Utility Vehicle Door Strut Control for Stable Open Position
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Solution Overview
Problem
Utility vehicle passenger doors often move freely due to wind or gravity, lacking controlled or limited movement, which can be inconvenient for occupants.
Innovation Solution
A door travel control system comprising a door bracket, ball studs, a B-pillar bracket, and a pneumatic strut, mounted between the passenger door and the B-pillar, to control and stabilize the door's movement, allowing resistance to unintended opening and maintaining accessibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the passenger door is hinged along an aft surface and left uncontrolled, then the door can move freely for easy access, but the door may be unintentionally moved by wind, gravity, or other forces
Solution Approach 1:
A door travel control system is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between the door and the vehicle body. This system includes a door bracket mounted to the door, a B-pillar bracket mounted to the B-pillar, and a strut connecting these brackets. The strut acts as a mediator that provides controlled resistance to door movement while allowing intentional opening and closing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The door travel control system changes the mechanical parameters of door movement by introducing a strut with adjustable damping characteristics. This allows the door to maintain stability against wind and gravity forces while still permitting controlled movement when intentionally opened or closed by occupants.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a door travel control system is added to control door movement, then door position stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The door travel control system is segmented into distinct modular components: a door bracket that mounts to the door, a B-pillar bracket that mounts to the vehicle frame, and a strut that connects these brackets. This segmentation allows each component to be independently designed, manufactured, and installed, reducing overall system complexity despite adding functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The strut serves as a simple intermediary element that provides the necessary control function without requiring complex mechanisms. By using a straightforward strut connection between the door bracket and B-pillar bracket, the system achieves door position stability while maintaining relatively simple device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A utility vehicle door travel control system includes a door bracket mountable adjacent to an upper surface of a passenger door; a door bracket ball stud mounted to the door bracket; a B-pillar bracket mountable to a B-pillar; a B-pillar ball stud mounted to the B-pillar bracket; and a strut mounted to the door bracket ball stud and the B-pillar ball stud.