lever and bush mechanism that can be translated between set and unset positions, with the bush's movable range confined within a circle centered at the inside lever's rotation shaft, allowing for a more compact design by eliminating unnecessary expansion and optimizing space usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the movable range of the inside lever and movable operator is centered at the rotation shaft and expands outward, then the operational functionality is maintained, but the size and weight of the door lock apparatus increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational functionalityVSAvoidweight of door lock apparatus

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The bush is positioned inside the circle defined by the inside lever's movement, and the movable operator is arranged within the bush's movement path. This nested configuration allows the movable range of the child lever and bush to be confined within the circle centered at the rotation shaft, thereby reducing the overall size and weight while maintaining operational functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Ease of operation

If the movable range of the inside lever and movable operator is centered at the rotation shaft and expands outward, then the operational functionality is maintained, but the size and weight of the door lock apparatus increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational functionalityVSAvoidsize of door lock apparatus

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The bush is positioned inside the circle defined by the inside lever's movement, and the movable operator is arranged within the bush's movement path. This nested configuration allows the movable range of the child lever and bush to be confined within the circle centered at the rotation shaft, thereby reducing the overall size and weight while maintaining operational functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Reliability

If the bush is brought into engagement with the inside lever to transmit rotation, then the child-proof functionality is achieved, but the structural complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechild-proof functionalityVSAvoidstructural complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bush serves as an intermediary component between the inside lever and the movable operator. When the child lever is in the unset position, the bush is brought into engagement with the inside lever to transmit its rotation to the movable operator, enabling the child-proof functionality while maintaining relatively simple structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11091939B2Door lock apparatus

Publication Date: 2021.08.17 HI-LEX ACT CORP

AI summary

A door lock apparatus includes an inside lever, an opening member for switching a latch mechanism to an unlatching state by a rotation of the inside lever, a child lever translated between set and unset positions; and a bush translated together with the child lever. The bush engages with the inside lever and transmits the rotation of the inside lever to the opening member when the child lever is disposed in the unset position and is released from the engagement with the inside lever when the child lever is disposed in the set position. A movable range of the child lever and the bush is confined inside a circle centered at a rotation shaft of the inside lever and whose radius corresponds to a distance from the rotation shaft to a farthest point of the inside lever.