Utility Vehicle Entrance Door With Single-Side Lock Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing utility vehicles often require separate operation members for opening and closing the entrance door from inside and outside, complicating the design and increasing the number of parts.
Innovation Solution
A utility vehicle with a single operation member positioned on the entrance door that can be operated from both inside and outside, featuring a lock mechanism and a simple configuration that includes an inclined inner face portion and a frame element for enhanced rigidity and visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If two operation members are provided for inner and outer face portions, then the door can be operated from both inside and outside, but the number of parts increases and the configuration becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the function of two separate operation members (one for inner face, one for outer face) into a single operation member that can be operated from both inside and outside the vehicle through the opening in the door. This single operation member controls the lock mechanism to enable door opening/closing from either side, reducing part count while maintaining operational accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The single operation member is designed with multi-functionality to serve both the inner face and outer face operation needs. It can be actuated from either side of the door through the opening, making it a universal control element that replaces the need for separate operation members for different locations.
2Device complexity
If a single operation member is used, then the number of parts is reduced, but it may be difficult to operate from both inside and outside the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The operation member is positioned within an opening that extends through the door from the inner face to the outer face. This three-dimensional arrangement allows the single operation member to be accessible from both sides of the door, enabling operation from either inside or outside the vehicle while maintaining a simplified single-component design.
3Ease of operation
If the operation member is positioned at the opening, then it is accessible from both inside and outside, but visibility from the driver section may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The inner face portion of the door is designed with an inclined portion that creates a visual transition zone. This local structural feature helps guide the driver's line of sight and improves the visibility of the operation member positioned at the opening, allowing the operation member to remain accessible from both sides while mitigating visibility concerns for the driver.
Data Source
AI summary
A utility vehicle includes a driver section configured to accommodate an occupant and an entrance door including an inner face portion facing the driver section, an outer face portion opposite to the driver section, and an opening extending from the inner face portion through to the outer face portion. The entrance door is configured to expose and block an entrance of the driver section. A lock mechanism is configured to hold the entrance door in a closed state, and a single operation member is disposed at the opening for use to release the entrance door from the lock mechanism.