Sliding Inspection Hatch With Interlocked Flaps for Vehicle Clearance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Railway and road vehicle hatches can unintentionally open while in motion, exceeding safety gauge sizes and posing accident risks, particularly with people on station platforms, due to uncontrolled bulk generation.
Innovation Solution
A land vehicle body design featuring a closing device with two flaps and rails, where one flap's open configuration blocks the other flap in a closed position, using rollers to slide along rails, ensuring that if one flap opens, the other remains closed, maintaining the vehicle's bulk within safety standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single large shutter is used to close the technical compartment opening, then simple operation and rapid access are achieved, but the risk of accidental opening exceeding safety clearance is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The single large shutter is divided into multiple smaller flaps (first flap and second flap in the patent), each capable of independent operation. This segmentation allows the bulk to be reduced when only partial access is needed, lowering accident risk, while still enabling rapid access when all flaps are opened together for maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The flaps are designed to be dynamically configurable - they can be individually opened or closed based on operational needs. The sliding mechanism allows each flap to move between closed position (for safety) and open position (for access), creating a dynamic system that adapts bulk generation to actual requirements.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple flaps are used to reduce bulk and accident risk, then safety clearance is maintained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple flaps share common sliding means and rails, merging functions to reduce overall complexity. The first flap and second flap use the same rail structure and similar sliding mechanisms, allowing them to be controlled independently while sharing structural components, thus reducing the complexity increase that would result from completely separate mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding means are designed to serve multiple functions: they enable individual flap operation for safety, allow simultaneous opening of all flaps for rapid access, and provide a unified control mechanism that simplifies the overall device structure despite having multiple flaps.
3Device complexity
If flaps are hinged to vehicle walls along horizontal axis, then simple structure is achieved, but the bulk exceeds safety gauge when opening occurs during movement
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of hinging flaps to create rotational movement that generates large bulk when opening, the patent uses a sliding mechanism where flaps move linearly along rails. This inverted approach to the opening mechanism fundamentally changes the bulk generation pattern, allowing flaps to be positioned close to the panel even when open, thus maintaining safety gauge compliance.
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
This design prevents accidental opening of vehicle hatches during movement, maintaining the bulk within safety standards and allowing easy access to technical compartments while preventing accidents, and allows for simple and rapid access when needed.
Implementation Method 1
The sliding means of each of the first and second flaps in the first rail comprise at least one roller capable of sliding in said first rail
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a land vehicle body (12) (10), comprising: a technical compartment (16) including an opening (24) leading to an external wall (14) of the body; and at least one closing device (18) capable of reversibly closing the technical compartment. The closing device comprises: a panel (30) fixed to the external wall and covering the opening of the technical compartment, said panel comprising a first (44) and a second (46) openings aligned along the longitudinal direction; a first (32) and a second (34) flaps; and a rail (36, 38) fixed to the panel, each flap comprising sliding means in the rail, each flap being movable relative to the first rail between an open and a closed configuration.