Cabriolet Hard Top with Segmented Roof and External Posts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cars with openable rigid sun roofs do not have sufficient rear passenger compartment volume to accommodate rear seats while maintaining aesthetically pleasing proportions.
Innovation Solution
A car design featuring a frame with two vertical external posts and internal posts supporting a pair of rigid roof members that can be opened to increase passenger compartment space, allowing for four seats, with a mechanism of articulated quadrilaterals and a common actuator for controlled movement, and a movable rear window for optimal space utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a conventional rigid sun roof design is used, then the structural integrity and aesthetic proportions are maintained, but the rear passenger compartment volume is insufficient to accommodate rear seats
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid sun roof is divided into two separate roof members (front and rear) that can move independently. This segmentation allows the rear roof member to be positioned further back, expanding the passenger compartment volume while maintaining the overall aesthetic proportions of the vehicle body.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the longitudinal dimension by positioning the rear roof member further back along the vehicle length. This dimensional adjustment increases the vertical space in the rear passenger area without compromising the overall vehicle proportions, enabling four-seat accommodation.
2Volume of moving object
If the rigid sun roof is made openable to increase passenger space, then the passenger compartment volume increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sun roof system incorporates dynamic elements including articulated quadrilaterals that enable controlled movement between fixed and open positions. This dynamic mechanism allows the rigid sun roof to transform from a fixed structure to an openable configuration, increasing passenger compartment volume while maintaining structural integrity through engineered motion paths.
Solution Approach 2:
Articulated quadrilaterals serve as intermediary mechanical elements that mediate between the actuator and the roof members. These intermediaries translate actuator motion into controlled roof member movement, enabling the complex function of openable rigid sun roof with reduced direct mechanical complexity.
3Productivity
If a mechanism with articulated quadrilaterals and common actuator is used, then the operation speed and control precision improve, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The common actuator serves multiple functions by controlling both the front and rear roof members through the articulated quadrilateral mechanism. This universal component reduces the total number of actuators needed, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining fast and precise operation through coordinated mechanical advantage.
Solution Approach 2:
The articulated quadrilaterals are positioned asymmetrically to optimize the mechanical advantage and motion control. This asymmetric arrangement enables faster operation speeds by positioning the pivot points and linkages for optimal force transmission, while the standardized quadrilateral geometry keeps manufacturing complexity manageable.
Data Source
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AI summary
A car (1) having: a passenger compartment (2), a frame (7) provided with two external vertical posts (9), which project from the belt line of the car (1), are arranged facing each other on opposite sides of the car (1), and form a rear delimitation of the passenger compartment (2); an openable rigid sun roof (8) provided with two rigid roof members (10, 11); a baggage compartment (5) arranged in the rear position to contain the openable rigid sun roof (8) when the roof (8) is arranged in an open position; a mobile cover (19) to close the baggage compartment (5); a rear window (17) which is arranged between the two external vertical posts (9) and is slidably mounted; and a pair of lateral glasses (30) which project from the belt line of the car (1), are arranged facing each other on opposite sides of the car (1), lay at the back against the corresponding external vertical posts (9), and constitute a lateral delimitation of the passenger compartment (2).