Automobile Interior Component Acute Angle Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automotive interior components face issues with high costs and poor appearance due to adhesive use and potential separation of skin materials from base members during manufacturing, with existing methods failing to effectively prevent separation and maintain a neat appearance.
Innovation Solution
An automotive interior component design featuring a base member with a front, back, and side surface, where the skin material is integrated with the base member at an acute angle, including a tab bent from the side surface to enhance stiffness and prevent separation, with a fillet radius between 2 mm to 5 mm to minimize stress concentration, and a relational expression governing the angle and thickness to ensure a hidden end surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the skin material is cut to be flush with the side surface of the base member, then the appearance becomes neat, but the skin material may separate or shrink and deform
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating a tab structure at the end of the skin material before final assembly. This tab is bent back to create an anchor mechanism that prevents subsequent separation. The tab structure is formed in advance during molding, enabling the skin material to maintain its position reliably after cutting to achieve a flush appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes curvature by forming a fillet with a specific radius (2mm to 5mm) at the corner where the front surface and side surface meet. This curved transition prevents stress concentration that would otherwise cause the skin material to shrink or deform. The smooth curvature distributes mechanical stresses evenly, maintaining the integrity of the skin material at the cut end.
2Stability of the object's composition
If adhesive is used to bond the skin material to the base member, then the skin material remains integrated, but manufacturing costs increase due to adhesive and labor expenses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by designing the skin material with an integrated tab structure that automatically anchors itself to the base member without requiring external adhesives. The tab is bent back to create a mechanical interlock that holds the skin material in place through its own structural configuration, eliminating the need for additional bonding materials and associated labor costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the skin material and base member into a single integrated component through insert molding. The skin material is molded directly onto the base member with the tab structure formed as part of the same manufacturing process. This integration eliminates separate assembly steps for bonding and reduces the total number of components, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining stability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the skin material is tucked around the base member and bonded, then integration is achieved, but labor for tucking and bonding is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the tab structure and integrating the skin material with the base member during the molding process itself. The skin material is positioned and shaped in advance while the base member is being molded, eliminating the need for subsequent manual tucking operations. The tab is created as part of the initial molding, ready for automatic anchoring without additional labor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple manufacturing operations into a single insert molding process. The skin material is molded directly onto the base member in one continuous operation, integrating what would traditionally require separate tucking and bonding steps. This merging of operations dramatically reduces labor time while ensuring stable integration of the components.
Data Source
AI summary
An automotive interior component includes a base member including a front surface, a back surface, and a side surface provided between the front surface and the back surface; and a skin material integrated with the base member. The skin material is integrated with the front surface and the side surface. The side surface of the base member is continuous to the front surface of the base member while forming an acute angle of angle α therewith. The skin material includes an end surface extending along the side surface of the base member. The present invention provides the automotive interior component with a neat appearance.