Vehicle Door Handle Support Member Assembly Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing outside handle device for vehicle doors requires a two-stage operation for assembly, which is inefficient, and lacks effective reinforcement and easy removal mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The device features a support member that pivots between a pre-assembly holding position and an assembly completion position, with a pivoting base portion, abutment receiving portion, and engagement projections to securely attach the operating handle, and leg portions that flex to facilitate easy removal, eliminating the need for additional holding structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a support member is mounted on the base to pivotably support the operating handle, then the position of the support member is maintained, but a two-stage operation is required for assembly which reduces work efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is pre-positioned at the pre-assembly holding position by the base structure before the actual assembly operation. The base includes positioning features that hold the support member in readiness, so that when the operating handle is assembled, the support member is already in the correct position and can be engaged in a single operation rather than requiring two-stage positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines the positioning function and the support function into a single integrated support member structure. The support member includes both the positioning feature (engagement projection) and the support feature (fitting portion), allowing both functions to be achieved in one assembly operation rather than requiring separate operations for positioning and supporting.
2Ease of operation
If the support member is held by the base at the pre-assembly holding position, then the support member can pivot to the assembly completion position, but additional holding structures are needed which increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The base structure is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides the pre-assembly holding position for the support member, allows pivoting motion, and provides the final engagement position. The same base structure that holds the support member initially also serves as the engagement surface for the engagement projection, eliminating the need for separate holding structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member's own engagement projection serves as both the positioning feature and the locking feature. The engagement projection automatically engages with the base at the pre-assembly holding position and then locks at the assembly completion position, without requiring additional holding structures or external intervention.
3Strength
If the fitting portion is reinforced to prevent deformation, then the structural integrity is improved, but the leg portions cannot flex which complicates removal
Solution Approach 1:
The support member is divided into functionally distinct segments: the fitting portion which is reinforced for structural integrity and prevents deformation, and the leg portions which are made flexible for engagement and disengagement. This segmentation allows each part to have optimized properties for its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the support member have different mechanical properties: the fitting portion has high rigidity and strength to prevent deformation during operation, while the leg portions have flexibility to allow easy engagement and disengagement. This local differentiation of material or structural properties resolves the contradiction between strength and ease of removal.
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
This design enhances assembly efficiency by allowing the operating handle to be assembled with a single operation and reinforces the fitting portion to prevent deformation, while enabling easy removal without additional holding structures, thus improving work efficiency and reducing molding costs.
Implementation Method 1
the support member can pivot toward the assembly completion position in response to a pressing force acting from the operating handle
Data Source
AI summary
An outside handle device for a vehicle door is provided which comprises a base mounted on a vehicle door, an operating handle extending lengthwise in a fore-and-aft direction of a vehicle, and a support member assembled to the base while pivotably supporting a supported part formed in one end part, in a longitudinal direction, of the operating handle, wherein the support member pivotably supported on the base so as to be pivotable between a pre-assembly holding position and an assembly completion position is formed so as to be held by the base so that at the pre-assembly holding position the support member can pivot toward the assembly completion position in response to a pressing force acting from the operating handle accompanying an operation of assembling the operating handle, and so as to pivotably clasp the supported part and be engaged with and fixed to the base at the assembly completion position when pivoting accompanying a pressing force acting from the operating handle from the pre-assembly holding position to the assembly completion position. This enables the work efficiency for assembly of the operating handle to be enhanced.