Glove Box Guide Rail and Sensor Mechanism for Manual Closure Damage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric glove box apparatuses are prone to damage due to excessive force applied when manually closing an opened glove box, leading to malfunction and potential structural damage.
Innovation Solution
A glove box apparatus featuring a guide rail with a guide groove, a sensor part with an elastically deformed contact part, and a driving part that moves the housing to prevent damage during manual closure, ensuring proper operation and reducing maintenance costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual closing force is applied to close the glove box, then the glove box can be closed, but excessive force may damage the gear train, link, or other structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by introducing a sensor part that detects the position of the protrusion part before manual closing force is applied. When the sensor detects that the protrusion part has moved beyond the normal range (indicating the glove box is already closed or over-closed), it sends a signal to stop the driving part, thereby preventing excessive force from damaging the gear train, link, or other structural components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control by using the sensor part to continuously monitor the position of the protrusion part during the closing operation. The sensor provides real-time feedback to the control unit, which adjusts the driving part's operation accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that the manual closing force is properly managed and prevents damage to the gear train and link by stopping the operation when the appropriate position is reached.
2Ease of operation
If the protrusion part moves freely without guidance, then manual operation is simple, but the protrusion part may not align properly with the sensor part causing malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a guide rail as an intermediary component between the protrusion part and the sensor part. The guide rail includes a guide groove that constrains the movement path of the protrusion part, ensuring it moves along a predetermined trajectory. This intermediary structure maintains reliable contact between the protrusion part and the sensor part during manual operation, preventing malfunction while still allowing simple manual movement.
3Reliability
If the sensor part contact area is large, then contact detection is more reliable, but the protrusion part cannot be properly sensed when slightly displaced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by designing the sensor part with a specific contact area optimized for detecting the protrusion part's position. The sensor part includes a contact area that is sufficiently large to ensure reliable detection through elastic deformation, yet precisely positioned and dimensioned to accurately sense the protrusion part's location. The guide rail's guide groove further refines this by ensuring the protrusion part contacts the sensor part at the correct location, achieving both reliability and measurement precision through localized optimization.
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
Prevents damage to the glove box apparatus during malfunction, allowing normal operation and reducing maintenance costs by guiding the protrusion part along the guide rail and sensing contact to manage manual closure effectively.
Implementation Method 1
a contact part having one end mounted on the sensor body and the other end spaced apart from the sensor body, and elastically deformed by pressurization of the protrusion part
Data Source
AI summary
A glove box apparatus may include: a fixed part fixed to a vehicle body, and having a guide rail installed at a side surface thereof; a housing having a protrusion part moved along the guide rail, and configured to open/close the fixed part; a sensor part configured to sense a contact with the protrusion part; and a driving part configured to move the housing to open/close the fixed part, and move the housing toward the fixed part when the contact between the sensor part and the protrusion part is released.