Connection Element Drainage Opening Indentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connection elements for vehicle parts, such as those used to connect a vehicle seat to a vehicle floor, can trap water due to their cup shape, which is designed to increase structural strength but leads to water accumulation and trapping.
Innovation Solution
A connection element with a planar face featuring a drainage opening surrounded by an edge, and an indentation near the drainage opening, allowing water to drain from the second side towards the first side, preventing water trapping even when the element is fixed to a vehicle part.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a wall section borders the planar face to form a cup shape, then structural strength is increased, but water trapping occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The planar face is segmented by introducing a drainage opening that divides the surface into functional zones. This segmentation allows the cup-shaped structure to maintain its water collection capability while providing a dedicated pathway for water to drain, thus resolving the contradiction between structural strength (maintained by cup shape) and water trapping (prevented by drainage opening).
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage opening acts as an intermediary element between the water collection area (cup shape) and the exterior environment. It mediates the conflicting requirements by allowing water to pass through the planar face while maintaining the structural integrity of the cup-shaped fastening section, thus preventing water trapping without compromising structural strength.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the planar face abuts the vehicle part for secure fixation, then connection stability is improved, but water drainage is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire planar face abut the vehicle part, the invention inverts the approach by creating a localized non-abutting region through the drainage opening. This allows water to drain through the planar face at the opening location while maintaining stable connection at the surrounding areas, thus resolving the contradiction between connection stability and water drainage.
Solution Approach 2:
The planar face exhibits different local qualities: most of the surface maintains tight abutment with the vehicle part for stable connection, while the drainage opening region provides a localized pathway for water drainage. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing both stable connection and effective drainage to coexist in different regions of the same component.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the drainage opening edge is raised to prevent water trapping, then water drainage is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage opening edge is merged with the existing planar face geometry rather than being a separate, complex feature. By integrating the drainage opening directly into the planar face during forming operations, the design achieves effective water drainage without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity, as the opening can be created using standard punching or forming techniques already employed in connection element production.
Data Source
AI summary
A connection element for connecting vehicle parts to each other comprises: a fastening section operative to be fastened to a first vehicle part, the fastening section comprising a planar face having a first side for abutting the first vehicle part and a second side opposite the first side, the fastening section further comprising a wall section protruding from the planar face at said second side and at least partially bordering the planar face at said second side; a drainage opening formed in the planar face and being surrounded by an edge, the drainage opening being operative to drain liquid from the second side of planar face towards the first side; and an indentation at least partially formed on the planar face in the vicinity of the drainage opening, the edge of the drainage opening extending across the indentation such that the edge of the drainage opening in the region of the indentation is raised towards said second side of the planar face.