Motor Vehicle Lock Striker With Illumination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Lock holders in motor vehicles are often located in accessible areas, leading to potential user injury or contamination from oils or greases, and lack effective safety features to prevent accidents.

Innovation Solution

A lock holder design incorporating a lighting means that provides circumferential illumination for the locking bolt and fastening means, preventing unintentional snagging and highlighting the locking mechanism to alert users, thus enhancing safety and preventing dirt accumulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the lock holder is placed in an accessible area for easy operation, then the ease of operation is improved, but the risk of user injury and contamination increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccessibility of lock holderVSAvoiduser injury and contamination risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies illumination (optical effect) to change the visual appearance of the lock holder area. By providing circumferential lighting around the locking bolt, the system creates a visible light zone that alerts users to the presence of the locking mechanism, thereby preventing accidental contact while maintaining accessibility for intentional operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

2Device complexity

If traditional lock holders without lighting are used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the safety and visibility of the locking mechanism deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesimplicity of lock holder structureVSAvoidsafety of locking mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces lighting means as an intermediary element between the lock holder and the user. This intermediary provides safety information (visibility of the locking mechanism) without requiring direct contact or complex structural changes to the lock holder itself, thus maintaining simplicity while improving reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of manufacture

If the lock holder area is not illuminated, then the manufacturing cost and device complexity are reduced, but the visibility and safety alerting function deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidvisibility of locking mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses illumination to change the optical properties of the lock holder area, making it visible through light emission. This approach improves visibility and safety alerting while avoiding complex structural modifications, maintaining ease of manufacture through the use of standard lighting components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

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 illuminated lock holder design enhances user safety by preventing injuries and contamination, while also providing a cost-effective and structurally simple solution to improve safety in motor vehicles.

Implementation Method 1

a lighting means (6, 7, 9), in particular at least one LED

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight Emitting Diode: Light Emitting Diode

Data Source

PatentEP3356627B1Lock striker for a motor vehicle
Publication Date: 2019.10.30 KIEKERT AG
  • EP3356627B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3356627B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a lock striker (1, 11, 24) for a locking device, in particular a locking device for a motor vehicle, having at least one locking bolt (2, 12, 25), the locking bolt (2, 12, 25) cooperating with the locking device in such a way that a component connected to the lock striker (1, 11, 24) and a component connected to the locking device can be prevented from moving relative to each other, wherein the lock striker (1, 11, 24) has an illumination means (6, 7, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31).