Door Trim Bracket Joining Armrest and Pull Handle
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Solution Overview
Problem
In motor vehicle door trim assemblies, side impacts can cause the pull handle and armrest to separate, compromising occupant safety due to direct force transmission and potential breakage.
Innovation Solution
A bracket connects the armrest and pull handle, featuring a connection feature with opposed tabs engaging channels in the pull handle receiver, a first end flange secured with fasteners, and a second end flange with an abutment surface on the armrest, providing structural integrity and aesthetic enhancement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the pull handle and armrest are directly connected without a bracket, then the device complexity is reduced, but the strength and reliability deteriorate under side impact forces causing separation
Solution Approach 1:
A bracket is introduced as an intermediary component between the pull handle and armrest. The bracket includes a connection feature with tabs that engage with channels in the pull handle receiver, and an abutment surface that contacts the armrest, creating a mechanical mediator that distributes impact forces and prevents direct separation between the handle and armrest.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection system is divided into separate functional segments: the bracket itself, the connection feature with tabs, the channels in the receiver, and the abutment surface. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall structural integrity under impact loads.
2Reliability
If the bracket uses multiple fasteners and engagement features, then the reliability improves, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket design incorporates both rigid fastening elements (tabs in channels, fasteners) and flexible engagement features (abutment surfaces, captured portions). This dynamic combination allows the structure to maintain reliability through multiple engagement points while accommodating manufacturing tolerances and simplifying assembly through self-aligning features.
3Ease of manufacture
If the bracket structure is simplified, then the ease of manufacture improves, but the strength under side impact deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket exhibits local quality variations with different structural characteristics at different locations: the connection feature area has tabs and channels for rigid engagement, the middle section has ribs for structural reinforcement, and the armrest interface has an abutment surface for load distribution. Each local region is optimized for its specific functional requirement, achieving high impact resistance without unnecessary overall complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A door trim assembly includes an armrest, a pull handle, including a receiver, and a bracket joining the armrest and the pull handle. The bracket includes a connection feature that engages with the receiver. The bracket is cantilevered to the pull handle and includes a second end with an abutment surface engaging the armrest.