Portable Hand Lever for Emergency Parking Lock Disengagement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for temporary disengagement of a vehicle's parking lock are often exposed to environmental conditions, which can impair their functionality, and there is a need for a simple and reliable method to manually disengage the parking lock when the actuator system fails.

Innovation Solution

A hand lever with a fixing piece and gripping handle is designed to be temporarily attached to the parking lock shaft, allowing manual disengagement and securing the disengaged position to prevent re-engagement, using a lever with distinct positions for engagement and disengagement, and a locking mechanism to prevent reverse movement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If existing systems for temporary disengagement of parking lock are installed fixed on the vehicle transmission, then the disengagement function is always available, but the systems are exposed to environmental conditions which can impair their functionality

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctionality of disengagement systemVSAvoidenvironmental conditions exposure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The hand lever is extracted from the fixed transmission housing and made portable, allowing it to be stored separately in the vehicle and only attached when needed. This removes the disengagement mechanism from continuous exposure to environmental conditions inside the transmission housing while maintaining availability when required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from a static fixed installation to a dynamic portable tool that can be attached and detached as needed. The hand lever is designed to be temporarily mounted onto the parking lock shaft only when emergency disengagement is required, rather than being permanently fixed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If a manual actuation device with multiple components is used, then the disengagement function is reliable, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveemergency disengagement reliabilityVSAvoidstructure of hand lever

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The hand lever combines multiple functions into a single integrated tool: the lever arm for actuating the parking lock shaft, the gripping handle for user operation, and the fixing piece for attachment to the shaft. This merging reduces the number of separate components compared to traditional emergency disengagement systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The hand lever is designed as a universal emergency disengagement tool that can be attached to the parking lock shaft and used for its intended purpose, then removed and stored. The same structure serves both as an emergency tool and can be integrated with the normal actuation system when mounted.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If the hand lever is designed with distinct positions for engagement and disengagement, then the operation is simplified under emergency conditions, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanual disengagement operationVSAvoidlever position accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The hand lever incorporates a gripping handle with localized ergonomic features and visual indicators at specific positions. The distinct engagement and disengagement positions are marked or shaped to provide tactile and visual feedback to the user, making operation intuitive without requiring high-precision manufacturing throughout the entire lever.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The lever is pre-configured with distinct positional features and guides that automatically align the lever into the correct engagement or disengagement position during operation. This preliminary structuring of the lever geometry ensures proper positioning is achieved through the design itself rather than requiring high-precision manual alignment during use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11719338B2Hand lever to provisionally disengage a parking lock by hand

Publication Date: 2023.08.08 ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG

AI summary

A lever (3) for the temporary disengagement of a parking lock (2) of a vehicle drive unit (1). The lever (3) comprises a fixing piece (31) for fitting the lever (3) onto a parking lock shaft (26), which extends inside the vehicle drive unit (1) and serves to actuate the parking lock (2). The lever (3) is a hand lever with a gripping handle (32). The gripping handle (32) is designed to enable a user to apply a manual force for manual actuation of the lever (3). When the lever (3) is fitted on the parking lock shaft (26) and moved, the parking lock shaft (26) is moved from an engagement position to a disengagement position. In the disengagement position, by further movement of the gripping handle (32) into a locking position, the lever (3) is blocked against a reverse movement out of the disengagement position.