Armrest Structure Anchor Mechanism for Door Trim Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing armrest structure for door trim suffers from poor assembling workability due to the complexity of joining the armrest upper and lower components, and there is a risk of the armrest upper falling inside the vehicle cabin during a side impact, which compromises occupant safety.
Innovation Solution
An armrest structure with a joining component featuring a strap portion and an anchor portion, where the anchor portion is inserted through a wider portion of the attachment hole during assembly and positioned underneath a narrower portion in the assembled state, preventing the armrest upper from falling by being held back by the attachment hole's peripheral rim.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the armrest upper and armrest lower are joined by means of a band or like structure to prevent the armrest upper from falling inside the vehicle cabin, then the safety reliability is improved, but the assembly complexity increases and assembling workability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment hole is segmented into two distinct portions: a wider portion for insertion and a narrower portion for retention. This segmentation allows the joining component to be inserted easily during assembly while automatically preventing removal, thereby reducing assembly complexity without compromising safety reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The joining component acts as an intermediary element with a specifically designed anchor portion that interacts with the two-stage attachment hole. This intermediary structure mediates between the armrest upper and lower, providing both easy assembly and secure retention without requiring complex bonding processes.
2Strength
If the armrest upper is allowed to come away from the armrest lower during side impact to absorb impact load, then the impact absorption performance is improved, but the risk of the armrest upper falling inside the vehicle cabin increases
Solution Approach 1:
The joining component provides dynamic retention: during normal use, it securely holds the armrest upper to the lower; during side impact, it allows controlled separation for impact absorption. The two-stage attachment hole enables this dynamic behavior by permitting insertion but preventing removal, balancing retention reliability with impact absorption capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment hole's geometry changes along its path - wider at the insertion point and narrower at the retention point. This parameter change allows the system to transition from a state permitting assembly to a state preventing disassembly, enabling both impact absorption and prevention of the armrest upper from falling inside the cabin.
3Ease of manufacture
If a simple joining method is used to improve assembling workability, then the assembling workability is improved, but the ability to prevent the armrest upper from falling inside the vehicle cabin deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The two-stage attachment hole structure enables self-service functionality: the joining component's anchor portion automatically engages with the narrower portion of the attachment hole during insertion, creating a self-locking mechanism. This eliminates the need for additional locking steps or complex assembly procedures while ensuring reliable retention, thereby improving assembling workability without compromising the ability to prevent the armrest upper from falling.
Data Source
AI summary
An armrest structure for door trim has an armrest lower, an armrest upper, and a joining component that joins the armrest upper and the armrest lower together, wherein the joining component is provided with a strap portion, and an anchor portion, and wherein the attachment hole has a wider portion through which the anchor portion can be inserted, and a narrower portion through which the anchor portion cannot be inserted, and during a process to assemble the armrest upper and the armrest lower together, the anchor portion is inserted through the wider portion, and once the armrest upper and the armrest lower are in an assembled state, the anchor portion is located at a position underneath the narrower portion of the attachment hole that is formed in the armrest lower.