Vehicle Compartment Automatic Latch Control via Item Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Vehicle storage compartments lack an effective mechanism to automatically lock and unlock based on the presence of items or electronic devices, and do not account for vehicle conditions, leading to potential theft and inconvenience.

Innovation Solution

A compartment system with a pivotable lid, a latch that can be locked and unlocked by a sensing system, and a wireless transceiver that detects the presence of items or electronic devices, and adjusts its state based on vehicle conditions, such as engine status or occupancy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a latch mechanism is added to lock the compartment, then security against theft is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidcomplexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The latch mechanism is designed to automatically engage and disengage based on sensor detection of item presence and vehicle motion status, eliminating the need for manual locking operations by the user

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical locking system is replaced with an automated system that uses sensors to detect conditions and electronically controls the latch mechanism, substituting human operation with automated detection and control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If automatic sensing system is implemented to lock compartment based on item presence, then convenience is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveconvenienceVSAvoidcomplexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The compartment system automatically detects when items are placed inside using sensors and autonomously engages the latch mechanism without requiring user intervention, making the system self-securing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The sensing system continuously monitors the compartment for the presence of items and provides feedback to the control system, which then automatically adjusts the latch state based on the detected conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If the compartment locks automatically when vehicle is in motion, then security is improved, but loss of time occurs during locking/unlocking cycles

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidtime

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system proactively locks the compartment before the vehicle begins motion and automatically unlocks it when motion stops, performing the locking action in advance of when security is most critical

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9863171B1Vehicle compartment

Publication Date: 2018.01.09 FORD GLOBAL TECH LLC

AI summary

A compartment for a vehicle is provided herein. The compartment includes a housing defining an interior volume. A lid is pivotably coupled to the housing and is configured to move between a closed position in which the interior volume is inaccessible and an open position in which the interior volume is accessible. A latch is configured to maintain the lid in a locked and an unlocked state when the lid is disposed in the closed position. A compartment sensing system is operably coupled with the latch. The latch is placed in the locked state when the sensing system detects the presence of an item within the interior volume.