Rear Door Assembly With Sliding Bracket for Full Loading Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Rear doors in sports utility vehicles and vans typically pivot upward but only slightly, limiting access for irregularly shaped objects and tall individuals due to design and dimensional constraints.
Innovation Solution
A rear door assembly with a bracket that supports pivotal movement and sliding along a slot, allowing the door to move upward and forward, enabling more than half of the door to be above the vehicle's roof structure, facilitated by motors and linear movement mechanisms controlled by an electronic controller.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the rear door is designed to pivot upward only slightly due to design constraints and dimensional constraints, then the structural simplicity is maintained, but the accessibility for loading irregularly shaped objects and tall persons is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The door movement is segmented into two independent mechanisms: a first movement mechanism (pivot hinge) that rotates the door about a vertical axis, and a second movement mechanism (linear actuator) that translates the door horizontally. This segmentation allows each mechanism to perform a specific function simply, while achieving complex overall motion that enables the door to move from a closed position to a fully open position where it is clear of the loading area.
Solution Approach 2:
The door system transitions from a static or simple pivot design to a dynamic two-stage movement system. The first mechanism provides rotational movement, and the second mechanism provides translational movement, allowing the door to adapt its position dynamically. This dynamic approach enables the door to clear the loading area completely, providing unobstructed access for tall persons and irregularly shaped objects.
2Ease of operation
If the rear door pivots upward to expose the rear opening, then access is improved, but the door still creates difficulties for loading irregularly shaped objects and tall persons
Solution Approach 1:
The second movement mechanism extracts the door from the loading area by translating it horizontally after pivoting. This extraction removes the door's interference with the loading space, allowing irregularly shaped objects and tall persons to move freely in the area previously occupied by the door. The door is completely separated from the loading zone in the open position.
Solution Approach 2:
The door movement transitions from a single rotational dimension to two dimensions: first rotation about a vertical axis (first mechanism), then translation along a horizontal axis (second mechanism). This dimensional change allows the door to clear the loading area not just by opening upward but by moving laterally as well, eliminating interference with loading operations.
3Length of moving object
If a bracket with shaft and support pins is used to support the rear door, then pivotal movement is enabled, but the door can only move to a limited extent slightly higher than the top of the rear opening
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket support structure merges two movement functions into one component: the pivot hinge provides rotational support while the linear actuator provides translational support. This merging allows the door to achieve both angular and linear displacement, moving from a closed position to a fully open position where it is clear of the vehicle body, maximizing vertical and horizontal displacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket acts as an intermediary between the door and the vehicle body, providing both pivot and linear movement capabilities. The support pins within the bracket allow the door to pivot, while the linear actuator mechanism within the bracket enables additional translational movement, mediating the complex motion required to clear the loading area.
Data Source
AI summary
A rear door assembly having a bracket, a rear door, a first movement mechanism and a second movement mechanism. The rear door has a lateral side with a slot formed therein. The first movement mechanism is attached to a rearward area of a vehicle body structure and is configured to move the bracket and the rear door from a closed orientation covering a rear opening in the vehicle body structure to at least an intermediate orientation partially uncovering the rear opening. The bracket has a pair of support pins extending in that extend into the slot with the support pins being supported on rollers within the slot. The second movement mechanism is disposed within the rear door to move the rear door relative to the support pins of the bracket along the slot.