Vehicle Locking Device Sequential Engagement Lugs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Keyless-Entry systems in motor vehicles often result in delayed unlocking responses due to long response times, leading to user inconvenience, as the door handle may be actuated before the lock assumes the 'unlocked' position, requiring users to re-activate the handle.
Innovation Solution
A locking device with a coupling mechanism featuring a coupling lever and sequential engagement lugs, where the actuating lever has protruding elements instead of a slotted hole, reducing material and installation area requirements, and allowing for a combination of metal and plastic components to optimize weight and stability, with frequently used lugs made of metal and less frequent lugs made of plastic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a slotted hole with folded edge is used in the actuating lever, then the engagement lugs can be formed, but the base area and installation area become large
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating lever is segmented into a metal base part and a separately attachable plastic part containing the engagement lugs. This segmentation allows the plastic part with engagement lugs to be attached only where needed, reducing the overall installation area compared to a traditional slotted hole design that requires a large continuous base area.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite materials by combining a metal base part with a plastic part containing the engagement lugs. The plastic material allows for compact engagement lug formation without requiring the large base area that would be needed if all components were made from metal sheet steel.
2Reliability
If a folded edge is created in the actuating lever, then engagement lugs are formed, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating lever is divided into a metal base part and a separate plastic part containing the engagement lugs. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex folding operations on metal sheet steel, as the plastic part can be molded with the engagement lugs already formed, significantly simplifying the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical folding process required to create engagement lugs from metal sheet steel is replaced by injection molding the plastic part with pre-formed engagement lugs. This substitution of manufacturing methods reduces manufacturing complexity and improves ease of production.
3Strength
If metal sheet steel is used for the actuating lever, then mechanical strength is ensured, but the material usage and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating lever uses a composite construction with a metal base part providing structural strength and a plastic part containing the engagement lugs. This composite approach reduces overall material usage and weight compared to a fully metal construction, while maintaining the necessary mechanical strength through the metal base part.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the actuating lever have different material qualities: the base part is made of metal for strength, while the engagement lugs are made of plastic for reduced weight. This local differentiation of material properties optimizes the balance between strength requirements and weight reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a locking device, in particular for a motor vehicle, having a catch mechanism and a coupling device for connecting to a motor drive. The coupling device comprises a coupling lever, which by virtue of a plurality of engagement lugs is able to pivot a coupling lever. The engagement lugs can be detected in succession by the coupling lever and are arranged in this respect one behind the other. The invention further relates to a plastics component for the locking device. An engagement lug is formed by an element protruding from a main face of the coupling lever in order to simplify production and to keep material costs and installation space to a minimum.