Motor Vehicle Lock Actuating Element for Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle locks generate significant impact noise during the closing cycle due to the direct actuating engagement between the lock striker and catch, which affects operating comfort and requires additional damping measures.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a displaceable actuating element with a transmission gearing, such as a lever gearing, that interacts with the lock striker before engaging the catch, reducing the necessary pivot angle range and allowing for noise reduction without the need for damping materials, while enhancing mechanical stability and crash safety with a hook-shaped catch design and pivotable pawl.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the lock striker directly engages the catch during closing cycle, then the locking function is reliable, but impact noise increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
An actuating element is introduced as an intermediary between the lock striker and the catch. During the closing cycle, the lock striker first engages the actuating element, which then transfers the actuating force to the catch through a transmission gearing. This intermediary mechanism allows the catch to be driven into its closed position gradually, preventing direct impact noise while maintaining reliable locking function.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If damping material is applied to the catch, then impact noise is reduced, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying damping material to the catch, the patent uses an actuating element with transmission gearing as a mechanical intermediary. This approach reduces impact noise through the gearing mechanism itself, eliminating the need for additional damping materials and keeping the manufacturing process simple and cost-effective.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the need for damping materials (passive noise reduction) with a mechanical transmission system (active noise reduction). The transmission gearing mechanically transforms the closing motion to reduce impact, substituting a mechanical solution for what would otherwise require material-based damping.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a transmission gearing is introduced, then impact noise is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating element serves as a compact intermediary that integrates the transmission gearing function within a single component. This minimizes the overall device complexity by combining multiple functions (actuation, force transmission, and noise reduction) into one element rather than adding separate mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuating element performs multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a lever for force amplification, a gear for transmission, and a noise-reduction mechanism. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving noise reduction.
4Device complexity
If the catch pivot angle range is reduced, then the actuating mechanism is simplified, but the holding engagement reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the need for a large catch pivot angle range with a transmission gearing system. The gearing mechanically amplifies the small angular movement of the actuating element to achieve the necessary catch movement for reliable holding engagement. This substitution simplifies the actuating mechanism while maintaining reliability through mechanical advantage.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission gearing dynamically transforms the small input angle from the actuating element into the required output movement of the catch. This dynamic mechanical transformation allows the system to achieve reliable holding engagement with a reduced pivot angle range, simplifying the overall actuating mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is directed to a motor vehicle lock for a motor vehicle door arrangement, wherein a pivotable catch and an inlet mouth for a lock striker are provided, wherein the catch can be brought into at least one closed position and into at least one open position, wherein the catch as such in its closed position may hold the lock striker by a holding engagement between the catch and the lock striker and in its open position may release the lock striker, wherein during a closing cycle the lock striker comes into an actuating engagement with the motor vehicle lock such that the catch moves from its open position into the direction of its closed position, preferably into its closed position.