Vehicle Door Rail and Arm Assembly for Wheel Well Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle doors adjacent to wheel wells face restricted movement due to the wheel well's obstruction, limiting the size of the opening and requiring increased distance or complex door mechanisms to overcome the obstacle.
Innovation Solution
A door system with a rail and arm assembly that constrains the door's movement to avoid the wheel well, allowing the door to open and close along a specific path that includes upward and longitudinal vectors, ensuring the door remains above or below the wheel well, thus avoiding obstruction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the door is positioned adjacent to a wheel well, then the door can be placed in a space-efficient location, but the door movement is restricted by the wheel well obstruction
Solution Approach 1:
The door movement is transitioned from a conventional horizontal plane to a three-dimensional path that includes vertical movement. The door travels upward along the rail while simultaneously moving horizontally toward the wheel well, then pivots above it to reach the fully open position. This dimensional change allows the door to clear the wheel well obstruction without requiring increased spacing.
Solution Approach 2:
The rail assembly acts as an intermediary mechanism that guides and constrains the door along a predetermined path. The rail provides the structural framework that enables the complex combined motion, while the arm assembly serves as another intermediary that facilitates the pivoting motion above the wheel well. These intermediary components mediate between the door and the wheel well obstruction.
2Area of stationary object
If the door is positioned closer to the wheel well, then space utilization is improved, but the door opening size is limited by the wheel well obstruction
Solution Approach 1:
By introducing vertical movement as an additional dimension, the door can achieve a large horizontal opening area while maintaining minimal distance from the wheel well. The door travels up the rail and pivots above the wheel well, creating a wide opening without requiring increased longitudinal spacing.
Solution Approach 2:
The door system employs dynamic motion rather than simple linear movement. The door follows a complex trajectory that includes upward translation along the rail, horizontal movement toward the wheel well, and rotational pivoting above it. This dynamic path allows the door to maximize opening area while minimizing distance from the wheel well.
3Device complexity
If a conventional hinged door is used, then the door mechanism is simple, but the door cannot overcome the wheel well obstruction
Solution Approach 1:
The door system is segmented into multiple functional components: the rail assembly that provides guided movement, the arm assembly that enables pivoting, and the door panel itself. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function in the overall motion sequence, overcoming the wheel well obstruction through coordinated action of discrete elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The door mechanism transitions from static hinging to dynamic multi-stage motion. The door first translates upward along the rail, then pivots on the arm assembly above the wheel well. This dynamic sequence of movements allows the door to clear the obstruction, though it increases mechanism complexity compared to simple hinging.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle comprises a side wall shaped to define a door opening and a door-exclusion zone. The door-exclusion zone has a maximum height that is higher than a bottom edge of the door opening and lower than a top edge of the door opening. The vehicle also includes a rail joined to a major surface of the side wall, an arm assembly pivotably anchored at a first end thereof to the side wall, and a door having a closed-door position aligned with the door opening. A first portion of the door is slidably engaged with the rail and a second portion of the door is pivotably coupled to a second end of the arm assembly.