Three-Point Door Closure Mechanism With Passive Latch Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional door mechanisms for vehicles are prone to failure, require large footprints, and compromise aesthetic appeal, especially in tight spaces, as they often rely on complex assemblies and visible external tracks.
Innovation Solution
The use of door actuator mechanisms with carriage assemblies positioned at the top and bottom of the doors, which travel within channels to open and close the doors parallel to the vehicle's longitudinal axis, reducing the need for additional actuators and maintaining an aesthetically pleasing design by concealing components within the vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sliding door assemblies are used, then door operation is achieved, but device complexity increases and reliability decreases due to complicated assemblies prone to failure
Solution Approach 1:
The door system is segmented into three independent contact points (two rollers and one latch) that independently engage with the door. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function reliably without requiring complex interconnected mechanisms, thereby improving overall system reliability while reducing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The passive latch automatically engages with the door through spring-loaded operation when the carriage reaches the closed position, eliminating the need for additional actuators or complex control mechanisms. This self-service mechanism reduces device complexity while maintaining reliable door closure.
2Area of stationary object
If conventional sliding door assemblies are used, then door operation is achieved, but the lateral footprint increases requiring more space around the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The door operation mechanism transitions from conventional lateral sliding to a path that includes movement along the vehicle's longitudinal axis. The carriage travels forward along the door's leading edge, engaging rollers and latch in sequence, which reduces the lateral footprint required for door operation and enables use in tight parking spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of the door sliding laterally away from the vehicle body, the mechanism inverts the approach by having the carriage travel forward along the door's leading edge and engage components in a sequence that minimizes lateral displacement, allowing operation in constrained environments.
3Shape
If conventional sliding door assemblies are used, then door operation is achieved, but aesthetic appearance deteriorates due to visible external tracks and components
Solution Approach 1:
The complex tracking and actuating mechanisms are extracted from the external visible surfaces and repositioned to travel along the door's leading edge, which is less visually prominent. The passive latch and rollers are integrated into the door structure in a way that minimizes visible external components, thereby improving aesthetic appearance while maintaining functional complexity internally.
Data Source
AI summary
A door assembly includes a door, a door actuator mechanism configured to transition the door between an open position and a closed position, a first latch configured to hold the door in the closed position, and a second latch engaging with a portion of the door actuator mechanism and being configured to hold the door in the closed position. The second latch includes a cam and a biasing member coupled to the cam. The biasing member is configured to transition the cam between a first position in which the cam engages the portion of the door actuator mechanism, and a second position in which the cam disengages the portion of the door actuator mechanism.