Vehicle Door Coupling Unit for Reduced Lateral Opening Bulk
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coupling units for vehicle doors result in a relatively large lateral bulk when the door moves from its closed to open position, making it difficult to park in narrow spaces.
Innovation Solution
A coupling unit that allows the door to move along a curvilinear trajectory with a component of horizontal motion in the intermediate position and a component of vertical motion in the open position, reducing the lateral bulk of the vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the door is coupled to rotate around a fulcrum axis between closed and open positions, then the door can move between closed and open positions, but the vehicle has a relatively large lateral bulk
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling unit transitions the door's movement from a purely lateral rotation around a fulcrum axis to a curvilinear trajectory that incorporates both lateral and longitudinal components. The door moves along an arc that first opens laterally away from the vehicle body, then transitions to move forward longitudinally, effectively utilizing a third dimension (depth/longitudinal space) to reduce the lateral bulk requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanism employs a dynamic trajectory that changes the door's path of motion based on its position. The curvilinear movement allows the door to adapt its motion vector, shifting from lateral to longitudinal movement as it opens, thereby optimizing space utilization throughout the opening sequence rather than maintaining a fixed rotational path.
2Device complexity
If the door follows a traditional rotational path, then the coupling mechanism is simple, but the lateral bulk is large
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling unit achieves the curvilinear trajectory through a mechanical linkage system that guides the door along an arc-shaped path. This involves coordinating lateral and longitudinal movements through interconnected components, adding some complexity but enabling the door to open in a two-dimensional plane rather than simple rotation, thus reducing lateral bulk.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling unit introduces intermediary elements (coupling rods, joints, and linkage mechanisms) that mediate between the door and the vehicle body. These intermediaries transform the direct rotational motion into a curvilinear trajectory, allowing the door to follow a more space-efficient path while maintaining a manageable mechanical structure.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
A coupling unit for coupling a door (5) to a frame (2) of a vehicle has a first coupling device (7) configured to be fixed to the frame (2) of the vehicle, and a second coupling device (9), which is configured to be fixed to the door (5) of the vehicle, and is connected to the first coupling device (7) so as to rotate, relative to the frame (2), around a rotation axis (24), which is variable in the space during the opening and the closing of the door (5).