Motor Vehicle Door Lock Conductor Track Segmentation

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing component carriers for motor vehicle door locks face assembly and operational issues due to the bending or breaking of conductor track lugs, particularly when contacting heavy or moving electrical components, leading to contact problems over time.

Innovation Solution

The conductor track structure is designed with two substructures of different material thicknesses: a switch conductor track structure with a lower thickness for lighter components and a motor conductor track structure with a greater thickness for heavier, moving components, ensuring rigidity and preventing bending or breaking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If the material thickness of the conductor track structure is reduced to save costs, then manufacturing cost decreases, but assembly problems occur and contact reliability deteriorates due to bending of conductor track lugs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial thicknessVSAvoidcontact reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The conductor track structure is divided into two separate substructures: a switch conductor track structure with smaller material thickness for contacting light components, and a motor conductor track structure with greater material thickness for contacting heavy motors. This segmentation allows each substructure to be optimized for its specific application, reducing overall material usage while maintaining reliability where needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different material thicknesses are applied to different regions of the conductor track structure based on local requirements. The switch conductor track structure uses thinner material (less than 0.5 mm) where high rigidity is not critical, while the motor conductor track structure uses thicker material (at least 0.8 mm) where high rigidity is needed to prevent bending during assembly and operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the material thickness of the conductor track structure is increased to prevent bending, then contact reliability improves, but material usage and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontact reliabilityVSAvoidmaterial thickness

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The conductor track structure is divided into two separate substructures: a switch conductor track structure with smaller material thickness for contacting light components, and a motor conductor track structure with greater material thickness for contacting heavy motors. This segmentation allows each substructure to be optimized for its specific application, reducing overall material usage while maintaining reliability where needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different material thicknesses are applied to different regions of the conductor track structure based on local requirements. The switch conductor track structure uses thinner material (less than 0.5 mm) where high rigidity is not critical, while the motor conductor track structure uses thicker material (at least 0.8 mm) where high rigidity is needed to prevent bending during assembly and operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Loss of substance

If a uniform conductor track structure with small material thickness is used throughout, then material cost decreases, but assembly problems occur when contacting heavy or moving components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial thicknessVSAvoidassembly ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The conductor track structure is divided into two separate substructures: a switch conductor track structure with smaller material thickness for contacting light components, and a motor conductor track structure with greater material thickness for contacting heavy motors. This segmentation allows each substructure to be optimized for its specific application, reducing overall material usage while maintaining reliability where needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different material thicknesses are applied to different regions of the conductor track structure based on local requirements. The switch conductor track structure uses thinner material (less than 0.5 mm) where high rigidity is not critical, while the motor conductor track structure uses thicker material (at least 0.8 mm) where high rigidity is needed to prevent bending during assembly and operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3663494B1Motor vehicle door lock

Publication Date: 2021.08.11 KIEKERT AG

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AI summary

The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock with a lock housing (4) and a component carrier for electrical/electronic components (1, 2, 3) as part of the lock housing (4), with a carrier element (4) and a conductor track structure (6, 7) connectable to the carrier element (4) made of individual metallic conductor tracks (6, 7) wherein the conductor track structure (6, 7) is composed of at least two conductor track sub-structures (6; 7) with each having a different material thickness (s1; s2) of the associated conductor tracks (6, 7), wherein the two conductor track sub-structures (6, 7) are made of different metals.