Cantilevered Flapper Door Assembly for Vehicle Striker Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automotive vehicles face challenges in aesthetically covering and protecting the striker latching components when the trunk or liftgate doors are open, as existing solutions often require additional components and complex mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A retractable flapper door assembly with a base and a flapper door that rotates using a first pivot axis, featuring cantilever springs integrally formed with the door, which biases the door to a closed position, partially covering the striker recess and providing a stop member to maintain the closed position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional components and complex mechanisms are used to cover and protect the striker latching component, then the coverage and protection function is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flapper door is integrally formed with the cantilever spring as a single piece, combining the door structure and the biasing mechanism into one component. This eliminates the need for separate springs and mounting hardware, reducing device complexity while maintaining the coverage and protection function of the striker latching component.
Solution Approach 2:
The cantilever spring is integrally formed with the flapper door, allowing the door to generate its own closing force without external assistance. The spring automatically biases the door to the closed position, providing self-contained operation that reduces the need for additional components.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate components are used for the flapper door assembly, then the functionality is improved, but the assembly complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flapper door and cantilever spring are manufactured as a single integral component, reducing assembly steps and lowering manufacturing costs. The unified structure maintains all necessary functionalities including coverage, biasing force, and stop member operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrally formed flapper door assembly performs multiple functions: covering the striker recess, providing closing bias force through the cantilever spring, and incorporating a stop member to maintain the closed position. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate components while maintaining versatility.
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 flapper door assembly effectively covers the striker recess, enhancing the vehicle's appearance, preventing object contact, and reducing assembly complexity and costs by eliminating the need for additional components, while allowing easy access and tuning of the closing bias force.
Implementation Method 1
the cantilever spring comprises a beam and a second pivot axis offset from the first pivot axis and connected to the base to bias the flapper door to the closed position
Data Source
AI summary
A flapper door assembly for a vehicle is provided. The assembly includes a base comprising attachment features and a flapper door connected to the base via the attachment features and a first pivot axis to allow the door to rotate between open and closed positions, wherein the flapper door further comprises at least one cantilever spring integrally formed with the flapper door, wherein the cantilever spring comprises a beam and a second pivot axis offset from the first rod to bias the flapper door to the closed position.