Sliding Door Internal Lining Stiffness Weight Trade-off

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sliding side door internal linings and reinforcement elements fail to optimize the performance and force transmission between the internal and external skins while increasing the vehicle's weight, leading to suboptimal vibration reduction and impact absorption.

Innovation Solution

An internal lining with a one-piece design featuring a strap and a reinforcing spacer with upper and lower wings, which are integral with the strap and support zones for secure attachment to the external skin, enhancing stiffness and force distribution while minimizing weight.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If reinforcing elements are added to the internal lining, then the stiffness and force transmission performance improve, but the weight of the vehicle increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestiffness and force transmissionVSAvoidvehicle weight
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The internal lining is segmented into distinct functional zones: a strap portion for general structural support, a reinforcing spacer with multiple support zones for enhanced stiffness, and opening portions for weight reduction. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized for its specific function, providing reinforcement only where needed rather than uniformly throughout the entire lining.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The reinforcing spacer creates localized areas of high stiffness at the support zones where it contacts the outer skin, while the rest of the internal lining remains lighter. The strap has a specific geometry with openings positioned to provide local reinforcement at critical areas without adding excessive weight throughout the entire structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the internal lining is made thicker or more rigid, then vibration reduction and impact absorption improve, but the weight increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration and impactVSAvoidvehicle weight
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The internal lining is divided into a strap portion and a reinforcing spacer with multiple support zones, allowing vibration damping and impact absorption functions to be concentrated at specific locations rather than requiring uniform thickness throughout the entire lining.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The internal lining combines different structural elements (strap, reinforcing spacer with support zones, and opening portions) into a composite structure that provides enhanced vibration and impact resistance through strategic placement of reinforcing features rather than uniform material distribution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentEP3254877B1Inner liner of a sliding side door
Publication Date: 2018.12.26 PSA AUTOMOBILES SA
  • EP3254877B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3254877B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3254877B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to an internal lining (6) of a sliding side door (3) of a vehicle (1), characterized in that it comprises an upper portion (6a) and a lower portion (6b), the lower portion (6b) comprising: - two openings (8a, 8b), - a strap (9), separating the openings (8a, 8b), and - a reinforcing spacer (12), integral with said strap (9), comprising a set of support zones (14a, 14b) intended to bear against and be fixed to an external skin (5) of the sliding side door (3), the internal lining (6) and the reinforcing spacer (12) being made in a single piece.