Flexible Vehicle Glove Box Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional glove boxes in vehicles, especially those with rigid doors, pose discomfort to passengers due to rigidity, complicate transport due to voluminous and non-compact geometry, and fail to securely store objects from view.
Innovation Solution
An interior arrangement featuring a flexible sheet with stiffening members, such as slats or frames, that can be articulated to close the storage opening, allowing for easier transport and minimizing mass by replacing rigid doors with lighter flexible options.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid door is used for the glove box, then the storage compartment can securely hold objects and provide structural protection, but it causes discomfort to passengers due to knee shock risks and creates voluminous assemblies that complicate transport and stacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rigid door with a flexible sheet that can be tensioned to provide closure while maintaining flexibility. This flexible sheet is attached to the storage compartment frame and can be tensioned using stiffening members or elastic elements, allowing it to hold objects securely without the rigidity that causes knee shock discomfort to passengers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of the door from rigid to flexible by using a flexible sheet material. This parameter change allows the door to adapt to different positions and reduce impact forces during knee shock events, while still providing sufficient closure function through tensioning mechanisms and stiffening elements.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid door is used for the glove box, then the storage compartment provides stable closure, but the geometry does not allow compact stacking and generates transport of voluminous assemblies
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible sheet door can be folded or compressed when not in use, allowing the storage compartment assemblies to be stacked more compactly during transport. The flexible nature of the sheet allows it to conform to the storage compartment shape, reducing overall volume compared to rigid doors that maintain fixed geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible sheet door transitions between different states (open, closed, partially closed) and can be dynamically adjusted. This dynamic capability allows the door to be positioned optimally for both closure stability during use and compact configuration during transport, adapting to different operational requirements.
3Weight of moving object
If a flexible sheet is used without stiffening members, then the mass of the storage compartment is minimized and transport is facilitated, but the flexible sheet cannot maximize tension in the closed position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible sheet as the primary door material to minimize mass, and incorporates stiffening members or elastic elements as auxiliary components to provide the necessary tension and closure force. This combination maintains the weight advantage of flexible materials while achieving sufficient closure strength through the added stiffening elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining the flexible sheet with stiffening members or elastic elements. This composite approach integrates the lightweight properties of the flexible sheet with the structural support and tensioning capabilities of the stiffening components, achieving both low mass and adequate closure strength.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
The invention relates to an interior arrangement (1), which includes (i) a storage unit (2) having a tank (21), an opening (23) and a frame (25) for the opening (23), and (ii) a flexible covering sheet (4) comprising at least a connecting portion (41) to the storage unit (2) and removable attachment means to the storage unit (2), the flexible covering sheet (4) being configured to be mobile between a closed position in which the flexible covering sheet (4) covers, at least partially, the opening (23) of the storage unit (2) and an open position in which the flexible covering sheet (4) releases the opening (23) of the storage unit (2).