Motor Vehicle Door Lock Rotary Latch Positive-Locking Housing

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle door locks with rotary latches and pawls fail to maintain closure under heavy loads or impacts, leading to premature opening and increased production costs due to additional components required for positive-locking joints.

Innovation Solution

The rotary latch's stop surface forms a positive-locking connection with the housing during deformation, eliminating the need for additional components like latching projections, and additional stop surfaces enhance safety by ensuring the door remains closed during crashes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If additional latching projections are added to the rotary latch to form positive-locking joints with the housing during deformation, then the door remains closed during crashes, but the production costs and design effort increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedoor closure reliability during impactVSAvoidlock structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The stop surface of the rotary latch section is given dual functionality: it serves as a contact surface for normal locking operation with the pawl, and simultaneously acts as a positive-locking surface with the housing during deformation. This eliminates the need for separate latching projections while maintaining crash safety functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the normal locking function (stop surface contact with pawl) and the crash protection function (positive-locking joint with housing) into a single integrated structure. The stop surface of the rotary latch section performs both roles, combining multiple functions into one element.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of manufacture

If the rotary latch and pawl are designed with simple stop surfaces for normal operation, then the production costs are low, but the door opens prematurely under heavy loads or impacts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction costVSAvoiddoor closure reliability under load

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The stop surface of the rotary latch section is given dual functionality: it serves as a contact surface for normal locking operation with the pawl, and simultaneously acts as a positive-locking surface with the housing during deformation. This eliminates the need for separate latching projections while maintaining crash safety functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the geometric parameters and spatial orientation of the stop surface to enable it to perform both normal locking and crash protection functions. The stop surface is positioned and dimensioned such that it can engage with both the pawl during normal operation and form a positive-locking joint with the housing during deformation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If additional components are added to the rotary latch for positive-locking joints, then the door remains closed during crashes, but the design effort and production complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedoor closure reliability during crashVSAvoidproduction effort

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The stop surface of the rotary latch section is given dual functionality: it serves as a contact surface for normal locking operation with the pawl, and simultaneously acts as a positive-locking surface with the housing during deformation. This eliminates the need for separate latching projections while maintaining crash safety functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the crash protection functionality from separate additional components and integrates it into the existing stop surface of the rotary latch section. This eliminates unnecessary components while retaining the essential safety function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS9347246B2Opening and/or closing mechanism on doors, gates/flaps or the like, in particular on motor vehicles

Publication Date: 2016.05.24 HUF HÜLSBECK & FÜRST GMBH & CO KG

AI summary

An opening and/or closing mechanism for a motor vehicle, with a lock having a housing, in which there is arranged at least one retention element, which has a pawl and a rotary latch, and with a closing element, which is in operative connection with the lock in the closed position, it being possible for the rotary latch to be moved between a release position and a retention position, in which it catches the closing element. In the event of deformation of the housing, the housing is contacted at least partially by the retention element in order to prevent the door from opening, wherein at least one stop surface of a rotary latch section of the rotary latch enters into a positive-locking connection with the housing.