Vehicle Lid Lock Torsion Spring Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lid lock apparatuses for vehicles face challenges with assembly difficulties due to compression springs and increased axial length, which can lead to reduced mountability, especially in vehicles with limited attachment space.
Innovation Solution
A lid lock apparatus utilizing a torsion spring with a spiral coil portion positioned at the lower side of the moving member, featuring a fixed arm and moving arm that engages with the housing and moving member respectively, allowing for easier assembly and reduced axial length, thus improving mountability and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a compression spring is disposed between the moving member and the housing to bias the moving member towards the lid member, then the moving member can be biased to engage with the lid member, but the assembly process becomes difficult as the moving member must be inserted into the compression spring first and then positioned at a predetermined location while the spring is being compressed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the compression spring from its traditional position between the moving member and housing, and relocates it to the lower side of the moving member. This separation allows the moving member to be assembled independently without needing to be inserted into the spring first, significantly simplifying the assembly process while maintaining the biasing function through the fixed arm and moving arm mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a fixed arm and moving arm as intermediary elements that connect the compression spring to the moving member and housing respectively. These arms act as mediators that transmit the biasing force from the spring to the moving member, enabling the spring to be positioned separately while still achieving the desired engagement reliability
2Reliability
If the compression spring is arranged at the moving member, then the moving member can be biased towards the lid member, but the axial length of the moving member increases, deteriorating the mountability in vehicles with reduced attachment space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent relocates the compression spring from the axial direction (between moving member and housing) to a different spatial dimension (lower side of the moving member). This dimensional change allows the spring to provide biasing force without increasing the axial length of the moving member, thus improving mountability in vehicles with limited attachment space while maintaining biasing reliability
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 easier assembly and stable operation of the lid lock apparatus, reducing variations in mounting length and biasing force, while also providing a compact design suitable for vehicles with limited space, and preventing water ingress and vibration-induced dislocation.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing member disposed between the housing and the moving member to bias the moving member in a direction in which the moving member engages with the lid member, the biasing member including a coil portion wound in a spiral shape
Data Source
AI summary
A lid lock apparatus for a vehicle includes a housing, a moving member supported within the housing, and a biasing member to bias the moving member in a direction in which the moving member engages with the lid member, the biasing member including a coil portion wound in a spiral shape and arranged at a lower side of the moving member so that an axial center of the coil portion is in a skewed position relative to an axis of the moving member, a fixed arm extending from a first end portion of the coil portion to engage with the housing, and a moving arm extending from a second end portion of the coil portion to engage with the moving member, the moving arm being deflected in a circumferential direction of the coil portion relative to the fixed arm by a movement of the moving member.