Reversible Automobile Door with Selective Hinge Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automobile doors can only be engineered as either traditional or suicide doors, limiting passenger discretion and not accommodating changing safety concerns over time.
Innovation Solution
A car door system with dual hinge and latch configurations, controlled by a computer module, allowing passengers to choose between traditional and suicide door orientations, with manual override in case of electrical failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a door is designed as a traditional door hinged from the front, then the door opens against the flow of air and wind force closes the door, but the door cannot open in the suicide orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The door system is designed to perform multiple functions by incorporating both front hinges and rear hinges, allowing the door to open in either traditional orientation (from front) or suicide orientation (from rear). The control system enables the door to switch between these two modes, making a single door structure universal enough to accommodate both opening styles that were previously required separate door designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The door system transitions from a static, fixed-hinge configuration to a dynamic, adjustable configuration. The hinges and latches are designed to be movable and reconfigurable, allowing the door to change its opening orientation based on user selection through the control system. This dynamic capability enables the door to adapt between traditional and suicide opening modes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a door is designed as a suicide door hinged from the rear, then the door can open in the suicide orientation, but the door cannot open in the traditional orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The door system integrates both front hinge mechanisms and rear hinge mechanisms into a single door assembly, enabling it to function as either a traditional door or a suicide door. The control system manages the activation of appropriate hinges and latches, allowing the door to universally support both opening orientations without requiring separate door designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The door system employs dynamic control through the computer module and control system, which selectively activates either the front hinge mechanism or the rear hinge mechanism based on user preference. This dynamic switching capability allows the door to change its functional configuration between traditional and suicide opening modes.
3Ease of operation
If a computer module controls the door latch selection, then the passenger can choose between traditional and suicide orientations, but the system requires electrical components
Solution Approach 1:
The manual mechanical selection process for door orientation is replaced with an electronic control system. The computer module receives user input through electronic interfaces (such as switches or buttons) and automatically controls the activation of appropriate latches and hinges, substituting manual mechanical operation with automated electronic control for easier operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system automatically manages the complex coordination of multiple latches and hinges based on user selection. Once the user selects a desired opening orientation, the system self-manages the activation of appropriate components without requiring manual intervention to physically reconfigure the door mechanism, thereby simplifying user operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A car door that is affixed to an automobile that can be opened from one or more hinges that attach and allows opening and closing of the door toward the front end of the car that can also be electively chosen through a computerized module inside the automobile to open from one or more hinges that attach and allows opening and closing of the door toward the rear end of the car, i.e., in the suicide orientation. A door latch assembly is attached to either side that allows for a pin to close the side not in use when activated and when de-activate allows for the opening in the chosen orientation. The computer module is programmed such that only one side can be open at a time. Manual override from inside the vehicle is provided in the event of an electrical system failure.