Automotive Latch Pulley for Flexible Bowden Cable Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current latch assemblies with a cinch function face difficulties in packaging due to the orientation and position of the soft close Bowden cable and its attachment, particularly in limited spaces within vehicle doors, making it challenging to achieve flexible ratchet and Bowden cable orientation without complicating the assembly.
Innovation Solution
A latch assembly featuring a rotatable cinch pulley and a hinged cable attachment bracket that allows the cable to be variably oriented, accommodating different positions and orientations while maintaining efficient packaging and soft close kinematics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the Bowden cable is oriented downward in current latch assemblies, then the soft close function can be achieved, but the packaging space requirements in the door are increased and the assembly becomes more difficult to integrate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the cable attachment bracket rotatable rather than fixed. The bracket can rotate about an attachment axis, allowing the Bowden cable to be oriented in multiple directions (upward, downward, sideways) depending on the available space in the door. This dynamic adjustability resolves the contradiction by maintaining the soft close function while adapting to different packaging constraints without requiring additional space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the orientation parameter of the cable attachment bracket from fixed to variable. By allowing the bracket to rotate and change its attachment angle, the system can accommodate different door configurations and space requirements. This parameter change enables the same soft close mechanism to be packaged efficiently in various door designs without compromising functionality.
2Reliability
If the ratchet and Bowden cable are positioned to achieve soft closure, then the cinch function is provided, but the extension of the latch in Z and Y directions complicates packaging requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable cable attachment bracket provides dynamic positioning capability, allowing the Bowden cable to be routed through the latch assembly in different directions. This enables the cinch function to be achieved without extending the latch housing excessively in the Z and Y directions, as the cable can be oriented to follow a more compact path through the available space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes rotational movement to change the dimensional orientation of the cable attachment. By allowing the bracket to rotate about an axis, the cable can be positioned in three-dimensional space more efficiently, reducing the overall extension of the latch assembly in critical directions while maintaining the cinch function.
3Device complexity
If the cable attachment point is fixed on the latch frame plate, then the assembly structure is simplified, but flexibility in ratchet and Bowden cable orientation is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a rotatable bracket between the fixed latch frame plate and the Bowden cable. This bracket maintains a simple attachment to the frame plate while providing rotational freedom for the cable. The result is a structure that remains relatively simple yet gains the flexibility needed for various cable orientations and door configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable cable attachment bracket serves as an intermediary element between the fixed latch frame plate and the Bowden cable. It provides the necessary flexibility for cable orientation while maintaining a straightforward connection to the frame plate, thus balancing structural simplicity with orientational flexibility.
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 enables flexible ratchet and Bowden cable orientation, facilitating easy integration into vehicle doors without complicating the packaging, thereby enhancing the functionality and efficiency of the latch assembly in securing and unsecuring vehicle closure panels.
Implementation Method 1
A pulley is mounted on the housing and rotatable about an axis of rotation to guide a cable coupled to the cinch lever assembly in an attachment direction
Implementation Method 2
A cable attachment bracket is hingedly coupled to the housing at a hinge point adjacent to the pulley for attaching the cable thereto and thereby variably orienting the cable
Data Source
AI summary
A latch assembly for a closure member is provided. The latch assembly includes a housing and a ratchet pivotally coupled to the housing for selectively retaining a striker to secure the closure member. A cinch lever assembly is coupled to the housing and includes a cinch lever for engaging the ratchet. The cinch lever cinches the striker in the ratchet in response to the cinch lever being actuated by a cable coupled to the cinch lever assembly to move the closure panel from a partially closed position to a fully closed position. A cinch subassembly is operatively coupled to the cinch lever assembly with the cable coupled to the cinch lever assembly. The cinch subassembly is configured to freely move between a plurality of positions relative to the housing to accommodate a plurality of orientations of the cable coupled to the cinch lever assembly.