Vehicle Sliding Door Pulley Nesting for Trim Aesthetics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional sliding doors for vehicles protrude the trim inside the vehicle, leading to a poor external appearance and occupant inconvenience due to the positioning of the front pulley at the end of the center rail.

Innovation Solution

The front pulley is relocated to the front side of the inner surface of the rear side inner panel, corresponding to the curved line part of the center rail, with the wire connected to the roller bracket's upper and lower sides, allowing the pulley to be housed within the vehicle body and avoiding protrusion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the front pulley is positioned at the end of the center rail, then the sliding door mechanism can be simplified, but the trim inside the vehicle protrudes causing poor external appearance and occupant inconvenience

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesliding door mechanismVSAvoidtrim appearance

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The front pulley is nested within the vehicle body structure by positioning it inside the rear side inner panel rather than at the external end of the center rail. This allows the pulley to be housed within the vehicle's internal space, eliminating the protruding trim while maintaining the sliding door mechanism's functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The front pulley is relocated from a one-dimensional position at the rail end to a two-dimensional position on the inner surface of the rear side inner panel. This dimensional repositioning allows the pulley to be integrated into the vehicle body's internal structure, resolving the conflict between mechanism simplicity and aesthetic appearance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of manufacture

If the front pulley is positioned at the end of the center rail, then the installation is simplified, but the protruding trim causes occupant inconvenience

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepulley installationVSAvoidoccupant comfort

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS20150174991A1Sliding door for vehicle

Publication Date: 2015.06.25 KIA CORPORATION

AI summary

A sliding door for a vehicle includes a rail unit may include a center rail provided on an outer surface of a rear side inner panel in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and an auxiliary rail provided along a lower end of the center rail, a drive unit that has front and rear pulleys respectively provided at front and rear sides of an inner surface of the rear side inner panel, and a wire wound around the front and rear pulleys to be moved by a driving power of a driving motor, a roller bracket that is provided at the center rail to be slidably moved, and is connected to both ends of the wire to be moved along the center rail by the driving power, and a door whose one side is fixed to the roller bracket to be slid with respect to the vehicle body.