Vehicle Lock Transmission Lever Amplifies Pivot Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing locks for vehicles and buildings can fail to open due to increased tolerances and dust accumulation, which reduce the opening torque applied to the pawl, requiring additional force to disengage the locking mechanism, especially as components age and Bowden cables loosen.
Innovation Solution
A locking mechanism with a transmission device that increases the pivot movement of the triggering lever, allowing a smaller pivoting movement to fully disengage the pawl from its detent position, including a design with two lever arms and a transmission lever to enhance the pivoting range and prevent bouncing, ensuring reliable operation even with reduced lever movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the triggering lever is designed with standard pivot movement, then the locking mechanism can be opened with normal lever movement, but as tolerances increase and Bowden cables loosen over service life, the pivot range is reduced and the lock may no longer open reliably
Solution Approach 1:
The triggering lever is designed as a composite structure with two lever arms of different lengths (first lever arm and second lever arm) connected at a pivot point. This composite lever structure amplifies the pivot movement, ensuring that even with reduced movement due to aging components, the follower can still effectively move the pawl out of its detent position to reliably open the lock.
2Reliability
If dust and tolerances accumulate over service life, then the opening torque applied to the pawl becomes insufficient, but increasing the pivot movement of the triggering lever compensates for this insufficient torque
Solution Approach 1:
The triggering lever employs a dynamic amplification mechanism where the longer second lever arm increases the pivot movement range. This dynamic movement amplification ensures that the follower can effectively disengage the pawl from the detent position even when dust and tolerances reduce the opening torque, maintaining reliable lock opening functionality throughout the service life.
3Reliability
If the follower must pivot across a large angle (up to 20-30°) to move the pawl out of detent position, then the lock can open reliably, but the triggering lever pivot range may be insufficient due to aging components
Solution Approach 1:
The triggering lever utilizes a curved or angled configuration with two lever arms positioned at specific angles to each other. This angular geometry provides mechanical advantage that amplifies the pivot movement, allowing the follower to achieve the necessary 20-30° movement to disengage the pawl even when the overall triggering lever pivot range is reduced due to aging Bowden cables and tolerances.
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 ensures the locking mechanism can be reliably opened with a smaller pivoting movement, reducing the need for additional force and preventing bouncing, maintaining functionality even as components age and tolerances increase.
Implementation Method 1
A locking mechanism with a transmission device that increases the pivot movement of the triggering lever, allowing a smaller pivoting movement to fully disengage the pawl from its detent position
Data Source
AI summary
The aim of the invention is to provide a reliably functioning lock for a motor vehicle in particular. This is achieved in that the claimed lock for a door or a panel has a locking mechanism consisting of a rotary latch and at least one pawl for locking the rotary latch. The rotary latch and the pawl are preferably designed such that the rotary latch is capable of introducing an opening torque into the pawl. The locking mechanism has a triggering lever for opening the locking mechanism. A transmission device is further provided which increases the pivotal movement of the triggering lever and which comprises a transmission lever in particular for moving the pawl out of the locking position of the pawl by means of a follower. On the basis of the pivotal movement transmission caused by the transmission lever, a relatively small pivotal movement of the triggering lever is sufficient to move the pawl completely out of the locking position by means of the follower. The invention thus ensures that a locking mechanism can be reliably opened even when the triggering lever can no longer be pivoted over the entire original distance due to the effects of aging.