Vehicle Door Hinge System with Offset Strut Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle door hinges and struts can cause vehicle body deflection and affect the smoothness and reliability of door opening and closing, and may require additional components like check straps to limit door stroke.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle door hinge system with an actuator and a door strut, where the pivot axes of the hinges and strut are parallel and offset, allowing the door to open when the strut is extended and close when retracted, reducing deflection and enhancing motion smoothness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a strut is used to dampen door pivoting movement and assist with opening/closing, then the door operation smoothness is improved, but the vehicle body deflection increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a door hinge as an intermediary component between the door and vehicle body. The hinge includes a body strap coupled to the body and a door strap coupled to the door, with a pivot connection between them. This intermediary structure allows the strut to assist door operation while the hinge absorbs and manages the forces, preventing direct transmission to the vehicle body that would cause deflection.
2Ease of operation
If a check strap is used to limit door stroke and provide detents, then the door position control is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the door hinge and door strut into an integrated door actuator system. The hinge structure (body strap, door strap, and pivot) is merged with the strut to form a unified mechanism that provides both position control and motion assistance. This integration eliminates the need for separate check straps and detent mechanisms, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining door position control capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle door hinge system may include an actuator configured to pivot a vehicle door and a door hinge. The actuator may include a door strut. The door hinge may include a body strap, a door strap, and a strut strap having a strap end and a strut end. The strap end may be attached to the body strap, and the strut end of the strut strap and the door strut may be pivotally coupled to one another, such that the door of the vehicle is opened when the door strut is extended and closed when the door strut is retracted.