Motor Vehicle Door Lock Reinforcement Plate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle door locks face challenges in absorbing deceleration forces during crashes, leading to potential door opening and compromising occupant safety, particularly due to the complexity and reliability issues of additional movable elements like bolts.
Innovation Solution
A reinforcement plate couples the rotation axes of the rotary latch and pawl, with bearing bolts anchored in the lock case, forming a rectangular support structure that absorbs forces effectively and maintains the locking mechanism's position during crashes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a bolt is added to transmit force from the rotary latch to the lock case, then the ability to absorb deceleration forces is improved, but the device complexity increases and reliability decreases due to additional movable elements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the force transmission function from a separate movable bolt and integrates it into the lock case structure itself. The lock case is designed with recesses and bearing surfaces that directly receive and constrain the rotary latch and pawl, eliminating the need for an additional force-transmitting bolt and reducing the number of movable elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the force transmission function with the lock case structure. The lock case combines both the housing function and the force transmission function by incorporating bearing surfaces and recesses that directly engage with the locking mechanism components, integrating multiple functions into a single structural element.
2Strength
If a bolt is used for force transmission, then deceleration forces can be absorbed, but the reliability decreases because the bolt may not engage properly if the rotary latch is not pressed against it
Solution Approach 1:
The invention prepares the force transmission path in advance by designing the lock case with pre-formed recesses and bearing surfaces. These features are built into the lock case structure before operation, ensuring that the rotary latch and pawl are always properly positioned and constrained, eliminating the risk of improper engagement during crash events.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a separate bolt to actively transmit force from the rotary latch, the invention inverts the approach by having the lock case structure passively receive and constrain the rotary latch through recesses and bearing surfaces. The force transmission occurs through the structural integration rather than through an active mechanical connector.
3Volume of moving object
If the locking mechanism components are closely mounted in the lock case, then the structure is compact, but the bearing axes lack sufficient reinforcement to handle crash forces
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local reinforcement to the bearing axes by designing the lock case with specific recesses and bearing surfaces at the precise locations where the rotary latch and pawl are mounted. These localized structural features provide the necessary strength and reinforcement exactly where needed, without requiring overall enlargement of the lock case or addition of extensive reinforcement elements.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock, having a lock case (1), and also a locking mechanism (2, 3) which is supported in the lock case (1) and consists substantially of a rotary latch (2) and a pawl (3), and having an additional reinforcing element (7), wherein the reinforcing element (7) is formed as a reinforcing plate (7) which couples the two axes of rotation of both the rotary latch (2) and the pawl (1) at a distance from the lock case (1).