Electro Permanent Magnet Vehicle Panel Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle panel closure systems, particularly for larger panels or under specific conditions like high speeds or manufacturing processes, face challenges in ensuring a tight seal and secure closure without gaps between the vehicle frame and the panel, as mechanical latches may be insufficient.
Innovation Solution
The use of electro permanent magnets arranged around the vehicle panel perimeter, controlled by a system that magnetizes and demagnetizes them based on polarity to couple and decouple with the panel or permanent magnets for locking and unlocking, ensuring a secure and tight seal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanical latches are used to close the panel, then the device complexity is reduced, but the sealing tightness and closure reliability deteriorate under high speeds or manufacturing conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical latches with electro permanent magnets to achieve panel closure. The electro permanent magnets use electromagnetic fields instead of mechanical moving parts to hold the panel closed, providing more reliable sealing under high-speed conditions and during manufacturing processes while maintaining acceptable system complexity through the use of controllable magnetic actuators.
2Reliability
If electro permanent magnets are used to secure the panel, then the sealing tightness improves, but the use of energy increases due to current application
Solution Approach 1:
The electro permanent magnets operate using periodic pulsed current rather than continuous power supply. The controller applies current pulses to magnetize the electro permanent magnets only when panel closure or unlocking is required, allowing the magnets to maintain their magnetic state without continuous energy input. This periodic activation significantly reduces overall energy consumption while maintaining reliable sealing tightness during critical operations.
3Reliability
If multiple electro permanent magnets are arranged around the panel perimeter, then the sealing tightness improves, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The closure system is segmented into multiple electro permanent magnets distributed around the panel perimeter, with each magnet independently controllable. This segmentation allows the sealing force to be distributed across multiple points, improving overall sealing tightness. The modular nature of individual electro permanent magnets makes them easier to manufacture and assemble compared to a single complex mechanical latch system, as each magnet unit can be produced separately and integrated into the panel structure.
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 solution provides a reliable and secure closure system that maintains a tight seal around the panel perimeter, enhancing the integrity of the vehicle's sealing during various conditions, such as high speeds or manufacturing processes, by using electro permanent magnets that magnetize and demagnetize in response to lock and unlock conditions.
Implementation Method 1
one or more electro permanent magnets arranged on the portion of the vehicle. The system also includes a controller to magnetize the one or more electro permanent magnets based on applying a current of a first polarity to the one or more electro permanent magnets
Implementation Method 2
such that the one or more electro permanent magnets on the portion of the vehicle couple to the panel, which is metal, or to one or more permanent magnets on a surface of the panel to lock the panel
Data Source
AI summary
A system in a vehicle includes a panel configured cover a portion of the vehicle through which a port extends and one or more electro permanent magnets arranged on the portion of the vehicle. The system also includes a controller to magnetize the one or more electro permanent magnets based on applying a current of a first polarity to the one or more electro permanent magnets such that the one or more electro permanent magnets on the portion of the vehicle couple to the panel, the panel being metal, or to one or more permanent magnets on a surface of the panel to lock the panel when the panel is in the closed position.