Vehicle Door Sliding Device with Planetary Gear and Linkage

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional sliding doors for vehicles require multiple supporting and guiding rails, increasing the number of parts, weight, and cost, while limiting design freedom and aesthetic appeal due to their complex structure.

Innovation Solution

A sliding device featuring a lower rail with guide rails, a gear device including a planetary gearbox, and a linkage system that allows the vehicle door to smoothly pivot and slide along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, reducing the need for multiple rails by using a rack gear, gear shaft, and planetary gearbox to enhance movement efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple supporting and guiding rails are used for sliding door, then the door can be stably supported during opening and closing, but the number of parts and weight increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedoor support stabilityVSAvoidvehicle weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple supporting and guiding rails into a single integrated rail structure. The simplified rail incorporates both support and guidance functions that were previously separated into multiple components, reducing the overall number of parts and vehicle weight while maintaining the necessary stability for door operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The single rail structure is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously - providing both support and guidance for the sliding door. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate supporting and guiding rails, reducing part count and weight while ensuring stable door operation throughout the sliding range.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If multiple supporting and guiding rails are used for sliding door, then the door can be stably supported during opening and closing, but the number of parts increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedoor support stabilityVSAvoidnumber of parts

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple supporting and guiding rails into a single integrated rail structure. The simplified rail incorporates both support and guidance functions that were previously separated into multiple components, reducing the overall number of parts and vehicle weight while maintaining the necessary stability for door operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The single rail structure is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously - providing both support and guidance for the sliding door. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate supporting and guiding rails, reducing part count and weight while ensuring stable door operation throughout the sliding range.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If conventional sliding door structure is used, then the door can slide forward and rearward, but design freedom and aesthetic appeal are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedoor sliding functionVSAvoiddesign freedom

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the essential sliding function from the complex conventional rail structure and implements it through a simplified single rail system. This extraction allows the door to maintain its forward and rearward sliding capability while removing the visual and structural complexity that limited design freedom and aesthetic appeal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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

This solution enables vehicle doors to be stably and smoothly opened and closed, reducing the number of parts, weight, and cost, while improving design freedom and maintaining exterior aesthetics by allowing doors to pivot and slide efficiently along the vehicle's longitudinal direction.

Implementation Method 1

a planetary gear box which the gear shaft penetrates to be coupled thereto. An input gear is coupled to an upper portion of the gear shaft to integrally rotate, and an output gear is coupled to a lower portion of the gear shaft to integrally rotate and mesh with the rack gear

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPlanetary gear mechanism: Epicyclic Gearing

Implementation Method 2

A gear device may include a rack gear mounted at the lower rail, a gear shaft, and a planetary gear box which the gear shaft penetrates to be coupled thereto

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRack and pinion mechanism: Rack and Pinion

Data Source

PatentUS9587724B2Sliding device for vehicle door

Publication Date: 2017.03.07 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A sliding device for a vehicle door includes a lower rail extending straightly and mounted on an exterior of a vehicle. A lower slider is coupled to the lower rail to move along the lower rail. A gear device is mounted on the lower slider to move with the lower slider. A linkage has one end connected to the gear device to transmit a torque and another end rotatably engaged with a lower portion of the vehicle door.