The idea is to have a mechanism at the hinge of each door that would lock the position of the door.
The mechanism would probably be either hydraulic (which would be fairly complex and I think most prone to failure and/or leakage), pull string (similar to a bicycle brake system, which might be the cheapest and most reliable without electricity), or electric (which I think would probably be the simplest and most reliable).
If its electric, then it could be made to open and close the door as well.
The system could work by locking the door after it has come to a stop for about 2 seconds, and it could be released by pulling on either the inner or the outer handle.
With this system you wouldn’t have to worry about the door slamming on your leg for example, because of the wind or because of gravity.-- BJS, Oct 09 2006 That would work, but I was thinking of something without the hastle placing or removing an extra piece to keep the door open.-- BJS, Oct 09 2006 Can it make a really cool swishing sould like Star Trek?-- MoreCowbell, Oct 09 2006 [MoreCowbell] It would only make a swishing sound if it used pneumatics.
[21 Quest] I was thinking of it to be incorporated into the design of the vehicle, rather than something that can be added with relative ease.-- BJS, Oct 09 2006 Use a small hydraulic cylinder at the hinge. Rig a line between the two ports, with a valve in the middle, such that the cylinder is locked when the valve is closed, but can move freely when the valve is open.
Place the valve at the door latch, so that the valve is open whenever either the inner or outer handle is pulled.
I've got a car with long doors. It always seems that the first detent is not far enough open to easily get in or out, but the second detent is open too much, often coming frighteningly close to hitting other cars. I'd love something like this.-- Freefall, Oct 09 2006 That sounds like it would work.-- BJS, Oct 10 2006 Can this be modified to prevent the passenger's door from getting stuck on the curb (kerb) when the weight of the vehicle's occupants push the car closer to the ground?-- ye_river_xiv, Oct 12 2006 I especially agree. I drive a Thunderbird, which to my knowledge is one of the largest/heaviest doors out there. As a side effect the wind does catch it alot on the hill I live on. Combine that and you have a heavy door catching the wind and slamming into your legs. Excellent idea. I would use about half a gear and put it on the inside of the hinge in the door. You could then use a pin that would push into the the gear after the 2 seconds, via electric sylonoid.-- RXAaron, Oct 12 2006 [ye_river_xiv] No. That would be a completly different idea.-- BJS, Oct 12 2006 [21_quest] what you speak of in your first anno is baked, used on school bus emergency doors. What about a spring loaded brake type mechanism (think disc brake and caliper)? With a metal crescent attached to the vehicle, and a pull cable attached to the door handles inside and out. The handle is pulled, brake is released. Would work because the brake doesn't have to be moved but a small fraction of an inch, but the handle moves at least about an inch, so mechanical force multiplication can still make door handle easy to open while a strong spring is used in the brake. Also, continuously variable locking positions from beginning to end. No "this one is too close but this one is not close enough" as [Freefall] describes. [ye_river...] This could be done by using Lamborgeni type doors, but less extreme. The door opens and rises at a more shallow slope, so as the door opens fully, it is only a few inches higher than it started.-- wittyhoosier, Oct 13 2006 random, halfbakery