Vehicle Door Locking Lever Radial Spring Engagement

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing locking lever configurations for vehicle door opening-closing devices are complex and inefficient in assembly due to the insertion of spring end portions into engagement holes, hindering work efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A locking lever design featuring a pair of lever pieces connected for relative rotation, with a spring member extending radially and contact portions to hold rotating positions, and an engagement surface for the spring end portions, simplifying assembly by eliminating the need to verify front and rear relationships and preventing detachment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If spring end portions are inserted into engagement holes in the conventional locking lever, then the spring member can bias the lever pieces to rotate in opposite directions, but the assembly process becomes complex and work efficiency is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespring member engagementVSAvoidassembly work efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of inserting spring end portions into engagement holes (conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by providing engagement protrusions that protrude from the lever pieces to engage with the spring end portions. This inversion simplifies the assembly process while maintaining reliable engagement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the complex insertion process by replacing engagement holes with engagement protrusions. This eliminates the need for precise hole alignment and insertion operations, thereby improving assembly efficiency while maintaining the spring member's biasing function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of manufacture

If the locking lever uses a conventional assembly method with engagement holes, then the spring member can be installed, but the assembly process is time-consuming and complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespring member installationVSAvoidassembly time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the engagement mechanism from holes receiving ends to protrusions engaging ends. This inversion allows for simpler, faster assembly operations while ensuring proper installation of the spring member between the lever pieces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The engagement protrusions are pre-formed on the lever pieces, allowing the spring member to be quickly installed by simply engaging its end portions with these protrusions. This preliminary preparation of engagement features significantly reduces assembly time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If spring end portions are inserted into engagement holes, then the spring member is secured, but the assembly process requires verification of front and rear relationships

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespring member securingVSAvoidassembly verification complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

By inverting the engagement mechanism from holes to protrusions, the patent eliminates the need for verification of front and rear relationships. The protrusions naturally guide and secure the spring member in the correct position without requiring additional verification steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The engagement protrusions are designed to automatically guide and secure the spring member during assembly. This self-guiding feature eliminates the need for manual verification of front and rear relationships, reducing assembly complexity while maintaining secure engagement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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 design simplifies the assembly process, improves work efficiency, and enhances safety by ensuring proper engagement and contact between lever pieces without interference, reducing the risk of erroneous assembly.

Implementation Method 1

a spring member which extends about rotating axes of the lever pieces, of which both end portions engage with the lever pieces, and thereby, which biases the lever pieces to rotate in opposite directions

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

contact portions, which come into contact with each other based on a biasing force of the spring member and thereby, are able to relatively hold rotating positions of the lever pieces

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentUS10352069B2Locking lever and vehicle door opening-closing device

Publication Date: 2019.07.16 AISIN SEIKI KK

AI summary

A locking lever includes: a pair of lever pieces connected to each other to be relatively rotatable; and a spring member which extends about rotating axes of the lever pieces, of which both end portions engage with the lever pieces, and thereby, which biases the lever pieces to rotate in opposite directions, wherein contact portions, which come into contact with each other based on a biasing force of the spring member and thereby, are able to hold relatively rotating positions of the lever pieces, are provided in the lever pieces, respectively, wherein the spring member has spring end portions extending in a radial direction of the rotating shaft, and wherein an engagement surface with which the spring end portion comes into contact in a circumferential direction of the rotating shaft is provided on at least one of the lever pieces.