Toggle Lever Locking Device for Military Cab Security
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing locking devices for tiltable driver's cabs on military vehicles fail to maintain a secure lock during collisions or mine explosions, necessitating additional reinforcement like lead bolts to prevent unintentional opening.
Innovation Solution
A locking device utilizing a toggle lever with differently sized lever arms and a hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric drive, where the toggle lever's knee engages with a locking bolt, eliminating the need for additional mine bolts by using the locking device's design to secure the cab, and incorporating sensors for enhanced reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional lead bolts are used to secure the rear cab suspension in military vehicles, then the locking reliability during collisions or mine explosions is improved, but the device complexity and number of components increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the locking function and the anti-explosion reinforcement function into a single integrated locking device. The toggle lever mechanism with asymmetric lever arms provides both the primary locking action and the necessary resistance to explosive forces, eliminating the need for separate lead bolts and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining or improving reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The locking device is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides the primary locking mechanism for the tiltable driver's cab, simultaneously serves as the reinforcement against mine explosions and collision forces, and includes sensor monitoring capabilities. This multi-functionality replaces the traditional separate lead bolt system, reducing component count while enhancing overall system reliability
2Device complexity
If the locking device is designed to withstand extreme loads without additional reinforcement, then the device complexity is reduced, but the locking reliability under extreme conditions may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The toggle lever employs asymmetric lever arms with different lengths to optimize the mechanical advantage in different operational phases. The asymmetric design allows the locking mechanism to provide sufficient locking force during normal operation while also being capable of withstanding extreme explosive or collision loads, achieving both simplified structure and high reliability through optimized geometry rather than additional components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the geometric parameters of the toggle lever, specifically the ratio and lengths of the lever arms, to achieve the desired balance between locking force and resistance to extreme loads. By carefully selecting these parameters, the single locking device can operate reliably across the full range from normal locking conditions to extreme explosive or collision forces without requiring additional reinforcement components
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 locking device provides a reliable and secure attachment of the tiltable driver's cab to the chassis without additional reinforcement, maintaining lock integrity during extreme conditions, and preventing unintentional opening through a spring-loaded pawl mechanism and sensor monitoring.
Implementation Method 1
a spring-loaded pawl acting on the second lever arm of the reversing lever, so that the locking device is prevented from opening unintentionally
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
To achieve a reliable locking function for a locking device (1) comprising a lock (2) and a locking bolt (3), particularly for the releasable fixing of a tilting driver's cab to the chassis of a military vehicle, the invention proposes using as the locking element of the lock (2) the common joint (knee) (7) of a toggle lever (4) having two single-armed lever arms (5, 6) of different lengths, which engages in a corresponding recess (8) of the locking bolt (3) in the closed position of the locking device (1). The short lever arm (5) of the toggle lever (4) is pivotally mounted at its end opposite the knee (7) in a fixed bearing (9), and the long lever arm (6) of the toggle lever (4) is pivotally mounted at its end opposite the knee (7) with the first lever arm (10) of a deflecting lever (12) pivotable about a pivot axis (11).The second lever arm (13) of the deflection lever (12) is connected to a drive (14) for pivoting the deflection lever (12), so that a pivoting movement of the deflection lever (12) causes a movement of the knee (7) of the toggle lever (4) into or out of the recess (8) of the locking bolt (3).