Composite Dashboard Clips for Positioning and Pedestrian Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for fixing and holding motor vehicle dashboards in position face challenges such as sagging or incorrect positioning due to flexible metal clips that deform during assembly, particularly during pedestrian impact scenarios, leading to economic inefficiencies and assembly issues.

Innovation Solution

The use of removable clips made from composite materials like thermoplastic or thermosetting resin matrices with fiber reinforcement, designed to be frangible for pedestrian safety while maintaining rigidity during assembly, which can be inserted into supports along the longitudinal or transverse axis, featuring a zone of reduced mechanical resistance for controlled breaking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If flexible metal clips are used to fix the dashboard, then the dashboard can be easily assembled and positioned, but the clips deform during assembly or pedestrian impact, causing positioning errors and requiring dismantling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of assemblyVSAvoidpositioning precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by creating a clip from a multi-layer structure comprising a plastic material layer and a metal layer. The plastic material provides frangibility for pedestrian impact safety, while the metal layer provides rigidity to maintain positioning precision during assembly. This composite construction resolves the contradiction by combining materials with complementary properties.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by creating a zone of reduced mechanical resistance (frangible zone) at a specific location on the clip, while other portions maintain full strength. This allows the clip to be rigid where needed for positioning precision during assembly, yet flexible and breakable where needed for pedestrian safety, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of assembly and positioning precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If metal clips are used to ensure dashboard positioning, then positioning precision is maintained, but the clips must be relatively flexible for pedestrian impact safety, causing them to bend or deform before assembly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning precisionVSAvoidpedestrian impact safety

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses composite materials to create a clip where the metal layer provides the rigidity needed for positioning precision, while the plastic material layer provides the frangibility needed for pedestrian impact safety. This resolves the contradiction by distributing different functional requirements to different material layers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a localized frangible zone with reduced mechanical resistance at a specific position on the clip, while other zones maintain full structural integrity for positioning precision. This local differentiation allows the clip to meet both positioning requirements and pedestrian safety requirements simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Manufacturing precision

If clips with overhang are used to ensure positioning, then the dashboard can be properly positioned, but the clips are likely to bend or deform during assembly operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedashboard positioningVSAvoidassembly process efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials where the metal layer provides sufficient rigidity to prevent bending or deformation during assembly operations, while still maintaining the necessary overhang for proper dashboard positioning. This resolves the contradiction by providing the structural integrity needed to prevent deformation during manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a frangible zone with reduced mechanical resistance at a specific location, while other portions of the clip maintain full strength to prevent deformation during assembly. This localized differentiation allows the clip to maintain positioning accuracy without deforming during the assembly process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3219586B1Arrangement for keeping a dashboard of a motor vehicle in position and motor vehicle comprising such an arrangement

Publication Date: 2019.10.09 PSA AUTOMOBILES SA

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AI summary

The invention relates to an arrangement for a motor vehicle comprising a windscreen crossmember (9) and a dashboard (1), in which the front edge (5) of the dashboard (1) is connected to the windscreen crossmember (9) by at least one removable clip (19, 37).