Vehicle Door Handle With Hidden Emergency Opening Actuator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle door designs lack a convenient and safe mechanism for operation, particularly in emergency situations, and often require additional components that compromise aesthetics and increase cost.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle door with an integrated handle element that includes an operating element for electrically unlocking the lock and an actuating element accessible via a movement of the handle, allowing mechanical unlocking and high-force application directly to the door, bypassing the handle, ensuring safe and ergonomic operation even in power failure scenarios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an additional separate emergency actuating element is provided, then reliability in emergency situations is improved, but device complexity and aesthetic appearance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the emergency actuating element with the handle element to form an integrated unit. The actuating element is positioned within the handle element structure, allowing it to be concealed during normal operation and only become accessible when the handle element is moved to a specific position. This merging eliminates the need for separate emergency release mechanisms while maintaining emergency functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuating element is nested within the handle element structure. During normal operation, the actuating element is hidden inside the handle element, maintaining a clean aesthetic appearance. When emergency operation is required, the handle element is moved to expose the actuating element, allowing access without requiring separate external components.
2Ease of operation
If force is transmitted through the handle element to open the door, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability in accident scenarios deteriorates due to potential handle damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the force transmission path into two independent routes: a normal operation path through the handle element for convenient door opening, and an emergency path through the actuating element that bypasses the handle element. This segmentation ensures that if the handle element is damaged in an accident, the emergency actuating element remains functional and can transmit force directly to the door through its own dedicated force transmission element.
3Ease of operation
If the handle element is arranged above the beltline, then ergonomic operation is improved, but visibility and access to emergency functions may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic configuration where the actuating element's accessibility changes based on the handle element's position. During normal operation, the actuating element is concealed within the handle element at its elevated position for ergonomic access. When emergency operation is initiated by moving the handle element to a specific position, the actuating element becomes accessible, allowing users to grasp it and apply force directly to open the door.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle door for a motor vehicle includes a handle element which is arranged on the outer side of the door above a beltline of the vehicle door, wherein an operating element is integrated into the handle element, by which operating element a lock, by which the vehicle door, which can be arranged on a body of the motor vehicle so as to be movable between a closed position and at least one open position, is to be secured in the closed position, is able to be electrically unlocked. The handle element is held on a base body of the vehicle door so as to be movable relative to the base body from a rest position into at least one actuating position. The lock is able to be mechanically unlocked by moving the handle element from the rest position into the actuating position. The movement of the handle element into the actuating position makes accessible an actuating element via which, while bypassing the handle element, a force intended for opening the vehicle door can be applied to the vehicle door.