Vehicle Locking Device Rotary Catch Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional locking devices for vehicle elements often produce an undesirable opening noise, known as an opening bang, due to high sealing pressures and preloading during the locking and unlocking processes.
Innovation Solution
The locking device incorporates a rotary catch, a locking element, and a blocking mechanism with a movable actuating element that moves the rotary catch into a closed position beyond a latching position and stops it there, allowing for slow and delayed compression of sealing elements, thus reducing noise during opening and closing processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the rotary catch is moved beyond the main latching position to abut a latching lug of the blocking pawl in order to latch the rotary catch to the blocking pawl, then the locking device achieves a secure locked position, but high sealing pressure is built up on the sealing element causing an opening bang during the opening process
Solution Approach 1:
The locking process is divided into two distinct phases: a latching phase where the rotary catch engages with the blocking pawl to achieve secure locking, and a sealing phase where the rotary catch is further rotated to compress the sealing element. This segmentation allows the latching function to be completed before sealing pressure is applied, preventing the buildup of pressure that causes opening bang noise.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotary catch is preliminarily engaged with the blocking pawl at the latching position to establish secure locking before the sealing element is compressed. This preliminary latching action ensures that the locking mechanism is secure before any sealing pressure is applied, thereby preventing the sudden release of preloaded tension that causes opening bang.
2Strength
If the rotary catch is preloaded in the opening direction with a latching engagement between the rotary catch and blocking element, then the locking device maintains a firm connection, but high frictional forces arise that must be overcome during the opening process
Solution Approach 1:
The latching engagement is designed to be dynamic rather than statically preloaded. The rotary catch can freely engage and disengage from the blocking pawl without being held in a preloaded state. This dynamic design allows the latching mechanism to maintain firm connection when needed while avoiding the buildup of frictional forces that would resist the opening motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The design prevents the preliminary action that would cause the problem: instead of preloading the rotary catch in the opening direction, the mechanism allows the rotary catch to be freely rotatable relative to the blocking pawl until the actual locking action is required. This prevents the accumulation of frictional forces before opening.
3Reliability
If the sealing element is compressed too much during the closing process, then the sealing pressure is sufficient to prevent leakage, but an opening bang occurs due to sudden release of preloading when the blocking pawl is separated from the rotary catch
Solution Approach 1:
The closing process is segmented into a latching step where the rotary catch engages the blocking pawl, followed by a separate sealing step where the rotary catch is further rotated to compress the sealing element. This ensures that sealing pressure is applied only after locking is achieved, and the sealing element is not pre-compressed before the locking action, thereby preventing opening bang noise while maintaining effective sealing.
Data Source
AI summary
A locking device for a movable vehicle element of a vehicle may have at least a rotary catch, a locking element and an associated blocking mechanism. The blocking mechanism may have at least one blocking element and a movable actuating element for locked coupling of the rotary catch and the locking element. The movable actuating element may be designed to move the rotary catch into a closed position going beyond at least one latching position and to stop in this closed position. The rotary catch and the blocking element may be out of latching engagement in the closed position.