Vehicle Latch End-of-Life Detection via Cycle Counting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle door latches, both mechanical and powered, experience wear and tear over time, leading to potential failure without a reliable method to determine when they have reached the end of their lifespan, resulting in unexpected failure.
Innovation Solution
A latch system that includes a sensor and controller to count the number of cycles and detect end-of-life conditions, generating alerts when the latch is approaching or has reached its predicted life, allowing for timely replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a latch is used for extended periods to ensure durability, then the latch undergoes more cycles and experiences wear, but the reliability decreases due to potential failure from wear
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by counting latch cycles and generating an end-of-life warning before the latch actually fails. The controller monitors the number of cycles and alerts the user in advance, allowing proactive replacement before wear causes reliability issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring latch operations through the sensor and controller. The controller receives feedback from the sensor about each latch cycle and uses this information to determine when the latch is approaching end-of-life, enabling timely intervention.
2Device complexity
If no monitoring system is installed to simplify the device, then the device complexity is low, but the ability to detect end-of-life conditions is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential monitoring function needed for end-of-life detection. By using a simple sensor to detect latch operations and a controller to count cycles, the system achieves adequate measurement precision without adding excessive complexity to the overall latch mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller serves multiple functions: it counts latch cycles, determines when end-of-life has been reached, and generates warnings to the user. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A door latch system for vehicle doors, deck lids, hatches, hoods, or the like includes a latch. The latch has a predicted life that may be based on a number of times the latch is used. A sensor that generates a signal that can be used to determine if the latch has reached the predicted life and/or if the latch is approaching the predicted life and/or if the latch has exceeded the predicted life. The system may include a controller that causes a display in a vehicle interior to display an end-of-life signal.