Vehicle Door Lock Reversible Drive with Temporarily Active Stop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle door locks with reversible drives face issues of functional impairment and corrosion due to inactivity during normal operation, as the actuating lever chain remains mostly unused, leading to potential operational failures.
Innovation Solution
A reversible drive with a temporarily acting stop, such as a radially movable pin, is used to limit the drive's movement and prevent electrical opening, ensuring the actuating lever chain remains functional and active, with sensors controlling the stop to maintain the locking mechanism in an 'unlocked' position during normal operation and transitioning to a 'secured' position only when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the locking lever maintains its locked position throughout normal operation, then functional reliability is increased, but the actuating lever chain remains mostly at rest leading to functional impairment and corrosion
Solution Approach 1:
The invention dynamically switches the state of the actuating lever chain between locked and unlocked positions based on operational mode. During emergency operation, the chain is unlocked to allow mechanical actuation. During normal operation, the chain is locked to maintain reliability. This dynamic state change prevents the chain from remaining statically locked, thereby avoiding functional impairment and corrosion while maintaining reliability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the operational parameter of the actuating lever chain from a static locked state to a dynamic state that transitions between locked and unlocked positions. This parameter change is controlled by the control unit based on the operational mode, allowing the chain to remain active during emergency operation while maintaining reliability during normal operation, thus preventing functional impairment and corrosion.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a reversible drive is used to enable both electrical opening and safety positions, then versatility is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The reversible drive unit serves multiple functions: it enables electrical opening of the locking mechanism, transfers the locking mechanism to a secured position, and returns the actuating lever chain to its initial position. This multi-functionality is achieved through a single reversible drive unit controlled by a control unit that receives signals from sensors, eliminating the need for separate mechanisms for each function and thereby reducing overall structural complexity despite the enhanced versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention incorporates sensors that detect the position of the locking mechanism and provide feedback signals to the control unit. The control unit uses this feedback information to control the reversible drive unit, ensuring it performs the correct operation (electrical opening, securing, or returning) based on the current state. This feedback mechanism enables the reversible drive to handle multiple functions intelligently without requiring overly complex control logic or additional mechanical components.
3Reliability
If the actuating lever chain is kept unlocked during normal operation, then it remains functional and active, but unintentional opening could occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a control unit as an intermediary between the reversible drive unit and the locking mechanism. The control unit receives signals from sensors that detect the position of the locking mechanism and controls the reversible drive unit accordingly. This intermediary control system ensures that the actuating lever chain is unlocked only when appropriate (during emergency operation) and locked during normal operation, preventing unintentional opening while maintaining operational functionality when needed.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock which is equipped with a locking mechanism (1, 2) substantially consisting of a rotary latch (1) and a pawl (2). Furthermore, a reversible drive (7 - 11) is provided, said drive (7 - 11) opening the locking mechanism (1, 2) in a first direction (18). The drive (7 - 11) converts the locking mechanism (1, 2) into a different functional position, in particular a securing position, in a second direction (19) differing from the first direction. According to the invention, a temporarily active stop (14) is provided for the drive (7 - 11), said stop limiting the movement at least when the stop is acted upon in the first direction (18) in order to override the functional position, thereby preventing an electric opening of the locking mechanism (1, 2).