Vehicle Door Linear Guide Cover Element Air Leakage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle door guide systems allow conditioned air from air ducts to penetrate into the vehicle interior through guide openings, leading to inefficiencies in air conditioning.

Innovation Solution

A linear guide device with a cover element that spans the guide opening to prevent air leakage, while allowing a control cable to run within and be guided by the cover element during door operation, ensuring reliable cable routing and sealing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a guide opening is provided for guiding the guide device, then the guide device can be properly positioned and controlled, but conditioned air can penetrate from the air duct into the vehicle interior

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguide device positioningVSAvoidair leakage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The guide device is nested within the cover element, which itself is integrated into the linear guide structure. The control cable runs through the cover element, allowing the guide device to be positioned reliably while the cover prevents air leakage through the guide opening.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The cover element acts as an intermediary component between the guide opening and the vehicle interior. It mediates between the need for guide device access and the need to prevent air leakage, allowing controlled access while blocking unwanted air flow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the guide opening is closed to prevent air leakage, then thermal insulation is improved, but the guide device cannot be properly positioned or controlled

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair leakage preventionVSAvoidguide device control
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The guide device is nested within the cover element structure, allowing it to be positioned and controlled through the cover rather than through an open guide opening. This maintains thermal insulation while preserving guide device functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The cover element serves as an intermediary that transmits control movements to the guide device while preventing air leakage. It allows the guide device to be controlled through its structured opening while blocking unwanted air flow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a cover element is added to prevent air leakage, then thermal insulation is improved, but the control cable routing becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair leakage preventionVSAvoidcontrol cable routing
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cover element performs multiple functions: it prevents air leakage, guides the control cable, and provides structural support for the guide device. By combining these functions into a single component, the overall device complexity is reduced despite the added functionality.

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

Solution Approach 2:

The control cable is nested within the cover element structure, allowing it to be routed through the cover in a controlled manner. This integration simplifies cable management compared to adding separate cable routing components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP3150414B1Guiding device, in particular linear guide, for a vehicle door construction
Publication Date: 2018.10.10 MAN TRUCK & BUS SE
  • EP3150414B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3150414B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3150414B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a guide device (1) for a vehicle door assembly, preferably a bus door assembly. The guide device (1) serves to position the vehicle between an air duct (2) for air conditioned by an air conditioning system and a vehicle interior (3) and includes a guide opening (4) for guiding a suitably guided guide element. The guide device (1) is characterized in particular by the fact that the guide opening (4) is spanned by a cover element (6) in order to at least reduce the passage of air from the air duct (2) into the vehicle interior (3) via the guide opening (4).