Automotive Door Catcher Pin Side Impact Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for limiting door intrusion during a side impact in automotive vehicles do not effectively control the recession of the door's bottom part or provide a locking mechanism for the stopper pin, leading to uncontrolled kinetic energy transfer.
Innovation Solution
A door system with an impact-responsive catcher pin that extends from the door into a receiver on the rocker beam, driven by a supplemental restraint system, featuring a stored energy device and an integral sprag for positive locking, coordinated with side airbag deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a very rigid door is used to limit intrusion during heavy impact, then door intrusion is reduced, but more kinetic energy is transferred to the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The door system transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic system with controlled movement. The catcher pin mechanism allows the door to move dynamically during impact, absorbing energy through controlled deformation and movement rather than rigid resistance, thereby reducing kinetic energy transfer to the vehicle while still limiting intrusion.
Solution Approach 2:
The catcher pin is pre-positioned and spring-loaded within the door assembly before impact occurs. Upon impact detection, the mechanism automatically engages the catcher pin with the receiver on the rocker beam, providing immediate intrusion limitation without requiring active control during the impact event.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a pyrotechnically driven component is extended into the B pillar to limit door intrusion, then intrusion is limited, but the system does not control recession of the bottom part of the door
Solution Approach 1:
The door restraint system is divided into multiple independent components: the catcher pin for lateral intrusion control, the spring mechanism for recession control, and the receiver on the rocker beam for anchoring. This segmentation allows each component to address specific aspects of door movement independently, providing comprehensive control over both intrusion and recession.
Solution Approach 2:
The catcher pin acts as an intermediary element between the door and the rocker beam. It transfers and controls forces during impact, mediating the interaction between the door structure and the vehicle frame, thereby enabling controlled limitation of both intrusion and recession through its engagement with the receiver.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a stopper pin is extended into the B pillar to limit door intrusion, then intrusion is limited, but the system does not provide a locking mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-loaded catcher pin mechanism is pre-positioned and cushioned within the door assembly before impact. The spring provides a cushioning effect that allows controlled engagement of the catcher pin with the receiver, ensuring reliable locking while accommodating variations in impact force and timing without causing structural damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The catcher pin mechanism utilizes changes in spring compression and pin position parameters to achieve reliable locking. The spring constant, pin geometry, and receiver dimensions are optimized to ensure consistent engagement under varying impact conditions, transforming the locking mechanism's parameters to maintain reliability across different impact scenarios.
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
Mitigates door intrusion and kinetic energy transfer during side impacts by deploying the catcher pin to resist translational movement, ensuring the pin remains locked and only the affected doors are secured, with low installed weight and integration with current vehicle designs.
Implementation Method 1
A catcher pin according to the present invention is driven by a stored energy device which may include a pyrotechnic charge, or a compressed gas canister, or compression spring, or other types of stored energy linear actuators known to those skilled in the art
Implementation Method 2
The catcher pin is driven by a stored energy device which may include a pyrotechnic charge
Data Source
AI summary
A door system for an automotive vehicle includes an impact-responsive catcher pin which may be operated by a supplemental restraint system having side impact sensing capability so that the impact-responsive catcher pin may be directed to deploy from a housing mounted within a vehicle door, to a position in which the catcher pin locks the vehicle door to a rocker beam adjoining the door.