Motor Vehicle Lock Clutch Synchronization Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle locks with multiple actuating sections face challenges in operational safety due to individual clutches, which can lead to unintentional opening of the lock, particularly allowing users to lock themselves inside the vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle lock featuring a mechanical clutch locking device that permanently couples the adjustment of the second clutch from the decoupled state into the coupled state with the adjustment of the first clutch, ensuring that both clutches are synchronized in their states to prevent unintentional opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If multiple individual clutches are provided for different actuating sections, then each actuating section can be independently controlled, but operational safety deteriorates because one clutch can be inadvertently adjusted while another remains in a different state
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the adjustment mechanisms of multiple clutches into a single integrated adjustment mechanism. When one clutch is adjusted, the mechanical coupling ensures that all other clutches are adjusted simultaneously, preventing the safety hazard of having clutches in different states while preserving independent actuation capability through the clutch coupling/decoupling function.
2Device complexity
If clutches can be adjusted independently, then device complexity is reduced, but harmful factors increase due to the risk of unintentional locking or opening
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary anti-action by mechanically preventing the harmful state before it can occur. The coupling mechanism ensures that when one clutch is adjusted to a coupled state, all other clutches are simultaneously adjusted to the same state, thereby preemptively preventing the scenario where one clutch couples while another remains decoupled, which would cause unintentional locking or opening.
3Reliability
If a single clutch is used for all actuating sections, then operational safety is improved by ensuring synchronized state, but ease of operation deteriorates because individual sections cannot be independently controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the actuation function into two distinct functions: (1) a single adjustment mechanism that controls all clutches simultaneously to ensure synchronized state for safety, and (2) individual clutch coupling/decoupling mechanisms that allow each actuating section to be independently controlled. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by separating the safety-critical synchronization function from the operation-critical independence function.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle lock for a closing element of a motor vehicle. The vehicle lock has a locking mechanism, a release lever and at least two actuating sections. A first actuating section has a first clutch, a first adjustment mechanism and a first actuating lever, wherein the first clutch is adjustable into a decoupled state and into a coupled state, wherein the first clutch decouples the first actuating lever and the release lever from each other in the decoupled state and couples them to each other in the coupled state. A second actuating section has a second clutch, a second adjustment mechanism and a second actuating lever, wherein the second clutch is adjustable into a decoupled state and into a coupled state, wherein the second clutch decouples the second actuating lever and the release lever from each other in the decoupled state and couples them to each other in the coupled state.