Flush Door Handle with Electric Drive for Aerodynamic Drag Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional motor vehicle door designs are mechanically complex and difficult to implement, with hinged handles increasing mechanical complexity and requiring improvement in design aspects.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle door with an electrically operable lock and a handle that swivels around an axis in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, eliminating mechanical connections between the handle and lock, featuring an elliptical door opening and a drive that moves the handle into accessible or flush positions based on the lock's state, controlled by sensors and a control unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a hinged handle is added to enable manual opening, then the door can be opened manually, but the mechanical complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the hinged handle and its associated mechanical linkage from the door system. Instead, a flush-mounted handle is used that can be actuated by a drive mechanism to rotate between covering and gripping positions, eliminating the need for complex hinged mechanisms while maintaining manual opening capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical hinged handle system with an electrically actuated drive mechanism. The drive rotates the handle between covering and gripping positions based on the lock state, substituting complex mechanical linkages with a simpler rotational actuation system controlled by sensors and a control unit.
2Ease of operation
If the handle is always accessible, then ease of operation is improved, but security and aerodynamics deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic handle system that changes its position based on the lock state. The handle rotates between a covering position (when locked) and a gripping position (when unlocked), allowing it to adapt its accessibility dynamically rather than remaining static. This is achieved through a drive mechanism controlled by sensors detecting the lock state.
3Ease of operation
If the handle is always accessible, then ease of operation is improved, but air resistance and fuel consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The handle dynamically adjusts its position to a covering orientation when the door is locked, minimizing aerodynamic drag and reducing air resistance. When the door is unlocked, the handle rotates to an accessible gripping position. This dynamic adjustment reduces energy loss from air resistance and consequently lowers fuel consumption.
4Reliability
If mechanical connections are maintained between handle and lock, then mechanical reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates mechanical connections between the handle and the lock mechanism. Instead, sensors detect the lock state and a control unit actuates the handle drive accordingly. This substitution of mechanical linkages with sensor-based detection and electronic control reduces mechanical complexity while maintaining system reliability.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A motor vehicle door includes an electrically operable motor vehicle door lock (3) and a handle (5, 6) that is able to swivel around an axis (A). The handle (5, 6) is designed mechanically independent of the motor vehicle door lock (3). In addition, the handle 5, 6 has at least one associated drive (8, 9). The drive (8, 9) moves the handle (5, 6) into a gripping position or into a covering position, depending on the locked state.