Vehicle Antenna Protector Rib Reinforcement Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current antenna protectors in vehicles are heavy due to thick materials, which increases vehicle weight, and there is a need for lighter components that maintain or enhance strength to protect the antenna and wiring harness from damage in the trunk area.
Innovation Solution
An antenna protector with a lightweight plastic or aluminum design featuring a top wall, side walls, and end walls with structural reinforcements such as vertical and lateral ribs in a grid formation, providing structural rigidity while reducing material thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If thicker material is used for the antenna protector, then strength and protection capability are improved, but vehicle weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by transitioning from thick solid material to thin-walled structural forms with ribs and contours that provide equivalent or superior strength. The antenna protector uses thin walls combined with perimeter and center reinforcements to achieve the necessary protection while minimizing material usage and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds structural dimensions by incorporating vertical ribs, lateral ribs, and longitudinal ribs that create a three-dimensional reinforcement framework. This transforms the simple flat protector into a multi-dimensional structure that distributes and resists loads more effectively, allowing thinner wall material while maintaining strength.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If thicker material is used for the antenna protector, then protection capability from heavy and sharp objects is improved, but the component weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The antenna protector employs thin-walled construction with strategic rib reinforcements instead of uniformly thick material. The thin walls combined with perimeter and center reinforcements provide adequate protection against heavy and sharp objects while significantly reducing the overall component weight compared to solid thick material designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The protector structure is segmented into distinct functional zones: thin wall sections for weight reduction, perimeter reinforcement zones for edge protection, and center reinforcement zones for structural integrity. This segmentation allows each area to have the exact thickness and reinforcement needed for its specific protective function, minimizing overall material usage.
3Weight of moving object
If thinner material is used for the antenna protector, then vehicle weight is reduced, but strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent successfully implements thin-walled construction by combining reduced wall thickness with strategically placed rib reinforcements. The thin walls minimize weight while the perimeter and center reinforcements restore and maintain the necessary strength levels, achieving a favorable weight-to-strength ratio compared to uniformly thick designs.
Solution Approach 2:
By introducing vertical, lateral, and longitudinal ribs that extend in multiple dimensions, the patent compensates for reduced wall thickness. These three-dimensional structural elements provide load-bearing pathways and structural rigidity that maintain strength despite using thinner base material, enabling weight reduction without compromising protective capability.
Data Source
AI summary
An antenna protector includes a top wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, and an end wall. The top wall includes a center reinforcement that includes a plurality of lateral ribs and longitudinal ribs protruding from the top wall and arranged in a grid formation. Each of the first side wall, the second side wall, and the end wall include a perimeter reinforcement that includes a plurality of vertical ribs protruding from the wall. In an exemplary embodiment the antenna protector may include an open end portion, a closed end portion, and a center section, wherein the center section is narrower in width than each of the open end portion and the closed end portion.