Push-Panel Door Latch Assembly for Limited-Space Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle doors require a single pulling motion to both unlatch and open, which can be cumbersome and inefficient, particularly in scenarios where space is limited or accessibility is an issue.
Innovation Solution
A door assembly with a push panel mounted to the jamb that unlatches the door by pressing into a cavity and a separate pulling motion to open the door, allowing for independent operations of unlatching and opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single pulling motion is used to both unlatch and open the door, then the operation is simplified to one continuous motion, but the operation becomes cumbersome and less efficient in limited space scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The door operation is segmented into two distinct phases: unlatching (pressing the push panel into the cavity) and opening (pulling the door). This separation allows each action to be optimized independently, improving overall efficiency while maintaining ease of operation.
2Device complexity
If a single pulling motion is used for both unlatching and opening, then the mechanism is simpler, but accessibility is reduced in scenarios where space is limited
Solution Approach 1:
A push panel is introduced as an intermediary element between the user and the latch mechanism. This panel can be pressed into the cavity to unlatch the door, providing better accessibility in limited space scenarios while keeping the overall mechanism relatively simple.
3Productivity
If the push panel is pressed into the cavity to unlatch, then unlatching and opening are separated into independent operations improving efficiency, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The push panel is nested within the door assembly structure, fitting into the cavity of the jamb. This nesting approach allows the push panel to be integrated into the existing door structure without adding significant external complexity, while still enabling the separated unlatching and opening operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A door assembly includes a door, and the door includes a first latch component configured to couple with a second latch component mounted to a jamb with a cavity. The door assembly includes a push panel coupled to the jamb, and the push panel covers at least a portion of the cavity in the jamb. The push panel is mounted adjacent to an edge of the door when the door is closed against the jamb, and the push panel is configured to release the first latch component of the door from the second latch component mounted to the jamb, in response to the push panel being pressed into the cavity in the jamb. The door is configured to be opened by a force pulling on the edge adjacent to the push panel, after the first latch component of the door has been released from the second latch component.