Adjustable Vehicle Door Latch for Venting Airflow
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Off-road vehicles lack effective ventilation systems to maintain airflow through the passenger space due to windshields obstructing air flow, leading to discomfort under ambient conditions.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable door assembly with a striker mechanism that allows the door to move between closed and venting positions, incorporating a geared mechanism or cam lock system to expose vents for airflow into the passenger space while maintaining door latching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a windshield is installed in off-road vehicles to protect occupants, then safety and comfort are improved, but airflow into the passenger space is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The door is divided into multiple independent sections: a fixed portion and an adjustable portion that can move independently. This segmentation allows the door to simultaneously maintain closure for protection and create openings for airflow, resolving the contradiction between safety and ventilation.
Solution Approach 2:
The door assembly incorporates an adjustable mechanism (geared or cam lock) that enables dynamic repositioning of the door between closed and vented states. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt to different operational conditions, providing both protection and airflow as needed.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the door is kept closed to maintain security and protection, then safety is improved, but ventilation and airflow are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The door assembly is segmented into fixed and movable portions, allowing the fixed portion to remain closed for security while the adjustable portion can be positioned to create vents for airflow. This resolves the contradiction by enabling simultaneous closure and ventilation.
Solution Approach 2:
The door assembly serves multiple functions: it provides security when closed, enables ventilation when adjusted, and maintains structural integrity throughout. The adjustable mechanism allows a single door assembly to fulfill both protective and ventilative roles.
3Reliability
If traditional door latching mechanisms are used to secure the door closed, then door security is improved, but the ability to vent while latched is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The latching mechanism is designed to be dynamic rather than fixed. The adjustable mechanism allows the door to be latched at multiple positions, including fully closed and partially vented positions. This maintains latching reliability while adding ventilating versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The door latching system is segmented into the main latching mechanism and the adjustable positioning mechanism. This allows the latching function to remain reliable while the adjustment function provides ventilating capability, resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable door assembly for a vehicle door can include a striker and an adjustable mechanism connected to the striker that moves the striker to any of a plurality of positions that range from a first position through a second position. The adjustable mechanism can include one of a geared mechanism and a cam lock mechanism. The geared mechanism can include a pinion gear and a rack gear engaging the pinion gear. The striker can be mounted onto the rack gear to move the striker to any of the plurality of positions. The cam lock mechanism can include a first tube, a second tube telescoping in the first tube, a locking bolt, and a lever. The lever can selectively move the locking bolt to an unlocked state that permits the second tube to telescope inside the first tube and move the striker between the first position and the second position.