Vehicle Door Handle Inertia Stopper for Side-Collision Lockout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle door handle devices fail to reliably prevent door opening during side collisions when the operation handle is at the pop-up position, as the inertia lever's rotation regulation is only effective at the initial position, leading to unintended door opening.
Innovation Solution
A door handle device with an inertia stopper mechanism that includes a stopper protruding portion and an inertia stopper with two stopper surfaces, allowing the stopper protruding portion to limit movement of the operation handle at both initial and use positions, preventing unintended door opening by rotating due to inertia during collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single stopper surface is used in the inertia lever, then the structure is simple, but the door can be inadvertently opened when the operation handle is at the pop-up position during side collision
Solution Approach 1:
The inertia lever is divided into multiple functional segments with two distinct stopper surfaces (first stopper surface and second stopper surface) positioned at different locations. The first stopper surface prevents handle movement from the initial position, while the second stopper surface prevents movement from the pop-up position. This segmentation allows each surface to independently protect against door opening at specific handle positions during side collision.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection mechanism is extended from a single-position stopper to a multi-position stopper system by adding spatial dimensionality. The two stopper surfaces are positioned at different radial distances from the rotation axis, creating a stepped configuration that provides protection at multiple handle positions (initial position and pop-up position) simultaneously.
2Ease of operation
If the operation handle is made movable to the pop-up position, then ease of operation is improved, but vulnerability to inadvertent opening during side collision increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inertia lever is pre-configured with two stopper surfaces that will automatically engage to prevent harmful movement when side collision occurs. The first stopper surface is positioned to prevent handle rotation from the initial position, while the second stopper surface is positioned to prevent rotation from the pop-up position. This preliminary arrangement ensures that regardless of which position the handle is in during collision, the inertia lever will provide protective counter-action.
3Reliability
If the inertia stopper has two stopper surfaces at different radial positions, then protection coverage is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Two stopper surfaces that would traditionally require separate components are merged into a single integrated inertia stopper component. The inertia lever is formed as one piece with two differently positioned stopper surfaces (first and second stopper surfaces) created during the same manufacturing process, eliminating the need for separate parts and reducing assembly steps while maintaining comprehensive protection.
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 door opening during side collisions regardless of the operation handle's position, enhancing safety by limiting movement and maintaining door closure through a simplified structure with fewer components.
Implementation Method 1
The inertia stopper 7 is configured to rotate from a standby position to a regulation position due to inertia when a collision force is applied to the vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
A door handle device for a vehicle includes a handle base including an inertia stopper and an operation handle including a stopper protruding portion. The operation handle is movable from an initial position to a use position and to a latch operation position. The inertia stopper has two stopper surfaces and is to rotate from a standby position to a regulation position due to inertia when a collision force is applied to the vehicle. The stopper protruding portion includes a first stopper to, when the operation handle is at the initial position, limit a movement of the operation handle toward the use position by abutting against one of the stopper surfaces, and a second stopper to, when the operation handle is at the use position, limit the movement of the operation handle toward the latch operation position by abutting against another one of the stopper surfaces.