Vehicle Door Lock Support Structure for Side-Impact Opening Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
In motor vehicles, a side impact can cause the Bowden cable to be accidentally activated, leading to the door opening unintentionally due to the intrusion of the support body or obstacles, which is a safety concern that existing technologies fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
The door design incorporates a support body with a preferential breaking area that separates the ratchet and Bowden cable from the rest of the support body during an impact, preventing accidental activation of the opening mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the support body is made compact and components are closely positioned, then device complexity is reduced and space is saved, but reliability deteriorates due to increased risk of accidental Bowden cable activation during side impact
Solution Approach 1:
The support body is segmented into two separable portions: a first portion housing the ratchet and Bowden cable, and a second portion housing other components. This segmentation allows the critical locking components to be isolated in a dedicated compartment, preventing accidental activation while maintaining compact overall design.
Solution Approach 2:
The ratchet and Bowden cable are extracted from the general support body structure and placed in a separate, dedicated compartment. This extraction isolates the critical opening mechanism components from potential obstacles and intrusion forces during side impact, eliminating the harmful effect while preserving the integrated design benefits.
2Ease of manufacture
If the ratchet and Bowden cable are positioned close to other components, then ease of manufacture is improved, but object-affected harmful factors increase due to accidental cable activation from intrusion
Solution Approach 1:
The support body is divided into distinct portions, with the first portion dedicated to housing the ratchet and Bowden cable. This segmentation creates a protected zone for critical components that maintains manufacturing simplicity while preventing intrusion-related activation through spatial isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The first portion containing the ratchet and Bowden cable is nested within the overall support body structure, creating a hierarchical arrangement where critical components are protected within a dedicated sub-structure. This nesting provides both manufacturing efficiency and protection against harmful intrusion effects.
3Strength
If the support body is rigid and integrated, then strength is improved, but object-generated harmful factors increase due to support body intrusion pulling the Bowden cable during impact
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated support body is segmented into separable portions, with the first portion housing the ratchet and Bowden cable. This segmentation prevents the entire support body from intruding and pulling the cable during impact, as the critical components are isolated in a protected compartment that can withstand intrusion forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The ratchet and Bowden cable are extracted from the general support body mass and placed in a dedicated first portion. This extraction eliminates the harmful effect of support body intrusion pulling the cable, while the overall support body maintains its structural strength for normal operational support.
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 design effectively prevents the door from accidentally opening during a side impact by ensuring the ratchet and Bowden cable are separated, thus maintaining the door in a secure closed position.
Implementation Method 1
a Bowden cable (31), which can be operated by the ratchet (22) and is connected to the opening mechanism so as to cause it to shift from the closed configuration to the open configuration
Implementation Method 2
The support body (20) comprises a preferential breaking area (60) designed to break due to a predetermined load in case of impact of the door (4)
Data Source
AI summary
A door for a motor vehicle comprising: a lock available in a closed configuration and in an open configuration; a support body comprising a first portion and a second portion, which are integral to one another, when said door is in a normal operating condition; a ratchet supported by the first portion of the support body; a Bowden cable, which is interposed between the ratchet and the lock, can be operated by said ratchet to cause the lock to shift from the closed configuration to the open configuration and is at least partly housed in a first seat defined by the first portion of the support body; the support body comprises a preferential breaking area designed to break, in use, due a predetermined load in case of impact of the door, so as to determine the separation of the first portion carrying the Bowden cable and the ratchet from the second portion of the support body.