Dashboard Trim Geometry for Water-Deflecting Vehicle Facades
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dashboard designs in open vehicles fail to effectively prevent water from reaching electrical equipment, such as buttons and charging ports, while also posing a safety risk due to sharp edges that could cause injury during impacts.
Innovation Solution
A dashboard trim design featuring a front panel and trim nose configuration with angled connecting walls that divert water away from electrical components and rounded edges to prevent injury, ensuring water does not reach the equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If walls are installed behind the dashboard trim to guide water, then water circulation near buttons is prevented, but the walls cannot be placed on the front to deflect water before it reaches the button and have protruding edges that can cause injury
Solution Approach 1:
The trim nose is designed with a rounded shape instead of sharp edges, eliminating the injury risk while maintaining the water deflection function. The curved surface allows water to be redirected smoothly without creating hazardous protrusions that could harm passengers during impact.
2Reliability
If the connecting wall is oriented horizontally, then water can flow down to the facade, but if oriented upwards at a non-zero angle, then water is stopped at the junction and cannot reach the electrical equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting wall is inclined at a non-zero angle relative to the horizontal plane, utilizing the vertical dimension to create a water barrier. This angular orientation prevents water from flowing horizontally onto the facade while maintaining structural integrity and simplifying the overall design.
3Manufacturing precision
If the trim nose has a sharp edge for structural definition, then the shape is precise, but it creates a protruding edge that can cause injury in the event of impact
Solution Approach 1:
The trim nose is designed with a rounded shape instead of sharp edges, eliminating the injury risk while maintaining the water deflection function. The curved surface allows water to be redirected smoothly without creating hazardous protrusions that could harm passengers during impact.
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
Effectively prevents water from contacting electrical equipment and reduces the risk of injury by diverting water flow and using rounded edges, even when the vehicle is not perfectly horizontal.
Implementation Method 1
the connecting wall comprises an upstream segment extending over the width along the transverse axis of the vehicle of the fixing zone, connected to the trim nose, and forming a non-zero angle relative to a horizontal plane parallel to the longitudinal and transverse axes of the vehicle, oriented towards the top of the vehicle
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A vehicle comprising a dashboard trim (1) with a front panel (11), a trim nose (10) projecting vertically over said front panel (11), the front panel (11) being recessed relative to the trim nose (10), and a connecting wall (12) linking the trim nose (10) to the front panel (11). The connecting wall (12) has an upstream segment (121) extending over the width of the attachment area, connected to the trim nose (10), and forming a non-zero angle (α1) with respect to a horizontal plane oriented towards the top of the vehicle, such that the edge of the upstream segment (121) connected to the trim nose (10) is located lower than the edge of the first segment (121) opposite said trim nose (10).