Vehicle Door Assist Mechanism with Flexible Spline Torque
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle door assist mechanisms face challenges in providing sufficient torque to efficiently open and close vehicle doors, especially when dealing with doors of large mass, and often require complex gearing systems that increase size and cost.
Innovation Solution
A door operating mechanism featuring a motor coupled to a gear-reduction interface with an oblong bearing that slidably rotates within a flexible spline, meshing with a rigid outer gear, providing high torque output through a minimal number of components, including external and inner cogs of gears and a hinge plate, allowing for precise and controlled door movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a motor is used to assist in rotating a door, then the door operation is automated, but the torque required to move large mass doors is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible spline is introduced as an intermediary element between the motor and the door assembly. The flexible spline transmits rotational force from the motor while accommodating misalignment and providing a mechanical advantage that multiplies the motor's torque output, enabling the motor to effectively move large mass doors without requiring the motor itself to generate extremely high torque.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the transmission system by using a flexible spline with specific geometric characteristics (elongated cross-section, controlled flexibility). This allows the system to transform the motor's rotational parameters into high-torque output parameters suitable for moving heavy doors, resolving the contradiction between automation and sufficient force.
2Force
If complex gearing systems are used to increase torque, then sufficient force is achieved, but the device size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex multi-stage gearing system and replaces it with a single flexible spline element. This extraction eliminates unnecessary intermediate gears and reduction stages, achieving the required torque multiplication through the flexible spline's mechanical properties alone, thereby reducing device complexity and size while maintaining sufficient force output.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible spline serves as a simplified intermediary that performs the torque multiplication function previously requiring complex gearing. Its flexible nature allows it to engage and disengage smoothly, providing the necessary mechanical advantage without the complexity of traditional gear trains.
3Force
If traditional gear mechanisms are used, then torque is transmitted, but the operation produces noise and vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible spline—a thin, flexible element with a specialized cross-sectional geometry— to transmit torque between the motor and door assembly. This flexible component absorbs shocks and vibrations that would otherwise be transmitted through rigid gear mechanisms, significantly reducing noise and harmful vibrations while maintaining effective torque transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible spline acts as a damping intermediary between the motor and the door mechanism. Its material properties and geometric design allow it to filter out high-frequency vibrations and noise generated during engagement and disengagement, providing smooth torque transmission without the harmful side effects associated with traditional rigid gear systems.
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 mechanism achieves high torque output with low-speed rotational movement, enabling efficient and precise operation of vehicle doors, reducing the need for complex gearing and allowing for a smaller motor, while ensuring smooth and quiet operation.
Implementation Method 1
A door operating mechanism featuring a motor coupled to a gear-reduction interface with an oblong bearing that slidably rotates within a flexible spline
Implementation Method 2
external cogs of an inner gear that mesh with inner cogs of an outer gear and a single oblong bearing that biases the inner gear in partial engagement with the outer gear
Implementation Method 3
external cogs of an inner gear that mesh with inner cogs of an outer gear... Rotation of the oblong bearing meshes the external cogs with the inner cogs resulting in rotation of the flexible inner gear relative to the rigid outer gear
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes a door frame coupled to a vehicle frame at a hinge. A door operating mechanism is coupled to the door and vehicle frames for applying rotational force to the door frame about the hinge. The door operating mechanism including external cogs of an inner gear that mesh with inner cogs of an outer gear and a single oblong bearing that biases the inner gear in partial engagement with the outer gear.