Remotely Actuated Glove Box Latch Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle glove compartment latch mechanisms are inefficient in allowing easy access while maintaining secure closure, often requiring complex mechanisms or excessive force to open and close the compartment.
Innovation Solution
A storage bin assembly with a pivotably mounted door and a horizontally-extending latch pawl that is biased by a resilient member, where an actuator with a cam surface engages the latch pawl to transition between engaged and disengaged positions, allowing easy manual operation via a push button to open the compartment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional latch mechanism is used to secure the glove compartment door, then the door remains securely closed, but excessive force is required to open it and the mechanism becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: a resilient member (spring) that provides biasing force, a latch pawl that engages with the door, and an actuator with cam surface that controls pawl movement. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, reducing overall complexity while improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch pawl is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to transition between engaged and disengaged positions. The resilient member provides dynamic biasing force that automatically returns the pawl to the engaged position after actuation. This dynamic design enables easy door opening while maintaining secure closure, eliminating the need for complex locking mechanisms.
2Ease of operation
If a resilient member biases the latch pawl toward the disengaged position, then easy opening is achieved, but secure closure may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient member is pre-biased to automatically return the latch pawl to the engaged position after actuation. This preliminary action ensures that once the actuator releases the pawl, the spring immediately restores it to the secure engaged position, maintaining reliable closure without requiring additional locking mechanisms or user intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient member provides self-service by automatically biasing the latch pawl back to the engaged position after actuation. This self-restoring mechanism ensures secure closure is maintained without requiring complex additional components or user intervention, achieving both ease of opening and reliable closure.
3Ease of operation
If the actuator is remotely located from the latch mechanism, then easy manual operation is achieved, but the connection between actuator and latch pawl becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient member acts as an intermediary between the actuator and the latch pawl. When the actuator moves, it releases the latch pawl from its engaged position, and the resilient member mediates the transition by biasing the pawl to the disengaged position. This intermediary mechanism simplifies the connection between the remotely located actuator and the latch pawl, enabling easy manual operation without complex direct linkage.
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 provides a simple and intuitive mechanism for opening the glove compartment door by shifting the latch pawl from an engaged to a disengaged position using an actuator, ensuring secure closure and easy access with reduced operational force.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient member biasing the latch pawl toward the disengaged position
Implementation Method 2
The actuator includes a cam surface that is configured to slidably engage a second end of the latch pawl such that movement of the actuator from the rest position to the actuated position causes the latch pawl to translate substantially horizontally
Data Source
AI summary
A storage bin assembly for vehicles includes a bin and a door. The door includes a latch-engaging surface that moves from a rest position when the door is opened. A latch pawl engages the latch-engaging surface of the door to prevent movement of the door to the open position when the latch pawl is in an engaged position. A push button actuator is disposed in a center portion of a dashboard structure. The push button actuator includes a cam surface that slidably engages the latch pawl and causes the latch pawl to move from the engaged position to a disengaged position to thereby unlatch the door.