Self-Aligning Fuel Door Guide Rails and Deflectable Tongue
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing fuel fill system assembly process is inefficient due to difficult alignment and installation of access doors on hinges, leading to potential quality issues, worker fatigue, and wastage of parts due to manufacturing variations and lack of visible cues for proper installation.
Innovation Solution
A self-adjusting and self-aligning access door system with guide slots and rails on the hinge and door, along with a deflectable tongue, provides visible alignment targets and minimizes installation force, allowing for easy alignment and secure attachment without pre-fitting adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If attachment features are hidden from the consumer to provide a cleaner appearance, then aesthetic appeal is improved, but alignment and installation difficulty increases for assembly line workers
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is segmented into separate functional elements: attachment features on the hinge, corresponding features on the door, and distinct alignment features (protrusions and recesses). This segmentation allows the attachment mechanism to be visually hidden while alignment features provide visible guidance during installation.
Solution Approach 2:
Alignment protrusions and recesses act as intermediary elements between the attachment features and the installer. These intermediaries provide visible cues and physical guidance for correct positioning, mediating between the hidden attachment mechanism and the installer's need for visual feedback.
2Manufacturing precision
If access door and hinge are assembled separately with test fitting to achieve no gap fit, then manufacturing precision is improved, but assembly time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment protrusions and recesses are pre-configured on the door and hinge respectively, establishing the correct relative positioning before final attachment. This preliminary alignment action eliminates the need for time-consuming test fitting and adjustment during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment features enable the door-hinge assembly to self-align during installation without requiring external measurement, adjustment, or test fitting. The protrusions and recesses automatically guide the parts into correct positioning, making the assembly process self-servicing.
3Strength
If high assembly force is required to attach the door to the hinge, then connection strength is improved, but installer fatigue increases and complete attachment becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system incorporates dynamic elements including the deflectable tongue that can flex during installation to accommodate minor misalignments and manufacturing variations. This dynamic capability allows the strong connection to be achieved without excessive force, as the deflectable tongue absorbs installation variability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical state of the tongue from rigid to deflectable during installation. This parameter change allows the tongue to flex and accommodate alignment variations, enabling the strong attachment connection to be achieved with reduced installation force and less installer fatigue.
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
This solution enables quick, accurate, and fatigue-reduced installation with audible feedback for complete attachment, accommodating manufacturing variations and ensuring a no-gap fit without requiring test fitting, thus enhancing assembly efficiency and reducing part wastage.
Implementation Method 1
Slots and rails on the hinge and door guide the installation to its proper position
Implementation Method 2
Inclined and deflectable confronting surfaces ease installation and accommodate variations in paired component part makeup
Data Source
AI summary
The connection of a vehicle fuel fill system access door to an access door hinge includes exposed guide members on the access door and the hinge to assist an installer in properly positioning and moving the access door relative to the hinge. Spacing structures between the access door and the access door hinge have a variable relationship for accommodating part variations. An audible sound is generated as the door is connected to indicate final positioning of the door on the hinge.