Flexible Interior Trim With Integral Skin for Vehicle Doors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tambour doors in vehicles have a hard and stiff show surface due to rigid materials, which can collect dirt and create pinch points, and flexible carriers with hard materials also result in an undesirable appearance and firmness.
Innovation Solution
A flexible interior trim component with multiple parallel ribs and a cushion having an integral outer skin, where the ribs are formed by injection molding and the cushion is created by pouring foam into a mold, allowing the door to bend and match curved compartment openings while providing a soft, cleanable, and aesthetically pleasing surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rigid materials are used for tambour door ribs, then structural strength is improved, but the show surface becomes hard and stiff, creating pinch points and collecting dirt
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by covering the rigid ribs with a flexible material layer that conforms to the rib structure. This flexible outer layer eliminates hard edges and pinch points while maintaining the structural integrity provided by the rigid ribs underneath. The flexible surface also prevents dirt collection by providing a smooth, non-porous finish.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining rigid rib structures with a flexible material layer. This composite construction allows the door to simultaneously achieve structural strength from the rigid ribs and a soft, cleanable surface from the flexible material, resolving the contradiction between strength and surface quality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If flexible carriers made from hard material are used, then the door can bend to match curved openings, but the show surface has undesirable firmness and appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using a flexible material as the outer skin of the door panels. This flexible material allows the door to bend and conform to curved storage compartment openings while providing a soft, aesthetically pleasing surface that lacks the undesirable firmness of hard materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by having different materials serve different functions: the rigid ribs provide structural support where needed, while the flexible material provides the show surface where appearance and softness are required. This localized material assignment resolves the contradiction between bendability and surface quality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If recesses are created between ribs for flexibility, then the door can conform to curved openings, but dirt and contaminants accumulate in these recesses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using a flexible material that covers the rib structures and eliminates recesses. The flexible material forms a continuous, smooth surface that allows the door to conform to curved openings without creating pockets where dirt and contaminants can accumulate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies this principle by removing the recesses between ribs that cause dirt accumulation. The flexible material is applied in a way that eliminates these harmful recesses while preserving the door's ability to bend and conform to curved surfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
An interior trim component is provided that includes substantially parallel ribs, and a cushion coupled to the substantially parallel ribs such that the interior trim component is capable of bending in a direction substantially perpendicular to an orientation of the substantially parallel ribs. The cushion includes an integral outer skin.