Door Block Intrusion Guard for Vehicle Side Impact
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle door designs are ineffective in protecting occupants from longitudinal intrusion during side impacts, often being expensive and heavy, while also failing to provide adequate protection in both lateral and longitudinal directions.
Innovation Solution
A door block made of rigid materials like aluminum, strategically positioned between the inner and outer door panels, with a wider upper portion attached to the inner panel and a lower portion spaced apart, featuring a door beam attachment surface matching the geometry of the door beam, which is attached using bolts or keyways, effectively halting intrusion by engaging with the door beam and C-pillar during impacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If door intrusion guard beams and structural upgrades are added, then collision protection is improved, but manufacturing cost and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The door block integrates multiple protective functions into a single component that combines energy absorption characteristics with intrusion resistance. This merged structure eliminates the need for separate foam blocks, honeycomb structures, and guard beams, reducing both manufacturing complexity and assembly costs while maintaining comprehensive collision protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The door block serves multiple protective functions simultaneously: it absorbs impact energy, resists lateral intrusion, prevents longitudinal intrusion, and works with the door beam to protect the occupant compartment. This multi-functional design replaces multiple specialized components with a single versatile structure.
2Reliability
If door intrusion guard beams and structural upgrades are added, then collision protection is improved, but door weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The door block is constructed from composite materials that provide high strength and energy absorption characteristics relative to its weight. This allows the structure to achieve improved collision protection without the excessive weight increase that would result from traditional metal guard beams and thick foam structures.
Data Source
AI summary
An energy absorbing vehicle door having a door block strategically located within the door is disclosed. The door block has an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion is wider than the lower portion and is attached to the inner panel of the door. A door beam is provided between the inner panel of the door and the outer panel. A portion of the door beam is positioned between the inner panel and the lower portion of the door block. The door beam may be attached to the lower portion of the door block. The attachment surface of the lower portion of the door block may have a geometry that is the same as or is substantially the same as the geometry of the door beam.