Vehicle Door Locking Element Blocks Transmission During Side Impact
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door locking mechanisms in vehicles are complex, costly, and heavy, leading to unreliable operation during severe deformations in crashes, as they fail to prevent automatic door opening, which can eject occupants and increase accident severity.
Innovation Solution
A simple and lightweight locking element is integrated between the door inner and outer linings, featuring a pivotable blocking element that engages with a transmission element, such as a Bowden cable, to securely jam it during crashes by radially pivoting and using blocking edges for secure clamping, triggered by side impact beams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a complex transmission means is added to inhibit door opening in crashes, then door safety is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the crash protection function from the complex transmission means and implements it through a separate, simple locking element with blocking element that independently inhibits door opening without interfering with normal unlocking operations
Solution Approach 2:
The locking element acts as an intermediary component between the door structure and transmission element, using a blocking element to mediate the inhibition of door opening during crashes while allowing normal operation under regular conditions
2Reliability
If mass blocks are integrated in the door handle to block transmission element, then door safety is improved, but door handle complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the mass block mechanism from the door handle and relocates it to a dedicated locking element positioned to directly block the transmission element, simplifying the door handle construction while maintaining crash protection
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using heavy mass blocks in the door handle, the patent employs a lightweight blocking element with blocking edges that replicates the blocking function through geometric design rather than mass-based inertia
3Device complexity
If a simple locking element is used to block transmission element, then device complexity is reduced, but blocking reliability during severe deformation may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The blocking element features radially extending blocking edges that create multiple contact points with the transmission element, ensuring reliable jamming through geometric constraint rather than relying on mass or complex mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The locking element is pre-positioned to block the transmission element before crash deformation occurs, with the blocking element already configured to jam the transmission element when relative movement happens during impact
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
Ensures absolute operational reliability by preventing door opening during crashes, maintaining occupants inside the vehicle with a simplified and lightweight design that withstands severe deformations.
Implementation Method 1
the blocking element is pivotable radially with respect to the transmission element until the transmission element is jammed in a blocked manner
Data Source
AI summary
A door structure for vehicles has a door outer lining, a door inner lining and a locking/closing mechanism with actuating elements on the outer side and optionally on the inner side of the door. The locking/closing mechanism is connected to the door release via at least one transmission element (8) between the door outer lining and the door inner lining. A locking element (1) between the door outer lining and the door inner lining acts on the transmission element (8) and inhibits the door release in the event of a side impact, The locking element (1) inhibits the operation of the transmission element (8) by blocking it as a result of pivoting of the locking element (1) in the event of a relative movement of the door outer lining in the direction of the door inner lining.