Motor Vehicle Door Hidden Key Cylinder Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle doors lack a discreet and aesthetically integrated key cylinder solution that maintains design quality and accessibility.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle door design featuring a decorative trim feature, such as a badge, with a pivotally connected access door that conceals and protects the key cylinder, allowing for hidden yet accessible key entry, utilizing a spring mechanism to ensure the access door remains closed flush with the trim feature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the key cylinder is exposed on the door panel, then accessibility is improved, but aesthetic quality and design cleanliness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The key cylinder is extracted from the visible door panel surface and relocated to a concealed position within a decorative trim feature, specifically within a badge element. This extraction removes the visually disruptive element from the door's exterior appearance while preserving its functional accessibility through the decorative feature.
Solution Approach 2:
The key cylinder is nested within the decorative trim feature/badge structure. The badge serves as a container that houses the key cylinder, allowing the functional element to be concealed within an aesthetic feature. This nesting arrangement enables the key cylinder to be hidden during normal viewing while remaining accessible when needed.
2Shape
If the key cylinder is concealed within decorative trim, then aesthetic quality is improved, but accessibility and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The decorative trim feature is segmented into functional zones: an outer aesthetic portion and an inner access portion containing the key cylinder. The access door within the badge can be independently opened to reveal the key cylinder, separating the aesthetic display function from the operational access function while maintaining both within a unified decorative element.
Solution Approach 2:
An access door or opening mechanism serves as an intermediary element between the decorative trim exterior and the concealed key cylinder. This intermediary structure allows users to access the key cylinder through the decorative feature without compromising the aesthetic appearance during normal conditions, bridging the gap between concealment and accessibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the key cylinder is relocated away from the door handle, then design versatility and aesthetic integration are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The decorative trim feature serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides aesthetic decoration for the door panel, houses the key cylinder in a concealed manner, and incorporates an access mechanism for key insertion. By integrating these multiple functions into a single trim element, the design achieves versatility without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The decorative trim feature merges several components into a unified structure: the badge element, the key cylinder housing, and the access door are combined into a single integrated assembly. This merging reduces the number of separate parts and simplifies installation while achieving the desired aesthetic and functional goals.
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 solution provides a clean, aesthetically enhanced door design with a hidden key cylinder that maintains accessibility while ensuring the key cylinder is protected and easily accessible, enhancing both craftsmanship and user experience.
Implementation Method 1
The access door may include a spring that biases the access door to a closed position overlying the key cylinder.
Data Source
AI summary
A motor vehicle door is provided. That door includes a door body that carries a door handle and a decorative trim feature remote from the door handle. A key cylinder is carried on the door body behind an access door in the decorative trim feature. The positioning of a hidden key cylinder at a position remote from the door handle frees designers to provide a motor vehicle door with a cleaner and more aesthetically appealing appearance.