Mobile Side Sill Cover with External Drive for Entry Comfort
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cover devices for side sills of passenger vehicles, while providing protection against stone chips and dirt, impede ergonomics and comfort, especially for older people or those with reduced mobility, due to their rigid design which obstructs entry and exit, particularly in narrow parking situations.
Innovation Solution
A cover device with a pre-assembled drive unit arranged outside the cover element secured to the sill, featuring a motor shaft that protrudes into the sill cover, and an adjustment kinematics system housed within, allowing the cover element to be displaced between a covering and entry position, utilizing a toothed rack and wheel mechanism for reliable movement, and a coupler mechanism for space-saving transmission of the drive motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the sill cover is extended outwards beyond the lower door edge to protect against stone chips and dirt, then protection against corrosion and dirt is improved, but entry and exit comfort deteriorates due to obstruction of passenger legs
Solution Approach 1:
The sill cover is designed as a mobile cover element that can be displaced between a covering position (extending outwards for protection) and an entry position (retracted for ease of access). This dynamic positioning allows the same component to serve both protective and ergonomic functions at different times, resolving the contradiction between protection and comfort.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a rigid outer cover element is arranged below the door opening to ensure protection, then protection against corrosion and dirt is improved, but entry and exit simplicity deteriorates due to the rigid structure
Solution Approach 1:
The cover element is designed to be mobile rather than rigid, capable of displacement between covering and entry positions. This transforms the static rigid structure into a dynamic system that can adapt its position, maintaining protection when needed while allowing easy access when required.
3Device complexity
If the drive unit is integrated inside the sill cover to save space, then device complexity is reduced, but installation space requirements worsen due to limited internal space
Solution Approach 1:
The motor is positioned outside the sill cover in the transverse direction, protruding into the interior space. This spatial rearrangement allows the drive unit to be functionally integrated with the cover while utilizing external space, avoiding the need to compromise internal installation space or increase overall device complexity.
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
The solution facilitates easier entry and exit by reducing the width of the sill cover when displaced, enhancing comfort and mobility while maintaining protection against corrosion and dirt, without requiring modifications to the vehicle bodyshell during installation.
Implementation Method 1
a motor shaft (82) protruding into the interior (102) of the sill cover (16)
Implementation Method 2
utilizing a toothed rack and wheel mechanism for reliable movement
Implementation Method 3
a coupler mechanism for space-saving transmission of the drive motion
Data Source
AI summary
A cover device for a side sill of a passenger vehicle includes a sill cover which has a cover element securable on the side sill and a mobile cover element which is disposable in a length region of the side sill below a door opening of the passenger vehicle. The mobile cover element is displaceable between a covering position and an entry position by a drive unit and the drive unit, configured as a pre-assembled structural unit, has a motor and is disposed in a region of the cover element by a holding device. The motor is disposed on an outside of the cover element and protrudes into an interior of the sill cover with a motor shaft.