Fully Electric Vehicle Flap Opening With Door-Status Interlock
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle flaps, particularly front flaps in electric vehicles, often require manual intervention to prevent accidental opening during travel, compromising driver visibility and safety.
Innovation Solution
A device with a lock mechanism featuring a catch mechanism, pre-engagement actuator, catch hook, and catch hook actuator, controlled by an operating element and a control module that ensures safe automatic opening only when vehicle doors are open and speed is below a threshold, using disconnecting switches and sensors for enhanced safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual intervention is required to prevent accidental opening during travel, then the vehicle flap can be securely held, but driver visibility and safety are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical intervention with an electrically actuated catch hook system. The catch hook actuator uses an electric motor to automatically move the catch hook between engaged and disengaged positions, eliminating the need for manual operation while maintaining secure holding during travel and enabling safe automatic opening when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service operation through the pre-engagement actuator and catch hook actuator, which can automatically perform the opening sequence without manual intervention. The control module monitors vehicle conditions (door status, speed) and automatically actuates the appropriate components to open the vehicle flap when safe to do so, improving both security and ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If automatic opening is implemented without safety checks, then ease of operation is improved, but safety and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The control module continuously monitors vehicle conditions including door status and vehicle speed, using this feedback to determine whether automatic opening is safe to execute. The disconnecting switch provides feedback about door position to prevent operation when doors are closed, and the control module uses speed information to prevent opening during vehicle movement, thereby maintaining safety while enabling automatic operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by using the disconnecting switch and control module to prevent the operating element from triggering the opening sequence under unsafe conditions. When doors are closed or vehicle speed exceeds the threshold, the control module blocks the opening command before it can cause harm, thus preventing accidental opening during travel while maintaining ease of operation when conditions are safe.
3Reliability
If multiple safety checks are implemented, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple safety functions into a single control module that integrates the disconnecting switch, speed sensor processing, and actuator control. This consolidation reduces device complexity by combining what could be separate systems into one coordinated control unit that manages all safety checks and automatic opening operations through unified logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The control module performs multiple functions: it monitors door status via the disconnecting switch, processes speed sensor data, determines safety conditions for opening, and controls both the pre-engagement actuator and catch hook actuator. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each safety check, thereby improving reliability while controlling device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A device (200) for controlling a lock (102) of a vehicle flap (105) is described. The device (200) comprises an operating element (106) which can be actuated by a user in order to close a circuit and to thereby cause the lock (102) of the vehicle flap (105) to open. The device (200) further comprises a disconnector (204) which is designed to prevent closing of the circuit by the operating element (106) when a vehicle door (108) of the vehicle (100) is closed, and to allow closing of the circuit by the operating element (106) when the vehicle door (108) of the vehicle (100) is open.