Vehicle Door Handle Lever Device for Collision Stability
Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle door handles can inadvertently open during a lateral collision due to inertia, exposing passengers and causing objects to be thrown out, as the door latch is operated by the door handle's inertia, leading to instability.
Innovation Solution
A lever device is introduced that connects the door handle to a cable operating the door latch, featuring a handle lever and link lever that separate during a collision, preventing the cable from being pulled and thus locking the latch, using a handle lever shaft, handle connection part, handle body part with a coupling groove, and a link lever with a fitting groove for the cable, along with a return spring for stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a door handle is connected directly to a cable operating the door latch, then the door can be opened easily by pulling the handle, but the door may open undesirably during a lateral collision due to inertia
Solution Approach 1:
The door handle system is segmented into two separate lever components: a handle lever (110) connected to the door handle and a link lever (120) connected to the cable. These levers are selectively coupled through a coupling groove (113a) and link body part (122). During normal operation, the levers are coupled to transmit force from the handle to the cable. During a collision, the levers separate to prevent inertial force from operating the latch, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling groove (113a) and link body part (122) act as an intermediary mechanism between the handle lever and link lever. This intermediary allows selective coupling and decoupling of the two levers based on the magnitude of applied force. During normal use, the intermediary maintains coupling for force transmission, while during collision, it allows separation to block inertial force transmission to the cable and latch.
2Device complexity
If the door handle is designed with a simple direct connection to the latch mechanism, then the structure is simple, but it cannot prevent unwanted door opening during collision
Solution Approach 1:
The handle structure is segmented into two lever components (handle lever and link lever) that can selectively couple and decouple. This segmentation adds complexity to the structure but enables the levers to separate during collision, preventing inertial force from operating the latch and improving door stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling between the handle lever and link lever is dynamic rather than fixed. The coupling groove (113a) and link body part (122) allow the levers to be coupled during normal operation for force transmission, but enable them to separate when subjected to collision forces. This dynamic coupling mechanism resolves the contradiction between structural simplicity and collision reliability.
3Productivity
If the link lever is designed to remain connected during collision, then the door can be opened quickly in emergencies, but passengers are exposed to danger during lateral collision
Solution Approach 1:
The lever device incorporates a preliminary anti-action mechanism where the handle lever and link lever are designed to separate when subjected to collision forces before the door can be opened. The coupling groove (113a) and link body part (122) are positioned and dimensioned to break the connection under collision conditions, preventing the inertial force from operating the latch and protecting passengers from the harmful effect of unwanted door opening.
Solution Approach 2:
The inertial force generated during collision, which would normally harmfully open the door, is converted into a beneficial separation action. The coupling groove (113a) and link body part (122) are designed to break under collision forces, causing the handle lever and link lever to separate. This converts the harmful inertial force into a protective action that prevents the door from opening during collision while maintaining normal operation capability.
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 lever device effectively prevents the door from opening undesirably during a lateral collision by blocking the connection between the door handle and cable, enhancing vehicle door stability by maintaining the latch in a locked state.
Implementation Method 1
The handle lever shaft is provided with a return spring to elastically bias the handle connection part to a direction.
Data Source
AI summary
A lever device for a vehicle door handle connecting a door handle to a cable operating a door latch device while being pulled by the door handle, may include a handle lever having a handle lever shaft rotatably mounted at a door; a handle connection part mounted at one side of the handle lever shaft and connected to the door handle; and a handle body part mounted at another other side of the handle lever shaft and provided with a coupling groove; and a link lever having a link lever shaft rotatably coupled between the handle lever and the door handle; and a link body part, one end which is selectively inserted into the coupling groove of the handle body part and another end thereof is connected to the cable.