Cabriolet Window Positioning via Door-Mounted Gauges
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of movable windows in coupé/cabriolet type vehicles is challenging due to the absence of a central window pillar, leading to precision and alignment issues during the insertion into the roof seal, which can result in irreversible defects and poor quality assemblies.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a jig with supports for precise positioning of the window, followed by checks and adjustments using fixed and mobile gauges, along with an automated system to correct positioning drifts in real-time, ensuring accurate alignment and insertion into the roof seal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the central window pillar is removed to enable retractable roof, then the roof can be made retractable, but the guidance and positioning precision of the window deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a door as an intermediary component that provides guidance and positioning for the window. The door includes positioning elements such as rails and guides that ensure precise window placement despite the absence of a central window pillar. This intermediary structure transfers the guidance function from the removed pillar to the door assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary positioning actions during window installation by providing pre-positioned guides and alignment features on the door. These preliminary positioning mechanisms ensure that the window is correctly positioned before final assembly, compensating for the lack of continuous guidance that would normally be provided by a central pillar.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple control steps are implemented to improve assembly precision, then the manufacturing precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the control process into multiple independent stages: initial window positioning on the door, door assembly on the vehicle body, and final window-to-roof seal alignment. Each stage has its own simplified control mechanisms and check points. This segmentation allows complex precision requirements to be met through a series of simple, manageable steps rather than a single complex system.
Data Source
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AI summary
The method involves positioning a movable glass pane (1) on a door (2) by a template utilizing front and rear stops for referencing the pane. The stops are withdrawn for controlling position of the pane at free state. The door having the pane is assembled on a vehicle, and is controlled in transverse direction by alignment of the door on a rear quarter panel of the vehicle. The pane is controlled and adjusted in vertical direction relative to a roof (16). Insertion of the pane in a joint of the roof is controlled and adjusted by fixed and movable gauges (17, 18).