Extruded Aluminum Lock Case with Variable Wall Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current motor vehicle locks face challenges in achieving a balance between operational safety, weight reduction, and cost-effectiveness, as they need to withstand extreme stresses while being lightweight and manufactured inexpensively.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle lock with a locking mechanism featuring a rotary latch and pawl, housed in a lock case with varying material thicknesses produced through an extrusion process, allowing for high wall thicknesses in stressed areas and reduced material usage elsewhere, using aluminum for low weight and high strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the lock case is made with uniform high material thickness to ensure operational safety under extreme stresses, then the strength and reliability are improved, but the weight of the lock case increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lock case is designed with varying material thicknesses where different regions have different thickness values. Specifically, the front side wall and rear side wall have a first material thickness in the region where the locking mechanism is pivotally mounted, while other regions have a second material thickness that is smaller than the first. This local differentiation ensures high strength where needed (at the locking mechanism mounting regions) while reducing weight in less critical areas, thereby resolving the contradiction between operational safety and weight reduction.
2Strength
If the lock case uses high material thicknesses throughout to ensure stability under extreme loads, then the strength is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lock case employs varying material thicknesses with specific regions having greater thickness (first material thickness) where the locking mechanism is mounted, while other regions have reduced thickness (second material thickness). This localized approach ensures that high strength is provided only where structurally necessary, rather than uniformly throughout the entire lock case, thereby reducing overall material consumption and manufacturing cost while maintaining adequate strength at critical locations.
3Weight of stationary object
If the lock case is designed with varying material thicknesses to reduce weight, then the weight reduction is achieved, but the complexity of manufacturing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lock case integrates multiple functional requirements into a single monolithic component manufactured by extrusion. The varying thickness regions (first and second material thicknesses) are incorporated directly into the extruded profile geometry, combining structural support, weight optimization, and locking mechanism mounting functions in one piece. This merging approach avoids the need for separate reinforcement plates or multiple assembled parts, thereby reducing overall structural complexity despite the varying thickness design.
Solution Approach 2:
The extrusion process enables continuous variation of the cross-sectional parameters of the lock case, including the material thickness, along its length. By changing the thickness parameter in specific regions during the extrusion process, the design achieves varying material thicknesses (first and second thicknesses) in a single manufacturing operation, avoiding the complexity of assembling multiple components with different thicknesses and simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a lock for a motor vehicle, having a locking mechanism with a rotary catch and at least one pawl and a lock case (1), wherein the locking mechanism is received pivotably in the lock case (1) and wherein the lock case (1) has regions of different material thicknesses (13, 14, 15, 19), and wherein the lock case (1) is produced by means of an extrusion process.