Shutter Member With Flexible Tab For Vehicle Control Lever
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shutter solutions for motor vehicle hand brake levers are complex to assemble and require precise positioning tolerances, limiting design flexibility and volume in surrounding spaces due to their elongated rectilinear shape.
Innovation Solution
A shutter member composed of two plastic half-shells with a flexible tab that recedes and bends during lever rotation, guided by a deflector and lateral appendices, simplifying assembly and allowing for more design freedom by eliminating the need for side rails and precise alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a shutter with side rails and curved guides is used to prevent dust entry, then dust protection is improved, but assembly complexity and positioning precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the side rails and curved guide components from the traditional shutter mechanism. The shutter is extracted to a simple flat plate that slides within a slot, eliminating the complex guiding structure while maintaining the dust protection function through the slot geometry itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter is divided into a flat plate portion and a tab portion with distinct functions. The flat plate provides dust protection when closed, while the tab engages with a stop element to define the retracted position, allowing independent optimization of each segment's function.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a shutter with side rails and curved guides is used to prevent dust entry, then dust protection is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the curved guide rails that required precise positioning. The shutter simply slides within a slot with a stop element, eliminating the need for precise curved path alignment between multiple components and reducing manufacturing tolerance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using curved guides to force the shutter along a precise path, the patent inverts the approach by using a flat shutter that blocks dust when closed and relies on the slot geometry and stop element to define positions, reversing the traditional guidance mechanism.
3Device complexity
If a traditional elongated rectilinear hand brake lever is used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but design flexibility and volume of surrounding spaces are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The hand brake lever transitions from a static elongated rectilinear shape to a dynamic compact high structure that can be positioned vertically. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the lever to adapt to different spatial requirements while maintaining structural simplicity through a single hinged connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever design moves from a horizontal elongated configuration to a vertical compact high structure, utilizing the vertical dimension to achieve greater design flexibility and accommodate larger storage compartments in the surrounding horizontal space.
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
Simplifies assembly, compensates for positioning errors, and allows for more flexible design of the tunnel console, enabling larger storage compartments and a more compact, high structure between vehicle seats.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible tab (36) made of an elastomeric material or a plastic material with elastomeric characteristics
Data Source
AI summary
A shutter member that has a shutter with a substantially rigid wall, which has a substantially arc-shaped a side profile and a hole that is adapted to be engaged by a motor vehicle control lever. The substantially rigid wall is supported by a fastening device, fixing the shutter member to the control lever. The shutter is provided with a tab, which defines a longitudinal extension of the substantially rigid wall and is elastically flexible.