Fiber-Reinforced Air Vent Grid Struts for Support-Free Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing interior components for vehicle air vents, particularly long lattice struts, suffer from undesirable deformation due to lack of support while maintaining external appearance, and existing solutions compromise stability or aesthetics.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece grid element made of fiber-reinforced plastic with a coating, where fibers are aligned during the injection molding process to enhance stiffness and resilience, and a lacquer coating is applied to conceal fibers and protect the plastic, allowing for support-free, long lattice struts without compromising rigidity or appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the lattice strut is made longer without support to improve the air vent design, then the outlet opening coverage is improved, but the flexural rigidity decreases causing undesired deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by reinforcing plastic with fibers (glass fibers, carbon fibers, or aramid fibers) to create a fiber-reinforced plastic lattice strut. This composite structure provides the necessary flexural rigidity for long, unsupported struts while maintaining the desired length to cover the outlet opening effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by using fiber-reinforced plastic instead of plain plastic, and by aligning the fibers in the longitudinal direction of the lattice strut. This parameter change significantly increases the flexural rigidity, enabling the strut to maintain its shape over long spans without support.
2Stability of the object's composition
If fiber-reinforced plastic is used to increase rigidity, then the structural stability is improved, but the visual appearance deteriorates due to visible fibers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a coating (lacquer, chrome, or chrome-colored) to the fiber-reinforced plastic lattice strut. This coating changes the visual appearance by concealing the visible fibers, providing a uniform surface that masks the reinforcement materials while maintaining the structural stability provided by the fiber reinforcement.
3Device complexity
If the lattice strut is made in one piece from plastic to simplify manufacturing, then the manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the flexural rigidity is insufficient for long spans
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses fiber-reinforced plastic as a composite material that can be processed in one piece through injection molding or extrusion. This approach maintains manufacturing simplicity while the fiber reinforcement provides the necessary flexural rigidity for long, unsupported spans, eliminating the need for complex multi-part constructions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides robust, stable, and aesthetically pleasing support-free lattice struts that maintain rigidity and prevent deformation, with a high-quality visual appearance, and the coating protects the fiber-reinforced plastic from wear and aging.
Implementation Method 1
The interior component (5) is made in one piece and made of a fiber-reinforced plastic
Implementation Method 2
The interior component (5) has a coating (11) which covers the plastic on at least one visible side of the interior component (5)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Interior component (5) for an air outlet of a vehicle, which is designed as a grid element (6) for covering an outlet opening of the air outlet and has at least one grid strut (7) which is designed to extend over an outlet opening of the air outlet, wherein the grid element (6) is made of plastic, is one-piece and is made of a fiber-reinforced plastic, and the grid element (6) has a coating (11) covering the plastic at least on one visible side of the grid element (6).