Elastic Closure Body Alignment for Rollover Protection Covers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rollover protection systems for motor vehicles without rigid roofs face challenges in achieving a visually appealing alignment of the closure body with the cover due to positional tolerances, requiring considerable effort for alignment.
Innovation Solution
An elastically connected closure body is used, allowing adjustable alignment with the rollover body to compensate for positional tolerances, ensuring a secure and aesthetically pleasing fit on the cover, with options for elastic connections in multiple directions and prestressing for added stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the closure body is rigidly connected to the rollover body, then the connection is strong and stable, but the alignment with the cover is difficult due to positional tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The closure body is made dynamically adjustable relative to the rollover body through elastic connection elements. The elastic elements allow the closure body to be positioned and aligned with the cover while maintaining a secure connection to the rollover body, resolving the contradiction between strong connection and easy alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic connection elements change their physical state (deformation) to accommodate positional tolerances. By allowing elastic deformation, the system adapts the position of the closure body to achieve proper alignment with the cover while maintaining structural integrity.
2Shape
If the closure body is elastically connected to allow alignment adjustment, then the visual appearance is improved, but the connection stability may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic connection elements are designed with specific local properties - they provide flexibility in horizontal/vertical alignment directions while maintaining vertical stability through prestressing. This local differentiation of mechanical properties resolves the contradiction between visual appearance and connection stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic connection elements are pre-stressed during installation to establish a predetermined stable position. This preliminary action ensures that while the closure body can be adjusted for alignment, it automatically returns to and maintains a stable equilibrium position, preventing excessive movement.
3Manufacturing precision
If the closure body is made adjustable in multiple directions, then the alignment precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic connection elements function as flexible components that provide multi-directional adjustability through elastic deformation. Rather than complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms, the flexible elastic elements naturally accommodate positional tolerances in multiple directions, achieving high alignment precision with simple construction.
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
The solution enables easy alignment and secure positioning of the closure body, providing a continuous and visually appealing appearance while maintaining the safety function of the rollover protection system.
Implementation Method 1
the closure body is elastically connected to the rollover body to align it with respect to the passage opening and to secure its position on the cover
Implementation Method 2
the elastic connection is designed to prestress the closure body in the direction of the rollover body. This refinement of the invention additionally ensures that the closure body is reliably connected to the rollover body and is arranged on the cover
Data Source
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AI summary
The device (1) has a rollover body (2) adjusted between a storage position and a rollover position. A cover (3) is provided with an opening (8) for the rollover body, where the cover overlaps the rollover body in a mounting position at a motor vehicle. A closing body (4) closes the opening in the storage position of the rollover body. The closing body is flexibly connected with the rollover body for adjustment against the opening such that the closing body is adjusted in a plane formed by a cross-section of the opening and securing the positions at the cover.