Flush Vehicle Window Pane Translational Guide Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle doors with sliding window panes struggle to maintain a flush closure with the vehicle body, leading to inefficiencies in space usage and increased weight due to unnecessary movement of components outside the vehicle's skin.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates guide pins on both side edges of the window pane interacting with guide rails, where each guide rail has at least two guide pins, and the guide channels are formed as depressions or grooves, preventing rotational movement and ensuring the window pane remains flush with the vehicle body, thus minimizing exterior movement and reducing component count and weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the window pane is guided to move outside the vehicle skin during closing, then the sealing contact is improved, but the device complexity and weight increase due to additional movement components
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of guiding the window pane to move outside the vehicle skin and then pivot inward (conventional approach), the invention inverts the sequence by guiding the pane to move translationally inward first, then pivoting outward to achieve flush alignment. This eliminates the need for complex external movement mechanisms while maintaining effective sealing contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the unnecessary portion of the closing path that requires the window pane to move outside the vehicle skin. By removing this redundant external movement, the design simplifies the guidance system while preserving the essential sealing function through optimized internal guidance rails.
2Shape
If the window pane undergoes rotational movement during closing, then the flush alignment is achieved, but the interior space is reduced due to component movement outside the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The invention adds a translational movement dimension inward toward the vehicle interior before the rotational pivot. This two-stage movement (translation then rotation) allows the window pane to achieve flush alignment while keeping the majority of its path within the vehicle's internal volume, thereby maximizing interior space.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple guide pins are used on each side edge, then the guidance precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guidance system is segmented into two functional stages: translational guidance handled by guide pins in vertical guide rails, and rotational guidance handled by the pivot mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, achieving high precision without unnecessary complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide pins serve multiple functions: they guide the translational movement during closing, maintain proper alignment during the transition phase, and work in conjunction with the pivot mechanism to achieve final flush alignment. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each movement stage.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a vehicle door with a window opening that can be closed by a sliding window pane, wherein the sliding window pane is guided in two guide rails such that it can be moved from a lower open position to an upper closed position in a substantially vertical closing movement and, in the upper closed position, is flush with the vehicle body surrounding the window opening at all edges. The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle door with a window opening that can be closed by a sliding window pane, which is simple in design and has reduced weight, and in which, in particular, the movement of components outside the outer skin of the vehicle is avoided.According to the invention, the guide rails are designed in such a way that the sliding window pane is moved translationally from the inside of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle during the closing movement.