Vehicle Lock Device with Pull-Cable Wheel Unit for Deadlock Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle lock devices face issues with interrupted secondary locking processes due to power failures or foreign objects, leading to deadlock situations and reduced reliability. Additionally, manual lock devices require significant physical effort for relocking, which can damage the lock mechanism and reduce its service life.
Innovation Solution
The proposed lock device incorporates a pull-cable wheel unit with a positioning post, cable wheel, return wheel, and an elastic member. This unit reduces the time required for locking by maintaining tension in the pull cables, and includes a release member that decouples the pawl from the ratchet to prevent deadlock. The design also simplifies the locking process, reducing the need for excessive physical force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lock device uses a two-stage locking function with manual operation, then the locking process can be controlled step by step, but it requires significant physical effort and multiple operations which can damage the lock mechanism and reduce its service life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical operation system with an automatic motor-driven system. The motor automatically drives the pawl and ratchet through the locking positions without requiring manual intervention, thereby eliminating the need for significant physical effort while maintaining the two-stage locking function.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock device performs the locking operation automatically through the motor-driven system without requiring external manual assistance. The system self-regulates the locking process through the interaction between the pawl, ratchet, and spring mechanism, reducing wear from repeated manual operations.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the motor resets the output shaft in reverse direction after locking, then the pull cable can be loosened for the next locking cycle, but the cable becomes loose and requires re-tensioning time which reduces working efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The spring mechanism is pre-loaded during the locking process to store elastic potential energy. This preliminary action ensures that when the motor resets in reverse, the spring automatically tensions the pull cable without requiring additional motor operation or manual intervention, thereby eliminating the cable re-tensioning time.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring mechanism provides periodic tensioning action during the motor's reset cycle. As the motor rotates the output shaft in reverse, the spring periodically engages to tension the cable, creating a rhythmic action that maintains cable tension without extending the overall reset time.
3Reliability
If the lock device operates without a release mechanism during secondary locking, then the structure can be simpler, but deadlock occurs when power is interrupted or foreign objects are present, reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The release member acts as an intermediary mechanism between the motor and the pawl-ratchet system. It provides a controlled way to decouple the pawl from the ratchet when needed, allowing the system to handle abnormal conditions (power interruption or foreign objects) without deadlock, while maintaining overall structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The release member introduces dynamic controllability to the locking mechanism. It can transition the system between coupled and decoupled states based on operational conditions, enabling the simple structure to adapt to complex situations and prevent deadlock without adding significant complexity.
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 improved lock device enhances reliability by preventing deadlock situations and reduces the physical effort required for locking, thereby extending the service life of the lock mechanism. The pull-cable wheel unit streamlines the locking process, increasing efficiency and user convenience.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member, positioned between the cable wheel and the return wheel, the elastic member configured to bias the return wheel to rotate by a preset angle when the pawl is in the full-locked position
Data Source
AI summary
A lock device of a vehicle comprising: a base plate; a guide plate rotatably disposed on the base plate; a pawl rotatably disposed on the base plate, the pawl being engageable with the guide plate in an unlocking position and disengageable from the guide plate between a half-locked and fully-locked position; a ratchet rotatably disposed on the base plate for retaining a striker when in the half-locked or the fully-locked position when the pawl is engaged with the ratchet; and a release member rotatably disposed on the base plate, the release member engageable with the guide plate; the release member is configured to drive the guide plate to engage with the pawl and drive the pawl to decouple from the ratchet.