Ceiling Material Water Guide for Passenger Compartment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Dew condensation on a passenger compartment's roof panel can cause water to flow onto the ceiling material, potentially being absorbed by the upholstery material through capillary action, leading to a deterioration in the appearance of the ceiling material.

Innovation Solution

A passenger compartment material structure featuring a ceiling material with an air barrier film and an upholstery material on the outer side, along with a pillar garnish and an inhibiting portion such as a water guide member, cover member, or water absorbing member, which prevents water from reaching the upholstery material's end, thereby maintaining the ceiling's appearance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the ceiling material is configured with upholstery material and air barrier film in a layered state, then the air-impermeability is ensured, but water can still reach the upholstery material end through capillary action causing attractiveness deterioration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair-impermeabilityVSAvoidwater absorption by upholstery material

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a water guide member as an intermediary component between the air barrier film and the upholstery material. This water guide member has a water guide portion that actively directs water away from the upholstery material end, preventing capillary action from drawing water into the upholstery material while maintaining the layered structure's air-impermeability function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the ceiling material structure into distinct functional layers: the upholstery material layer, the air barrier film layer, and the water guide member with its water guide portion. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function - the air barrier film maintains air-impermeability while the water guide portion handles water diversion, preventing water from reaching the upholstery material end

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If water flows on the ceiling material toward the pillar garnish, then water naturally follows gravity, but the exposed upholstery material end allows water to be sucked up causing attractiveness deterioration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenatural water flowVSAvoidcapillary action water absorption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful capillary action that draws water into the upholstery material into a beneficial controlled water guidance system. The water guide member's water guide portion is designed to actively direct water flow away from the upholstery material end, transforming the potential harm of water presence into a controlled drainage function that protects the upholstery material while allowing water to naturally flow toward the pillar garnish

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The inhibiting portion effectively guides or absorbs water, preventing it from seeping into the passenger compartment and maintaining the attractiveness of the ceiling material by ensuring it does not reach the upholstery material's end.

Implementation Method 1

an air barrier film that is disposed on a passenger compartment outer side with respect to the upholstery material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAir barrier film:

Implementation Method 2

a water guide portion that is disposed separately from or integrally with the air barrier film, and is positioned on the passenger compartment outer side with respect to the pillar garnish

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWater guidance:

Implementation Method 3

there is the potential for the water that has reached the end of this upholstery material to be sucked up in the upholstery material because of, for example, capillary action

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCapillary action: Capillary Action

Data Source

PatentUS8474904B2Passenger compartment material structure

Publication Date: 2013.07.02 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

To inhibit the attractiveness of a ceiling material from deteriorating. According to a passenger compartment material structure (10), on a ceiling material (12), there is disposed a water guide portion (34) that guides water (W) flowing on a surface (32A) of an air barrier film (32) on a passenger compartment outer side toward a pillar garnish (14) to the pillar garnish (14). Consequently, even in a case where the water (W) has flowed on the surface 32A of the air barrier film 32 on the passenger compartment outer side toward the pillar garnish 14, this water guide portion (34) guides the water (W) to the pillar garnish 14, so the water (W) can be inhibited from reaching an end (28A) of an upholstery material (28) on the pillar garnish (14) side. Because of this, the water (W) can be inhibited from seeping out to a passenger compartment inner side of the upholstery material (28), so the attractiveness of the ceiling material (12) can be inhibited from deteriorating.