Vehicle Work Surface Locking Mechanism for One-Handed Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Deployable work surfaces in vehicles face challenges in preventing free rotation during use or vehicle motion, with existing solutions increasing the effort required for actuation, thereby compromising user experience.
Innovation Solution
A work surface design featuring an actuator plate that engages with a locking plate, allowing actuation between locked and unlocked configurations, utilizing a puck and protrusions for controlled angular displacement and engagement points, ensuring ergonomic actuation and resistance to unintentional deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the effort required to enable actuation of the deployable apparatus is increased, then the apparatus can be prevented from free rotation, but the quality of the user experience decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into two separate plates: an actuator plate and a locking plate. The actuator plate receives user input in a first direction, while the locking plate responds by moving in a second direction to engage or disengage locking protrusions. This segmentation allows the actuator plate to be easily actuated by the user while the locking plate provides robust prevention of free rotation, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuator plate serves as an intermediary between the user and the locking plate. User actuation of the actuator plate in the first direction translates into movement of the locking plate in the second direction, which then engages with protrusions on the work surface. This intermediary mechanism allows easy user operation while maintaining strong locking capability to prevent free rotation.
2Manufacturing precision
If a locking mechanism with protrusions and engagement points is implemented, then control over angular displacement is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism uses segmented protrusions distributed along the locking plate, with each protrusion corresponding to a specific engagement point. This segmentation provides precise angular displacement control at discrete positions without requiring a complex continuous control system. The simple geometric features of protrusions and corresponding engagement slots maintain manufacturing simplicity while achieving the desired precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism controls angular displacement by changing the engagement state between protrusions and engagement points at specific angular positions. The protrusions are positioned to engage at predetermined angular displacements (e.g., 0°, 45°, 90°), providing precise positional control through geometric parameters rather than complex mechanical controls, thus maintaining simplicity while achieving manufacturing precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A work surface for a vehicle includes an actuator plate that engages with a locking plate. Actuation of the actuator plate in a first direction induces actuation of the locking plate in a second direction, thereby actuating the locking plate between a locked and an unlocked configuration.