Telescopic Support Arm for Curved Sliding Doors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sliding-door systems for vehicles require a substantially flat body-side profile, limiting vehicle styling and appearance due to the need for a small degree of body-side curvature to accommodate three separate track mechanisms, which negatively impacts the vehicle's design.
Innovation Solution
A sliding-door assembly with a support arm system that includes a first housing slidably attached to the mobile platform and a second housing operatively attached to the door, allowing the second housing to move between a retracted and extended state, thereby increasing the effective length of the support arm and enabling the door to open without requiring a large space, while accommodating a higher body-side curvature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional sliding-door systems are installed to provide easy and quick access to the interior compartment, then the door can be moved from closed to open state without requiring large space, but the vehicle body-side profile must be substantially flat which limits vehicle styling and appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm is designed with telescopic capability, allowing it to dynamically adjust its length between retracted and extended states. This dynamic adjustment enables the door to maintain proper alignment with the body-side aperture during operation while accommodating curved body-side profiles that would otherwise be incompatible with conventional sliding-door systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arm is divided into multiple telescopic segments that can extend and retract independently. This segmentation allows the support arm to adapt to varying curvature requirements while maintaining the door's operational functionality, resolving the conflict between ease of operation and body-side shape requirements.
2Reliability
If the vehicle is designed with a reduced degree of body-side curvature to accommodate conventional sliding-door systems, then the sliding-door system can function properly with three separate track mechanisms, but the vehicle styling and overall appearance are negatively impacted
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic support arm dynamically adapts its length to accommodate curved body-side profiles, allowing the vehicle to maintain proper styling with higher body-side curvature while ensuring the sliding-door system functions reliably through automatic adjustment during door operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arm's effective length parameter is changed dynamically through telescopic extension and retraction. This parameter change allows the system to accommodate varying body-side curvatures without compromising either the reliability of the sliding-door system or the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the support arm effective length is increased to accommodate higher body-side curvature, then the door can be moved parallel to the body-side aperture, but the support arm structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm employs a telescopic structure where one housing is nested within another, allowing the effective length to be increased only when needed for accommodating higher body-side curvature. When not in use, the structure retracts to a compact form, minimizing the increase in device complexity while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arm transitions from a static structure to a dynamic telescopic mechanism, allowing it to adjust its effective length based on the specific application requirements. This dynamic capability provides adaptability to different body-side curvatures without permanently increasing the structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A support arm for a sliding door of a mobile platform may include a first housing slidably attached to the mobile platform proximate to an opening of the mobile platform and a second housing attached to the sliding door of the mobile platform and to the first housing. The second housing may be moveable relative to the first housing between a retracted state and an extended state.