C-Pillar Bag Hook Load Transfer via Intermediary Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lightweight trim parts in vehicle interiors, such as those used in C-pillar paneling, deform under mechanical loads, leading to gaps and noise issues when a bag hook is attached, as they are not designed to withstand significant stress and can be affected by temperature changes.
Innovation Solution
A bag hook is attached to the vehicle body using a stable angle piece, allowing loads to be absorbed by the C-pillar paneling rather than the trim parts, and reinforced with a counter-hook and reinforcing ribs to increase rigidity without thickening the material, with the hook positioned under the console to distribute loads effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a bag hook is attached to lightweight trim parts, then the hook can be installed on the C-pillar paneling, but the trim parts deform under load causing gaps and noise
Solution Approach 1:
A reinforcement element is introduced as an intermediary between the bag hook and the lightweight trim part. This reinforcement element absorbs the mechanical loads and transfers them to the C-pillar structure, preventing the trim part from deforming while still allowing easy installation of the bag hook on the trim surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution combines the lightweight trim material with a reinforcement element made of stronger material. This composite structure maintains the aesthetic and lightweight benefits of the original trim while adding the necessary load-bearing capacity to support the bag hook without deformation.
2Strength
If the thickness of trim material is increased to prevent deformation, then the hook rigidity improves, but injection molding of the trim material is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement function is segmented from the trim part itself and placed as a separate reinforcement element. This allows the trim material to maintain its original thin-walled construction suitable for injection molding, while the added reinforcement element provides the necessary structural support for hook rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of uniformly thickening the entire trim part, the reinforcement is applied locally only at the specific area where the bag hook is attached. This localized reinforcement provides the necessary rigidity where needed while preserving the injection molding characteristics of the overall trim component.
3Strength
If the bag hook is placed under the console, then the load capacity increases by utilizing C-pillar structure, but the console and C-pillar trim gap may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement element serves as an intermediary that anchors the bag hook to the C-pillar structure while providing support points that maintain the spatial relationship between the console and C-pillar trim. This prevents the gap from increasing even though the hook utilizes the higher load capacity of the C-pillar.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a C-pillar assembly of a motor vehicle, comprising: a C-pillar trim (102), which is fastened to a C-pillar (101) of the motor vehicle and covers the C-pillar (101) in a planar manner; a support (103), which overlaps in an overlap area (104) of the C-pillar trim (102), wherein: in the overlap area (104), a bag hook (108) extends out of the C-pillar trim (102) and is integrally connected to the C-pillar trim such that a load (F) introduced at the bag hook (108) is transmitted into the C-pillar trim (102) and not into the support (103); a tab (109) is arranged on the support (103) in the overlap area (104), which tab extends integrally from the support (103) and has, on a side facing away from the vehicle interior (107), a cavity (112), in which the bag hook (108) is arranged in an installed position such that the bag hook (108) is not visible from the vehicle interior (107); and the bag hook (108) does not touch the cavity (112) in an unloaded state, in which no load (F) acts on the bag hook (108).