Vehicle Sliding Door Lower Arm Structure for Reduced Floor Height
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sliding vehicle compartment doors experience increased floor height due to excessive penetration of the door arm into the side seal, limiting space efficiency and design flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A sliding door device with a fastening structure of catch and striker applied to the lower arm, combined with a slidable door mechanism, reduces the penetration depth of the door arm and allows for linear movement, enabling a flat vehicle body design and improved layout freedom.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed sliding door arm structure is used, then the door can be opened and closed, but the door arm penetrates excessively into the side seal part, increasing the floor height
Solution Approach 1:
The lower arm is changed from a fixed structure to a movable structure that can dynamically adjust its penetration depth into the side seal. The arm moves backward along the sliding direction when the door is closed (reducing penetration) and forward when the door is opened (increasing penetration), thereby resolving the contradiction between operational ease and penetration depth.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower arm is designed to be partially nested within the side seal structure. When the door is closed, the arm retracts into the side seal, minimizing its external penetration and allowing for a lower floor height. The nesting mechanism enables the arm to be housed within the seal structure when not in use.
2Reliability
If the door arm penetrates deeply into the side seal to ensure proper door operation, then the door can be securely opened and closed, but the floor height must be increased to accommodate the penetration space
Solution Approach 1:
The lower arm's dynamic movement along the sliding direction allows it to maintain reliable door operation while minimizing its static penetration depth. The arm extends forward only when needed for door operation and retracts backward when the door is closed, eliminating the need for increased floor height to accommodate constant deep penetration.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves the penetration issue from a vertical dimension (floor height) to a horizontal dimension (sliding direction). Instead of increasing floor height to accommodate penetration, the arm penetrates horizontally along the sliding direction and retracts vertically when not in use, thereby maintaining low floor height while ensuring operational reliability.
3Area of stationary object
If a conventional sliding door structure is used, then the door opening/closing space is reduced, but the door arm structure still requires excessive penetration space into the vehicle body
Solution Approach 1:
The movable lower arm structure dynamically adjusts its position along the sliding direction, allowing the door to achieve full opening/closing functionality with minimal penetration space. The arm retracts into the side seal when the door is closed, eliminating the need for excessive permanent penetration space into the vehicle body while maintaining compact opening/closing space.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower arm's penetration function is extracted from the main door structure and relocated to the side seal structure. The arm is designed to be housed within the side seal when not in use, separating the penetration function from the door body and allowing the door to operate with minimal impact on vehicle body space.
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 solution minimizes the step height of the vehicle body, enhances space efficiency, and increases design flexibility by reducing the door arm's penetration into the vehicle body while allowing for wider opening and improved interior design possibilities.
Implementation Method 1
the linear slider may include a linear roller, and the linear roller rolls and slides along the linear rail
Data Source
AI summary
A sliding door device for a vehicle includes a door, a lower arm including a first end portion connected to an internal side of the door and a second end portion provided to slide along a vehicle body rail provided on the vehicle body, a linear slider rotatably connected to the second end portion of the lower arm and provided to slide along a linear rail provided on the vehicle body, a slider assembly provided between the lower arm and the internal side of the door, and allowing the door to slide with respect to the first end portion of the lower arm, an arm latch located between the lower arm and the linear slider and fixing and releasing the sliding of the second end portion of the lower arm, and a door latch located between the lower arm and the slider assembly and allowing the slider assembly to be slidably fixed or released.