Automotive Sliding Panel Balancing Means for Jamming Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flush bay technologies face challenges with jamming and aesthetic issues due to uneven force application on shuttles and large tolerances in the automotive industry, making them difficult to manufacture and integrate into vehicles.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of balancing means such as leaf springs or cables within the frame of the sliding panel to ensure balanced movement of shuttles, allowing for identical or similar force application on both shuttles, and the use of pulleys to control these forces, preventing buttressing and jamming, along with locking mechanisms for emergency braking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If guide rails are fixedly mounted on the fixed assembly to enable sliding of the movable panel, then the panel can move smoothly between open and closed positions, but the large tolerances in automotive manufacturing cause uneven force application on shuttles leading to jamming and buttressing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces balancing means including springs and counterweights that apply compensating forces to the shuttles. These balancing mechanisms counteract the uneven forces caused by manufacturing tolerances and rail misalignment, ensuring both shuttles move uniformly along their respective rails without jamming or buttressing, thereby maintaining reliable operation despite tolerance variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs adjustable components such as springs with variable tension and positioning mechanisms that allow the balancing forces to be tuned. This enables adaptation to different rail configurations and tolerance ranges, ensuring reliable shuttle movement across various manufacturing variations while maintaining smooth panel operation.
2Ease of operation
If a frame is used to carry guide pins and shuttles for the sliding panel, then the panel can be guided and locked, but the frame and handle structure compromises the aesthetic flush appearance from the outside
Solution Approach 1:
The patent nests the functional frame, guide pins, and shuttles within the interior space of the fixed assembly, positioning all guiding and locking mechanisms on the interior side. This allows the exterior surface to remain completely flush and frameless, achieving aesthetic appeal while the nested interior structure provides robust guidance and locking functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the frame and handle structures from the exterior view by positioning them entirely on the interior side of the fixed assembly. The guide pins and shuttles are mounted internally, and the handle is positioned inside the vehicle cabin, removing all aesthetic-compromising elements from the exterior while preserving their functional roles in guiding and locking the panel.
3Extent of automation
If the movable panel is actuated manually or motorized, then the panel can be opened and closed, but uneven force application on shuttles due to tolerance accumulation causes jamming and complete blocking
Solution Approach 1:
The balancing means with springs and counterweights provide continuous compensating forces to both shuttles during actuation. This ensures that whether actuated manually or motorized, the shuttles experience balanced forces that prevent jamming and buttressing, maintaining reliable operation across the full range of motion despite tolerance accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-based balancing mechanisms provide continuous feedback on the position and force requirements of each shuttle. This allows the system to automatically adjust and equalize forces on both shuttles throughout the actuation cycle, preventing the uneven force application that leads to jamming and blocking, regardless of whether the actuation is manual or motorized.
4Ease of operation
If guide pins are used to cooperate with shuttles for panel movement, then the panel can be guided along the sliding axis, but the complexity of ensuring centered actuation and avoiding buttressing increases manufacturing difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The balancing means with springs and adjustable positioning mechanisms automatically compensate for misalignment and uneven forces without requiring precise manual adjustment or centered actuation. The system self-adjusts to accommodate tolerance variations, eliminating the need for complex precision manufacturing and alignment procedures, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining effective panel guidance.
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 solution enables smooth, reliable, and efficient sliding panel operation, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost, while maintaining the flush bay's aesthetic appeal and aerodynamic design, and allowing for both manual and motorized operation without central handle alignment requirements.
Implementation Method 1
said balancing means comprise at least one leaf spring circulating in a part of the frame of said sliding panel
Implementation Method 2
The frame can also carry a pulley in which said cable circulates
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The device has a sliding panel with a frame carrying guiding pins cooperating respectively with shuttles. A guiding unit guides the pins permitting a transversal displacement of the frame with respect to the shuttles. An activating unit acts on the shuttles for assuring displacement of the shuttles in rails. A balancing unit balances the activating unit in a manner to balance the displacement of the shuttles.