Vehicle Slide Door Actuator with Planetary Gear Latch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing opening/closing apparatuses for vehicle slide doors are bulky and costly due to the need for multiple electric motors and complex mechanisms for operating the door-lock mechanism and automatic opening/closing functions, making them unsuitable for vehicles with limited space, such as light cars.
Innovation Solution
A compact opening/closing apparatus that uses a single electric motor with a guide rail and support arm system, incorporating a planetary gear mechanism and differential gear mechanism to automate the door-lock mechanism operations, allowing for both automatic opening and closing of the slide door without additional motors, by utilizing a switching mechanism to regulate the latch's rotation and release it as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a separate closer mechanism is added to pull the slide door to the fully-closed position, then the slide door can be retracted from the half door position, but the number of parts and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the closer mechanism function with the existing door-lock mechanism by integrating the latch that performs the pulling operation. The latch is rotated from an unlatch position to a full latch position to pull the slide door to the fully-closed position, merging the closing function into the existing locking structure rather than adding a separate mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch in the door-lock mechanism serves multiple functions: it locks the door at the fully-closed position and also acts as a closer by pulling the door from the half door position to the fully-closed position. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for a separate closer mechanism, reducing the number of parts while maintaining the required functionality.
2Extent of automation
If a separate releaser mechanism is added to unlock the door-lock mechanism for automatic opening, then the slide door can be automatically opened, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the releaser mechanism function into the existing drive unit and door-lock mechanism. The drive unit rotates the latch from the full latch position to the unlatch position, releasing the ratchet and enabling automatic door opening. This merging of functions eliminates the need for a separate releaser mechanism, reducing device complexity while achieving automatic opening capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The drive unit serves multiple functions: it opens and closes the slide door by rotating the cables, and also releases the door-lock mechanism by rotating the latch to the unlatch position. This multi-functionality allows automatic opening without requiring a separate releaser mechanism, reducing the number of parts and simplifying the overall system.
3Extent of automation
If multiple mechanisms (drive unit, closer mechanism, releaser mechanism) are provided, then complete automatic opening and closing functions are achieved, but the apparatus volume increases making it unsuitable for vehicles with limited space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of the drive unit, closer mechanism, and releaser mechanism into a single integrated system. The drive unit performs both door operation (via cable rotation) and lock release (via latch rotation), while the latch serves as both a locking element and a closer. This consolidation significantly reduces apparatus volume, making it suitable for vehicles with limited space while maintaining complete automatic opening and closing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Each component in the patent performs multiple functions: the drive unit operates both the door and the lock mechanism, and the latch serves as both a lock and a closer. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of mechanisms required, thereby reducing the overall apparatus volume while achieving complete automatic opening and closing functions suitable for compact vehicles.
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 apparatus reduces the number of components and size, enhancing the equipment characteristic with the vehicle body by enabling efficient automatic operation of the slide door using a single motor, thus addressing the issues of bulkiness and cost while maintaining effective door-lock mechanism control.
Implementation Method 1
a planetary gear mechanism (41) consisting of a sun gear (42) fixed to the output shaft (35), an internal gear (43) formed integrally with an inner circumferential surface of the drum (37), and a plurality of planetary gears (44) meshing with the sun gear (42) and the internal gear (43)
Implementation Method 2
a differential gear mechanism (121) consisting of a drive-side bevel gear (122) fixed to the output shaft (35), a driven-side bevel gear (123) facing axially to the drive-side bevel gear (122), and a side bevel gear (127) meshing with the drive-side bevel gear (122) and the driven-side bevel gear (123)
Data Source
AI summary
An opening/closing apparatus for a vehicle, which has a door-lock mechanism, is provided. An output of a motor unit is transmitted to a drum having a planetary gear mechanism, and the slide door of the vehicle is driven by an open-side cable and a close-side cable wound around the drum. A closer cable of the door-lock mechanism is coupled to a carrier of the planetary gear mechanism, and coupled to a latch of the door-lock mechanism via a coupling link. The coupling link is constituted as a toggle mechanism so as to regulate the rotation of the latch by the traction force of the closer cable until the latch is rotated toward a full latch direction from an unlatch position. When the regulation of the latch by the toggle mechanism is released, the latch is rotationally driven toward the full latch direction due to the rotation of the carrier.