Commercial Vehicle Cabin Handle Pressure Equalization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Commercial vehicle cabin doors often experience pressure surges when closing, leading to incomplete sealing due to excess air, which is exacerbated by the large area of the doors and requires complex flap arrangements within the ventilation system, making it difficult to achieve efficient pressure equalization.

Innovation Solution

A handle with adjustable mounting elements and a spring-loaded actuating element that allows the pivotally mounted pane to swing outwards when pressure surges occur, compensating for excess pressure and ensuring complete closure, while also allowing for tolerance compensation and easy retrofitting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If the cabin door is closed with a large area, then the sealing area is increased, but a pressure surge occurs that prevents complete closure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecabin door areaVSAvoidclosure completeness
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The handle is designed with movable mounting elements that can adjust their position dynamically. The mounting elements can move along guide rails or tracks to change the effective lever arm length, allowing the handle to adapt to pressure variations and maintain reliable closure despite large door area

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the geometric parameters of the handle mechanism by allowing the distance between mounting elements to vary. This parameter adjustment enables the handle to compensate for pressure surges and maintain adequate closing force throughout the closure process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If complex flap arrangements are added to the ventilation system, then pressure equalization is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure equalizationVSAvoidventilation system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the pressure equalization function from the ventilation system and relocates it to the handle mechanism itself. By making the mounting elements movable, the handle directly compensates for pressure surges without requiring complex flap arrangements in the ventilation system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The handle mechanism serves itself by using the pressure surge to automatically move the mounting elements to positions that compensate for the pressure change. This self-regulating mechanism eliminates the need for external control systems or complex ventilation arrangements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Manufacturing precision

If the handle structure is made fixed, then the manufacturing precision is easier to control, but tolerance compensation is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandle assembly precisionVSAvoidtolerance compensation
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The handle transitions from a fixed structure to a dynamic one where mounting elements can move along defined paths. This dynamic capability allows the handle to compensate for manufacturing tolerances and environmental variations while maintaining adequate precision through guided movement

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 handle effectively equalizes pressure inside the cabin, ensuring complete closure of the cabin door and maintaining air-tight sealing, even in varying temperature conditions, by automatically adjusting the distance between mounting elements and the actuating element, thus preventing pressure surges from interfering with the door's closure.

Implementation Method 1

a spring-loaded actuating element that allows the pivotally mounted pane to swing outwards when pressure surges occur

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpring: Spring

Data Source

PatentEP3461975B1Handle, cabin for a commercial vehicle and commercial vehicle
Publication Date: 2022.04.20 CLAAS TRACTOR
  • EP3461975B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3461975B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3461975B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a handle (14) comprising at least two cooperating mounting elements (16, 17) for arrangement on a disc (10, 11) of a commercial vehicle cabin which is pivotably mounted relative to a frame and which can be moved from a closed position to a pivoted position by actuating the handle (14) and can be locked in each of these positions, and to an actuating element (23) by which the handle (14) can be locked in the respective position of the pivotably mounted disc (10, 11), wherein, in particular, when the disc (10, 11) is in the closed position and the handle (14) is in the locked position, the distance between the mounting elements (16, 17) and the actuating element (23) of the handle (14) can be changed in the axial direction.