Elastic Connecting Element for Vehicle Lining Stress-Free Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connecting elements for vehicle interior lining pieces and supports face challenges in achieving precise alignment and tolerance balance during mounting, leading to potential stresses and difficulties in accommodating inaccuracies in distances between the lining piece and the support.
Innovation Solution
A connecting element with an elastically connected head and foot part, featuring undulating springs and an elastic tapered clip profile, allows the foot part to move relative to the head part, enabling automatic adaptation and secure engagement with the support, thereby equalizing positional inaccuracies and preventing stresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid connecting element is used to ensure stable connection, then connection strength is improved, but the ability to accommodate misalignments and tolerance variations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting element transitions from a rigid structure to a dynamic one by incorporating an elastic element in the foot part that enables movement perpendicular to the central axis. This allows the foot part to adapt continuously to positional variations in the opening on the support while maintaining secure engagement, resolving the contradiction between connection strength and adaptability to misalignments.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic bearing of the foot part changes the physical state from rigid to elastic, allowing continuous displacement. This parameter change enables the connecting element to accommodate tolerance variations and distance mismatches between the lining piece and support while maintaining a secure connection.
2Manufacturing precision
If precise alignment is required to avoid stresses in the lining piece, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the ease of mounting and tolerance balance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The foot part with elastic bearing automatically adjusts itself to the position of the opening on the support during mounting. This self-adjusting mechanism eliminates the need for precise pre-alignment and manual adjustment, allowing workers to mount the lining piece easily without requiring high manufacturing precision, thus resolving the contradiction between alignment precision and ease of mounting.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic capability of the foot part to move perpendicular to the central axis through elastic deformation allows automatic equalization of distance variations. This dynamic adaptation prevents stresses in the lining piece while simplifying the mounting process, as the connecting element self-adjusts to accommodate tolerance variations without requiring precise alignment.
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 facilitates easier and stress-free mounting of lining pieces by allowing continuous displacement and secure engagement, accommodating misalignments and ensuring a secure seal, while maintaining mobility to prevent stress on the lining piece.
Implementation Method 1
The head part and the foot part are connected with each other elastically by two undulating springs (16)
Implementation Method 2
The foot part (14) has an elastic, tapered clip profile (28)
Data Source
AI summary
A connecting element (10), in particular for connecting a lining piece with a support, includes a head part (12) for fastening to the lining piece, and a foot part (14) for fastening to the support. The head part (12) and the foot part (14) are connected with each other elastically so that the foot part (14) is movable relative to the head part (12) in directions perpendicular to a central axis (A) of the connecting element (10).