Motor Vehicle Lock Switchable Arrangement Crash Safety
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle locks lack guaranteed crash safety as the crash element may fail to reach its blocking position due to obstructions, leading to potential unintended door opening during impacts.
Innovation Solution
A switchable lock arrangement that automatically transitions to a locked state upon actuation lever movement, utilizing an inertial lever to delay the return to the unlocked state, ensuring the pawl remains engaged during crashes and preventing unintended door opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate crash element is used to block the actuation lever during crashes, then crash safety is improved, but the reliability is reduced because the crash element may fail to reach its blocking position due to obstructions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the crash protection function with the normal locking mechanism by integrating a crash-responsive feature into the existing actuation lever system. The actuation lever itself becomes crash-responsive through its interaction with the drive train components, eliminating the need for a completely separate crash element while maintaining crash safety functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic behavior of the actuation lever and drive train components to achieve crash protection. During normal operation, the lever moves freely to actuate the lock. During a crash, the rapid movement causes the lever to engage with blocking features in the drive train, dynamically switching from normal operation mode to crash protection mode based on the speed and force of actuation.
2Reliability
If the switchable lock arrangement automatically transitions to locked state upon actuation lever movement, then crash safety is improved, but the ease of operation may be affected during normal use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the lock arrangement based on the speed and force of actuation. During normal operation, the actuation lever moves at standard speeds that allow the lock to transition to unlocked state. During a crash, the extremely rapid movement exceeds a threshold parameter, triggering the lock to remain in locked state. This parameter-based differentiation allows the same mechanism to serve both normal operation and crash protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the concept of excessive action by designing the system to respond differently when the actuation lever is moved beyond normal parameters. The crash-responsive feature activates when the lever movement exceeds normal operational limits, using the excessive force and speed of crash conditions to trigger the protective locked state while leaving normal operation unaffected.
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
Enhances crash safety by reducing the likelihood of the lock arrangement failing to enter the locked state during a crash, maintaining engagement of the pawl and preventing door opening, while allowing normal operation without affecting actuation lever functionality.
Implementation Method 1
an inertial lever (12) is arranged between the actuation lever (5) and the locking lever (8), which, depending on the rapidity of the actuation lever, moves the locking lever (8) into an overtravel region (11)
Data Source
AI summary
The application is directed to a motor vehicle lock for a door arrangement, wherein the catch may be brought into holding engagement with a lock striker, wherein the pawl may be brought into an engagement position, wherein the pawl may be deflected into a release position, wherein an actuation lever is provided for deflecting the pawl, wherein a switchable lock arrangement is in an actuation drive train between the actuation lever and the pawl, wherein the switchable lock arrangement may be brought into a functional state, wherein, with the switchable lock arrangement being in the unlocked state, an actuation movement of the actuation lever deflects the pawl and a drive train component of the actuation drive train is decoupled from the pawl for letting the actuation movement of the actuation lever run free or a drive train component is blocked for blocking an actuation movement of the actuation lever.