Vehicle Door Edge Protector With Evasive Follower for Pinch Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protection devices for vehicle doors struggle to differentiate between external forces and foreign bodies entrapped during closure, leading to potential misidentification and operational issues.
Innovation Solution
A protection device for vehicle doors featuring a main body, follower portion, and suspension element that allows for evasive movement of the follower portion in response to external forces, incorporating a switching mechanism to distinguish between applied forces and entrapped foreign bodies, utilizing a flexible suspension element to deflect compressive forces into movement forces without additional deflection elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protection device with a detection system is arranged on a door to identify foreign bodies, then the safety against entrapment is improved, but the device cannot reliably differentiate between external forces and entrapped foreign bodies leading to misidentification
Solution Approach 1:
The protection device is segmented into a main body and a follower portion that can move independently relative to each other. The follower portion responds to external forces applied to the first outer portion, while the main body remains relatively stable. This segmentation allows the system to distinguish between forces applied to the follower portion (potential foreign body entrapment) and forces applied to the main body (external impacts), thereby improving detection accuracy without causing misidentification.
2Reliability
If the follower portion is made movable to detect foreign bodies, then the detection capability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional moving parts and suspension elements
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension element connecting the follower portion to the main body is made of elastomeric material, providing flexibility and elasticity. This flexible connection allows the follower portion to move in response to external forces while maintaining a simple, integrated structure. The elastomeric suspension element eliminates the need for complex mechanical linkages, bearings, or motors, thereby achieving reliable foreign body detection without significantly increasing device complexity.
3Device complexity
If the suspension element is designed to deflect compressive forces into movement forces, then the evasive movement is achieved without additional deflection elements, but the force transformation mechanism adds complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric suspension element is designed with specific material properties and geometric characteristics that enable it to transform compressive forces into movement forces. When an external force is applied to the follower portion, the elastomeric material deforms elastically, converting the compressive force into a movement that displaces the follower portion relative to the main body. This parameter-based approach (material elasticity and geometry) achieves force transformation without requiring additional mechanical deflection elements, maintaining both simplicity and manufacturability.
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
Effectively prevents misidentification of entrapped foreign bodies by mechanically distinguishing between external forces and entrapped objects, ensuring trouble-free vehicle operation and reducing potential damage.
Implementation Method 1
The suspension element is designed to cause an evasive movement of the follower portion away from the fastening side in response to an application of force to the first outer side
Data Source
AI summary
A protection device for a door leaf for a motor vehicle includes a main body, a follower portion and a suspension element. The main body has a fastening side for fastening the main body to the door leaf and a sealing side opposite the fastening side. Furthermore, the main body comprises a first outer portion and a second outer portion. The first outer portion and the second outer portion run between the sealing side and the fastening side. The follower portion is arranged on the sealing side. The suspension element movably connects the follower portion to the main body and is designed to cause an evasive movement of the follower portion away from the fastening side in response to an application of force to the first outer portion.