Vehicle Storage Box Latch Mechanism Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle storage box latch mechanisms are prone to wear and tear, leading to noisy operations due to loose connections between pawls and sliding elements, and the housing design can be cumbersome and noisy.
Innovation Solution
A latch mechanism featuring a snap-fit arrangement between pawls and sliding elements with an elastic biasing element to prevent looseness, along with flat surfaces to prevent rotational movement and a coupler housing with identical reciprocal parts for alignment and noise reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional latch mechanisms are used with pawls and sliding elements, then the storage box can maintain a closed position, but the mechanisms are subject to wear and tear and result in noisy arrangements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies prior cushioning by incorporating a biasing element (spring) that pre-compresses the pawl against the sliding element. This maintains constant contact pressure between the components, preventing looseness and reducing noise before wear occurs. The biasing element compensates for wear over time, maintaining reliable engagement without increasing noise.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a biasing element as an intermediary component between the pawl and sliding element. This spring-mediated connection ensures continuous contact and dampens vibrations, eliminating the noisy rattling that occurs in traditional direct-contact latch mechanisms while maintaining reliable locking function.
2Ease of manufacture
If pawls are allowed to rotate freely on sliding elements, then assembly is simpler, but rotational movement creates noise and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by providing the pawl with an asymmetric cross-sectional shape that matches a corresponding asymmetric recess in the sliding element. This geometric interlocking prevents rotation while maintaining a simple snap-fit assembly process. The asymmetric geometry ensures the pawl can be easily inserted but cannot rotate, eliminating noise and wear from rotational movement.
3Ease of manufacture
If housing parts are designed without alignment features, then manufacturing is easier, but the housing becomes cumbersome and creates noise due to poor fittings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating alignment protrusions and recesses as integral features of the housing parts during manufacturing. These alignment features are pre-formed as part of the molding process, ensuring proper fitting and minimizing noise without adding complex assembly steps. The alignment features guide the housing parts into correct alignment during assembly, preventing poor fittings and associated noise.
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
The solution significantly reduces noise and wear by securing the pawl and sliding element connection and optimizing the housing design for easier assembly and reduced vibrations.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing element to compress the pawl to further engage the pawl with the retention mechanism
Implementation Method 2
a torsion spring including two coils, one surrounding each gear to bias the gears and cause the pawls to rest in an unactuated position
Data Source
AI summary
A latch mechanism for a vehicle storage box may include a pair of pawls fixed on opposite sides of a coupler and configured to cause inward translation of one pawl in response to actuation at the other pawl, and a sliding element arranged between each of the pawls and the coupler, the sliding element including at least one retention mechanism to fix the pawl to the sliding element and further including a biasing element to compress the pawl to further engage the pawl with the retention mechanism.