Motor Vehicle Latch Plate with Semi-Circular Splay for Tensile Stress

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Motor vehicle latches face challenges in balancing safety requirements with the need for lighter vehicle designs while maintaining cost-effectiveness, as existing solutions either compromise on weight or increase manufacturing costs.

Innovation Solution

A motor vehicle latch design featuring a latch plate with a semi-circular splay opposite the inlet slot, providing additional stabilization under tensile stress, combined with corrugations and symmetrical mounting surfaces, enhances resilience and stability while minimizing weight and production costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a latch plate with a splay is used to increase stability under tensile stress, then the strength and stability are improved, but the weight of the latch plate increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability under tensile stressVSAvoidweight of latch plate

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The latch plate features a splay with at least a semi-circular end area opposite the inlet slot. This curved geometric configuration redistributes tensile stress more effectively across the plate structure, providing enhanced stability and strength without requiring additional reinforcing elements that would increase weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Strength

If additional reinforcing elements are added to stabilize the latch plate, then the strength is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability of latch plateVSAvoidstructural complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The stabilizing function is integrated directly into the latch plate by forming a splay as an inherent part of the plate structure. This eliminates the need for separate reinforcing elements or additional components, thereby maintaining structural simplicity while achieving the required stability under tensile stress.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Weight of moving object

If the latch plate is made lighter to reduce vehicle weight, then the weight is reduced, but the strength and stability under extreme stress decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveweight of latch plateVSAvoidresistance to tensile stress

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The semi-circular splay geometry acts as a stress-distributing feature that allows the latch plate to maintain high strength-to-weight ratio. The curved structure efficiently channels tensile forces along the splay, enabling the plate to be lighter while still providing sufficient stability under extreme stress conditions such as accidents.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS11214989B2Motor vehicle lock

Publication Date: 2022.01.04 KIEKERT AG

AI summary

A motor vehicle lock includes a catch, a pawl, and a latch plate, wherein the catch and the pawl are rotatably supported on the latch plate, the latch plate has at least two openings for mounting the motor vehicle lock, and the latch plate has an inlet slot for a latch holder, and wherein a splay lying opposite the inlet slot is provided on the latch plate, wherein the splay has the form of a semicircle at least in an end region opposite the inlet slot.