Vehicle Door Drive Assembly Emergency Actuation Circuit

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle door drive assemblies for buses and trains rely on fluidic actuators, which require manual emergency actuation mechanisms that are not independent of fluidic loading, posing challenges in operational safety and integration effort, especially during power supply drops.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle door drive assembly with an electrical emergency actuation circuit that includes a coupling device actuated via control signals, allowing for manual emergency operation by changing the coupling device's position between a drive position and an emergency actuation position, ensuring operational safety and reduced integration effort by using a backup power supply to maintain functionality during power outages.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual emergency actuation mechanisms are integrated into vehicle door drive assemblies with fluidic actuators, then operational safety is improved, but integration effort and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational safetyVSAvoidintegration effort
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the emergency actuation valve device with the existing fluidic actuator into a single integrated unit. The valve device is positioned within the actuator housing and shares common fluid connections, eliminating the need for separate emergency actuation components and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining safety functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The fluidic actuator serves dual purposes: normal door operation through controlled fluid pressure and emergency actuation through the integrated valve device that allows direct manual operation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate emergency mechanisms and simplifies integration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If emergency actuation valve devices are added to enable manual emergency operation, then operational safety is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational safetyVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The emergency actuation valve device is merged with the fluidic actuator housing and shares common fluid passages and connections. This integration eliminates separate components and reduces overall device complexity while maintaining emergency actuation functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The valve device is designed to be actuated directly by manual force applied to the door, utilizing the door's own movement to trigger the emergency release without requiring additional actuators or complex control mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If stable closed position is secured electromagnetically with coil and armatures, then reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestable closed positionVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The electromagnetic coil is energized only during critical phases to maintain the closed position, rather than continuous operation. The system uses periodic energization cycles to maintain reliability while reducing overall energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces purely mechanical spring-based positioning with an electromagnetic field-based system that uses magnetic flux between armatures to maintain the closed position, providing more reliable positioning with controlled energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 solution enhances operational safety and reduces the effort required for integration by enabling manual emergency actuation independent of fluidic loading and maintaining functionality during power supply drops, ensuring the vehicle door can be operated safely and efficiently.

Implementation Method 1

a holding magnet (47), which serves to hold the valve body (45) in the closed position

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMagnetic force: Magnetism

Implementation Method 2

an opening spring (22), which serves to move the valve body (45) from the closed position into the open position

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic force: Spring

Data Source

PatentEP3453931B1Vehicle door drive assembly
Publication Date: 2019.10.02 SCHULTE REINHOLD
  • EP3453931B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3453931B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3453931B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

According to the invention, a vehicle door drive assembly (66) is proposed, comprising a drive train (67). A closing and an opening movement of a vehicle door (1) can be effected via the drive train (67) by means of an actuator (6). The drive train (67) has a coupling device (72) that can be switched via an electrical control connection (20). Depending on the energization of the electrical control connection (20), the coupling device (72) can be moved into a drive position in which the vehicle door (1) is coupled to the drive unit (68), and into an emergency operation position in which the vehicle door (1) is decoupled from the drive unit (68), thus enabling manual emergency operation of the vehicle door (1). An electrical emergency operation circuit (23) comprises an emergency actuation element (39) and an electrical power supply.The electrical emergency actuation circuit (23) controls the coupling device (72) such that the coupling device (72) assumes the actuation position when there is no interruption in the electrical power supply and no emergency actuation of the emergency actuation element (39), but assumes an emergency actuation position when there is an interruption in the electrical power supply or an emergency actuation of the emergency actuation element (39). Preferably, the electrical emergency actuation circuit (23) has a buffer power supply (27) via which the vehicle door drive assembly (66) can still be operated, at least to a limited extent, even if the power supply via a main power supply (25) has failed. The vehicle door drive assembly (66) according to the invention is preferably used for vehicle doors of a bus or a train.