Vehicle Door Actuating Mechanism With Concealed Emergency Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle door actuating mechanisms require additional design space for both electrical and manual actuation functions, often resulting in a non-uniform appearance and limited actuation paths, especially in compact spaces.
Innovation Solution
An actuating mechanism with a housing and an actuating means featuring a curved region pivotally connected to a pivot axis, allowing for both electrical and manual unlocking functions, where the curved region is concealed within the housing in normal operation but visible only in emergency release positions, enabling a compact and robust design with a long actuation path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate mechanical actuators and push-buttons are provided for manual and electrical actuation, then both actuation functions are available, but additional design space is required and the overall image becomes non-uniform
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the mechanical actuator and electrical push-button into a single integrated actuating mechanism. The actuating means serves dual purposes: when pressed it generates an electrical actuation signal, and when pulled it activates the emergency release function. This merging eliminates the need for separate components and reduces design space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuating means is designed as a multi-functional component that performs both electrical signal generation and mechanical emergency release activation. The curved region serves as both the actuating surface for normal operation and the emergency release element when pulled out, allowing one component to fulfill multiple actuation roles.
2Ease of operation
If a traditional mechanical door handle is used for emergency release, then manual unlocking is possible, but the actuation path is limited by the outer skin
Solution Approach 1:
The curved region is designed to move along a curved trajectory that extends beyond the linear constraints of traditional handles. By utilizing a curved path of motion, the actuating means achieves a longer effective actuation path while remaining compact, allowing the emergency release function to be activated with a pulling motion that follows the curvature of the region.
3Ease of operation
If the curved region is always visible, then the user can see the emergency release function, but the mechanism loses its sleek appearance and visual integration
Solution Approach 1:
The curved region transitions between visible and concealed states based on its position. In the home position and actuating position, the curved region is arranged inside the housing and not visible to the user, maintaining a sleek appearance. When pulled into the emergency release position, the curved region protrudes from the housing and becomes visible, indicating the emergency function is active.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to an actuating mechanism for actuating, in particular opening, vehicle doors, wherein the actuating mechanism comprises the following: a housing having a pivot axis; an actuating element, which is transferable from a home position into an actuating position in order to generate an electrical actuation signal and into an emergency release position for manual unlocking of the vehicle door, wherein the actuating element comprises a curved region, which is pivotally connected to the pivot axis, and wherein the curved region is arranged in the home position of the actuating element in the housing and protrudes from the housing in the emergency release position of the actuating element.