Motor Vehicle Door Glass Support Pin Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing glass supporting assembly for motor vehicle doors with unframed upper edges lacks precision and speed in adjusting the upper edge of the glass to ensure a watertight seal without complicating the door closure process, due to limited sliding stroke and difficulty in tightening the nut while maintaining the screw's position in the slot.

Innovation Solution

A glass supporting assembly featuring a rotatable pin with a positioning device that converts rotational motion to translational motion along a tangential slot, allowing for precise adjustment and locking of the frame without direct manipulation of the glass or frame elements, expanding the adjusting stroke and simplifying the tightening process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a screw is used to adjust the glass position along a slot, then the glass can be positioned, but the adjustment process is imprecise and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning precisionVSAvoidadjustment time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the screw-threaded mechanical adjustment system with a cam mechanism. The cam profile is specifically designed to convert rotational motion of the cam follower into precise linear displacement along the slot, enabling accurate positioning without the imprecision and time consumption of manual screw adjustment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the adjustment mechanism from a linear screw motion to a rotational cam motion. By varying the cam radius and profile parameters, the system achieves precise control over the glass position along the slot while maintaining ease of operation through simple rotational input.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If the slot is made elongated to allow adjustment, then the glass position can be modified, but the screw cannot slide precisely along the slot

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveposition adjustment rangeVSAvoidpositioning precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the screw-based linear adjustment system with a cam mechanism that naturally provides precise positioning. The cam profile is designed to guide the follower along a specific path, ensuring accurate positioning even within an elongated adjustment range.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a cam mechanism with curved surfaces to achieve precise positioning. The cam profile's geometric curvature allows the follower to move along a controlled path, providing both adaptability for position adjustment and precision for final positioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Reliability

If the nut is tightened to lock the frame, then the glass position is fixed, but the screw becomes difficult to manipulate in the slot

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocking reliabilityVSAvoidscrew manipulation ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the screw-nut locking system with a cam mechanism that provides positive locking through the cam profile geometry. The cam follower naturally maintains contact with the cam surface, providing reliable locking without requiring manual manipulation of screws through slots.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The cam mechanism provides self-locking functionality where the cam profile geometry automatically maintains the locked position. The follower remains in continuous contact with the cam surface, ensuring the glass position is maintained without requiring additional manipulation of locking components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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

Enables simple, precise, and quick adjustment of the glass position, maintaining the chosen position during tightening, thus improving the watertight seal and ease of door closure.

Implementation Method 1

it comprises a positioning device that converts the motion from rotational to translational to position said pin along said slot in response to a rotation of said pin about its axis

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCam mechanism: Cam

Data Source

PatentUS8091284B2Glass supporting assembly for a motor vehicle door with an unframed upper edge

Publication Date: 2012.01.10 FIAT GRP AUTOMOBILES

AI summary

A glass supporting assembly for a motor vehicle door with an unframed upper edge is provided with a fixed structure and a frame, which has at least one guide to support and guide a glass and is connectable to the door in such a way as to make it tiltable about a substantially horizontal axis of adjustment; a slot is obtained in a tangential direction in relation to the axis of adjustment in one of either the fixed structure or the frame, and is slidingly engaged by a pin with an axis orthogonal to the tangential direction; the pin is carried by the other of either the fixed structure or the frame, carries a screwed locking nut, and is axially rotatable; the rotational motion of the pin is converted into translational motion by a positioning device to position the pin along the slot.