Motor Vehicle Door Lock Flexible Light Guide Integration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle door lock lighting solutions are often difficult to install and require complex assembly, limiting their accessibility and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle door lock with a flexible light guide integrated into the locking mechanism, allowing the light to be easily routed and directed to various areas within the vehicle, including the door handle, door sill, and engine compartment, using a light-emitting diode as the light source and a flexible light guide that can be laid freely around other components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a light source is integrated into the door lock housing with rigid light guides, then the lighting function is achieved, but the installation becomes difficult and assembly becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies flexible light guides instead of rigid ones, allowing the light guides to be easily routed around other components within the door lock housing. This flexibility dramatically simplifies installation and assembly processes while maintaining the lighting function, directly resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces adjustable and reconfigurable light guide paths that can be dynamically adapted during installation. The flexible light guides can be routed through different paths and configured to illuminate various areas, providing installation flexibility without requiring complex pre-engineered rigid structures
2Adaptability or versatility
If rigid light guides are used to direct light to remote areas, then light transmission is achieved, but design restrictions increase and routing becomes limited
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible light guides can be routed through complex three-dimensional spaces within the door lock and surrounding areas, reaching remote locations that would be inaccessible to rigid light guides. This provides superior adaptability and versatility in light routing without imposing design restrictions
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible light guides enable light transmission in three-dimensional空间的自由路由，可以在其他组件之间和周围灵活布线，实现了从二维平面布局向三维空间布线的转变，大大增加了布线的灵活性和可达性
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
Facilitates easy installation and cost-effective integration of lighting in the door lock, enhancing safety and visibility by providing flexible light distribution to remote areas without design restrictions, enabling efficient illumination of critical vehicle components.
Implementation Method 1
The optical waveguide 8, L consists of a polymeric light guide body 2 in which the light supplied at the end face by a light source 9 is transported by total internal reflection at the interfaces of its circumference
Implementation Method 2
A light source 5 arranged in the lock housing 3 emits light, which is directed into a light guide 6
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a locking device for a motor vehicle (1), in particular a motor-vehicle door lock (5, 11), comprising a locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a rotary latch (28) and at least one pawl, and comprising a housing having electrical contacting (22) and having a lighting means (6, 12) integrated into the housing, wherein the lighting means (6, 12) interacts with a means for transporting the light emitted by the lighting means (6, 12), and wherein a flexible means for transporting the light (7, 13, 14, 25, 26, 32) can be used, wherein the flexible means (7, 13, 14, 25, 32) preferably can be designed as an optical waveguide (7, 13, 14, 25, 26, 32).