Sliding Door Side Impact Stop Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing side impact protection systems in vehicles with sliding doors are unreliable in severe impacts, as they fail to prevent the sliding door from detaching from its guide and potentially opening automatically, posing a risk to occupants.
Innovation Solution
A side impact protection mechanism featuring a fixedly connected abutment and stop system, where the abutment engages with the stop on the sliding carriage or supporting arm during a side impact, preventing the sliding door from moving out of its guide and opening, by utilizing a pin and V-shaped catch hook configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a catch hook and counterpart system is used to prevent sliding door deformation during side impact, then the sliding door can resist inward deformation, but the system is unreliable in severe impacts as the catch hook can be detached from the counterpart
Solution Approach 1:
The side impact protection system is divided into two independent but cooperating components: the abutment fixed to the vehicle body and the stop fixed to the sliding door assembly. This segmentation ensures that each component has a specific function and together they form a more reliable protection system that prevents both inward deformation and outward springing of the sliding door during side impact.
2Strength
If existing side impact protection systems are used, then some deformation resistance is provided, but they fail to prevent the sliding door from detaching from its guide in severe impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The abutment is pre-installed and fixedly connected to the vehicle body, and the stop is pre-installed on the sliding door assembly or supporting arm. This preliminary positioning ensures that when side impact occurs, the components are already in place to immediately prevent both guide detachment and door opening without requiring any activation or adjustment during the impact event.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle having a sliding door arranged behind a body pillar, a frame around the door opening closeable by the sliding door, a rail system provided in the region of the sliding door connected fixedly to the vehicle and having upper and lower guide rails, sliding carriages provided on the sliding door connected to the sliding door via a respective supporting arm and guided displaceably on the guide rails, and side impact protection in the region of the sliding door. At least one of the sliding carriages or supporting arms is provided with a stop. In the event of a side impact, in which the outer vehicle wall is deformed in the direction of the vehicle interior, an abutment connected to the vehicle wall comes to bear against the stop of the sliding carriage or of the supporting arm, and the position of the sliding door is thereby blocked.