Vehicle Door Lock Pivot Lever Assembly Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vehicle door lock devices face difficulties in easy mounting of the pivot lever and urging means, requiring manual application of force to maintain the elastically deformed state of the lever spring, which complicates the assembly process.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle door lock device is designed with a base member and pivot lever configuration that includes a temporary stopper and elastic deformation piece, allowing the pivot lever to pivot easily into its operational range without generating urging force until it reaches the in-operation pivoting range, where the elastic deformation piece climbs over the temporary stopper, enabling easy assembly without applying large forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the lever spring is locked to the switch lever and housing in an elastically deformed state to provide pivot urging force, then the switch lever can be urged to pivot in one direction, but the mounting process becomes difficult requiring manual application of large forces
Solution Approach 1:
The lever spring is pre-deformed during manufacturing to store elastic energy, and this pre-deformed state is maintained through a locking mechanism that engages with a retaining member. This preliminary preparation allows the spring to generate the necessary pivot urging force without requiring additional manual force application during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
A retaining member acts as an intermediary between the lever spring and the housing, providing a mechanical interface that secures the pre-deformed spring in place. This retaining member enables the spring to maintain its elastically deformed state while being locked to the housing, eliminating the need for manual force application during mounting.
2Force
If the lever spring is locked in a highly elastically deformed state to generate sufficient urging force, then the pivot lever can be reliably urged, but the elastic deformation piece is at risk of breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic deformation amount of the lever spring is optimized to a specific range that generates sufficient pivot urging force while remaining below the material's yield strength. This parameter optimization ensures the spring maintains reliable elastic deformation without exceeding the breaking point of the elastic deformation piece.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism includes features that distribute and cushion the stress on the elastic deformation piece, preventing stress concentration that could lead to breakage. The retaining member and locking structure are designed to gradually engage with the spring, cushioning the initial deformation stress.
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 configuration simplifies the mounting process by reducing the risk of breakage of the elastic deformation piece and allows for easy pivoting of the pivot lever, enhancing assembly efficiency and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
The lever spring is mounted to the switch lever and the housing in a state of being elastically deformed. More specifically, one end of the lever spring is locked to the switch lever, and the other end of the lever spring is locked to the housing. Accordingly, the lever spring urges the switch lever to pivot in one direction.
Implementation Method 2
When the pivot lever pivots from the outside position to the in-operation pivoting range, the elastic deformation piece climbs over the temporary stopper while being elastically deformed, and the urging means locked to the base member and the pivot lever is elastically deformed to generate the urging force.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a vehicle door lock device having a structure enabling easy mounting of a pivot lever and urging means configured to urge the pivot lever to pivot. The urging means locked to a base member and the pivot lever does not generate an urging force when the pivot lever is positioned at an outside position at which the pivot lever is positioned on one direction side with respect to an in-operation pivoting range, and when the pivot lever pivots from the outside position to the in-operation pivoting range, an elastic deformation piece climbs over a temporary stopper while being elastically deformed, and the urging means locked to the base member and the pivot lever is elastically deformed to generate the urging force.