Motor Vehicle Door Lock Emergency Manual Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Motor vehicle door locks with electric drives for opening and closing mechanisms often fail to return to their initial position, leading to permanent opening and compromised theft protection when the drive fails or is blocked.
Innovation Solution
The mechanical actuating element is designed with a recessed toothing that only engages with the drive element's toothing during emergency operations, allowing manual reversal of the drive into its basic position for emergency opening or closing, ensuring the locking mechanism can be manually operated even if the electric drive is faulty.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the electric drive is used to open the locking mechanism, then the locking mechanism can be opened electrically, but the drive may fail to return to its initial position causing permanent opening and compromised theft protection
Solution Approach 1:
The toothing of the actuating element is segmented with a recess that prevents meshing during normal operation but allows engagement during emergency operation. This segmentation enables the system to separate normal electrical operation from emergency manual operation, resolving the contradiction between ease of electrical operation and reliability of theft protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuating element with its recessed toothing acts as an intermediary between the drive element and the emergency manual operation. It normally prevents manual intervention during electrical operation but provides a pathway for emergency manual actuation when the drive fails, thus maintaining both electrical operation convenience and theft protection reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the mechanical actuating element is designed to engage with the drive element during normal operation, then manual actuation is always possible, but the toothing would interfere with the electric drive's operation
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement between the actuating element and drive element is made dynamic rather than static. The recessed toothing allows the actuating element to be disengaged during normal electrical operation and engaged only when needed for emergency manual operation. This dynamic engagement resolves the contradiction between adaptability for manual actuation and device complexity.
3Reliability
If the drive element is equipped with toothing for continuous meshing with the actuating element, then manual emergency actuation is enabled, but the meshing prevents the drive from returning to its basic position
Solution Approach 1:
The toothing is segmented with a recess that creates distinct engagement zones. During normal operation, the recess prevents meshing allowing the drive to return freely to its basic position. During emergency operation, the toothing engages to enable manual actuation. This segmentation resolves the contradiction between reliability of emergency actuation and ease of drive return.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock which is equipped with a locking mechanism (3, 4) and a drive (5 to 9) for the locking mechanism (3, 4), in particular for electrically opening/closing the locking mechanism. The drive (5 to 9) has at least one drive element (7) which acts directly or indirectly on the locking mechanism (3, 4). According to the invention, a mechanical actuation element (10, 11, 12) is additionally provided for actuating the drive element (7) in an emergency.