Vehicle Anchor Cover for Visual Locking Confirmation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing anchor devices for vehicles lack a mechanism to visually confirm whether the stud has reached the locking region, making it difficult to determine if the anchor plate has been moved sufficiently relative to the stud.

Innovation Solution

An anchor device with a restriction member and a cover that moves upon pressing, allowing visual confirmation of the coupled state by indicating the movement of the restriction portion, ensuring the second member has been properly aligned and coupled to the first member.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a stud is used to couple the anchor plate to the vehicle body, then the coupling function is achieved, but the ability to visually confirm whether the stud has reached the locking region is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoupling reliabilityVSAvoidvisual confirmation difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a cover as an intermediary component that visually indicates the coupling state. The cover moves relative to the anchor plate based on the stud's position, serving as a mediator between the internal coupling mechanism and the external observer. This allows visual confirmation without exposing the locking mechanism itself.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The cover creates a visual copy or representation of the stud's position relative to the locking region. Instead of directly observing the stud and opening, the cover's position serves as a simplified visual indicator that replicates the coupling state, making it easy to confirm proper installation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If the restriction portion is exposed to allow visual confirmation of movement, then the indication function is improved, but the risk of foreign object interference and unintended movement increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemovement detection easeVSAvoidforeign object interference

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cover acts as an intermediary that transmits visual information about the restriction portion's movement without exposing the restriction portion itself to foreign objects. The cover's position indicates the coupling state while protecting the internal mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The cover functions as a protective shell that encloses the restriction portion. This thin-walled structure allows visual confirmation of movement through its position changes while providing physical protection against foreign object interference with the internal components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If the cover moves with the restriction portion to indicate coupling state, then the visual indication function is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoupling state detectabilityVSAvoidcover mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cover is merged with the restriction member as an integrated assembly. The cover is positioned to be movable together with the restriction portion, combining the protective function and the indication function into a single component system. This reduces overall complexity compared to having separate indication mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The cover serves multiple functions: it protects the restriction portion from foreign objects, provides visual indication of the coupling state through its movement, and guides the restriction portion during assembly. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components, thereby managing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11472370B2Anchor device

Publication Date: 2022.10.18 KK TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO

AI summary

In an anchor device, when a pin restriction portion of a spring plate moves so as to ride up over a large diameter portion of an attachment pin, a tilting movement tab of the spring plate undergoes tilting movement, and a cover undergoes tilting movement together with the tilting movement tab. When the plate is moved toward a device length direction one side with respect to the attachment pin and the large diameter portion moves to a device length direction another side relative to the pin restriction portion, the tilting movement tab elastically recovers and the cover returns to its original position. This enables whether or not the large diameter portion has moved to the device length direction another side relative to the pin restriction portion to be confirmed by visual inspection of the cover.