Angled Bracket Plate for Motor Vehicle Grille Gap Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicles with pivotal front grilles and doors suffer from geometrical imperfections due to manufacturing and assembly tolerances, leading to excessive gaps and air-drag, which negatively impact fuel consumption and aerodynamic properties.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an angled bracket plate with oversized through holes for connection means allows for precise alignment and mounting of the side front grille corner piece, ensuring controlled gaps and flushness between the grille and door, thereby improving aerodynamic properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional door hinge and front grille assembly methods are used, then manufacturing and assembly are simpler, but geometrical imperfections and gaps increase leading to poor aerodynamics
Solution Approach 1:
An angled bracket plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the door hinge element and the side front grille corner piece. This bracket plate provides additional adjustment degrees of freedom, enabling precise control of the gap and flushness between the door and front grille while accommodating manufacturing tolerances of various components.
Solution Approach 2:
The angled bracket plate adds a dimensional adjustment capability by incorporating oversized through holes that allow positional adjustment in multiple directions. This enables compensation for tolerances from different manufacturing sources and achieves the required aerodynamic gap control.
2Productivity
If elastic bushings are used to compensate mounting variations, then assembly time is reduced, but geometrical imperfections and air-drag increase
Solution Approach 1:
The angled bracket plate serves as a mediator that provides mechanical adjustment capability rather than relying solely on elastic deformation of bushings. This allows for precise gap control while maintaining quick assembly through the oversized hole design that facilitates easy positioning.
3Manufacturing precision
If tight tolerances are enforced on all components, then aerodynamic properties improve, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of enforcing tight tolerances on all components, the invention applies local adjustment capability specifically at the angled bracket plate where gap control is critical. Other components can be manufactured with standard tolerances, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while achieving the required aerodynamic performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The oversized through holes in the angled bracket plate change the effective tolerance parameter, allowing for positional adjustments that compensate for manufacturing variations in other components. This enables aerodynamic gap control without requiring tight tolerances across the entire assembly.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
Figure 4B~5C
AI summary
A motor vehicle has a driver cabin and a front grille pivotal with regard to the driver cabin. The driver cabin has a door pivoting around a vertical door pivot axis. The front grille comprises a pivotal central front hatch panel and a side front grille corner piece positioned on a side of the central front hatch panel. The side front grille corner piece extends between the central front hatch panel and the door and is pivotally connected to the cabin for pivoting around a vertical corner piece pivot axis. The door hinge comprises an upper and a lower door hinge part each comprising a door hinge element fastened to the cabin. A corner piece hinge is connected to the door hinge element and an angled bracket plate is positioned between the corner piece hinge and the side front grille corner piece. The angled bracket plate has a first flange connected to the side front grille corner piece and a second flange connected to the corner piece hinge. The first and second flange comprise through holes for receiving connection means for connecting the angled bracket plate to the side front grille corner piece and for receiving second connection means for connecting the angled bracket plate to the corner piece respectively. The through holes are oversized with regard to the connection means.