Side Door Stop Layout for Side Impact Intrusion Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current passenger car designs face challenges in maintaining side impact protection, particularly at increased speeds and masses, where the side door can be pulled over the side sills, leading to intrusions into the passenger compartment and potential failure of door hinges and locks, compromising occupant safety.

Innovation Solution

A passenger car design featuring a side door with a side door fixing element and a body stop element arranged vertically above it, providing an offset in the transverse direction, which supports the side door during a side impact, preventing vertical displacement and allowing deformation to dissipate crash energy while maintaining the door's closed position.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the side door is reinforced with fixing elements and stop elements to prevent intrusion, then side impact protection is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveside impact protectionVSAvoiddoor fixing mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The side door fixing mechanism is segmented into two independent elements: a side door fixing element attached to the door and a body stop element attached to the vehicle body. These elements work independently but interact during side impact to prevent door intrusion while maintaining simplicity in normal operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The side door fixing element and body stop element are pre-positioned with an offset arrangement before impact occurs. The fixing element is attached to the door at a location that will contact the stop element during side impact, creating a pre-configured protection system that activates automatically when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of energy

If the side door fixing element and body stop element are arranged with vertical offset, then the door can deform to dissipate crash energy, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecrash energy dissipationVSAvoidoffset arrangement precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The fixing and stopping functions are arranged in the vertical dimension rather than horizontal alignment. The side door fixing element is positioned vertically offset from the body stop element, allowing the door to deform vertically during impact to dissipate energy while the offset arrangement provides the necessary geometric constraint.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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

This design effectively reduces the risk of side door intrusion and maintains the integrity of the door's connection to the body, preventing excessive stress on hinges and locks, thereby enhancing side impact protection without increasing the vehicle's overall weight.

Implementation Method 1

allowing deformation to dissipate crash energy

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDeformation: Deformation

Implementation Method 2

in the event of deformation of the side door caused by an impact of a collision partner on the side door

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectImpact Force: Impact Force

Data Source

PatentEP4157660B1Passenger vehicle with improved side impact protection
Publication Date: 2024.07.17 MERCEDES BENZ GROUP AG
  • EP4157660B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4157660B1 patent drawingFigure 1B~1C
  • EP4157660B1 patent drawingFigure 2A

AI summary

The invention relates to a passenger vehicle (1) having a body (3) and at least one side door (5) which is movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein a side-door fixing element (9) is arranged on a free edge region (7) of the at least one side door (5). The passenger vehicle is distinguished in that a body stop element (13) which is arranged above the side-door fixing element (9) in the vertical direction of the vehicle is provided on a supporting vehicle pillar of the body (3) and, when the side door (5) is arranged in the closed position, is arranged in the vertical direction of the vehicle (z direction) at a distance from the side-door fixing element (13), in that, in the closed position of the side door (5), the side-door fixing element (9) and the body stop element (11) have an offset relative to each other in the transverse direction (20) of the motor vehicle, and in that, in the event of a deformation of the side door (5) caused by an impact of a collision partner against said side door, the side-door fixing element (9) is shiftable towards the body stop element (13).