Automotive Guide Rail Assembly With Integrated Sealing and Fewer Parts

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing guide rail structure for A-pillar quarter window glass in automobiles is complex and costly to assemble due to its multi-part composition, making the installation process cumbersome and increasing manufacturing costs.

Innovation Solution

A guide rail assembly with a guide rail body featuring a snapping slot and mounting edge, a cover plate that partially covers a sealing strip, and a fixing bracket to simplify assembly and reduce parts, where the sealing strip snaps into the slot for sealing gaps between the guide rail and glass components, and the cover plate and guide rail body are connected for improved sealing and aesthetics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the guide rail structure is composed of many parts (internal guide rail, guide groove, external guide rail), then the sealing performance is improved, but the assembly complexity increases and manufacturing cost rises

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing performanceVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separate guide rail components (internal guide rail, external guide rail, guide groove) into a single integrated guide rail structure. This merging maintains the sealing functionality while significantly reducing assembly complexity and the number of parts, directly resolving the contradiction between sealing performance and assembly complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated guide rail structure performs multiple functions simultaneously: it provides sealing through the integrated guide groove, supports the quarter window glass, and enables smooth movement. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components while maintaining all required performance characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If the guide rail structure is composed of many parts, then the sealing performance is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing performanceVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

By merging multiple guide rail components into a single integrated structure, the patent reduces the total number of parts that need to be manufactured, stored, and assembled. This integration reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining the sealing performance through the integrated guide groove design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If multiple guide rail components are used, then the sealing performance is improved, but the installation time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing performanceVSAvoidinstallation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The integrated guide rail structure eliminates the need to assemble multiple separate components during installation. The single-piece design with integrated guide groove provides sealing functionality while dramatically reducing installation time, as no alignment or assembly of multiple parts is required.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4335677A1Guide rail assembly and automobile with same
Publication Date: 2024.03.13 HENNIGES (CHINA) AUTOMOTIVE SEALING SYST CO LTD
  • EP4335677A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4335677A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4335677A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A guide rail assembly comprises a guide rail body, a cover plate and a fixing bracket. The guide rail body is provided with a snapping slot and a mounting edge adjacent to the snapping slot along its length direction, the mounting edge comprises a supporting section and a fixing section connected with the supporting section, and a sealing strip snaps into the snapping slot for sealing the gap between the guide rail body and the side edge of triangular glass and sealing the gap between the guide rail body and lifting glass; wherein, the supporting section is suitable for carrying the side edge of triangular glass; one side of the cover plate is fixed on the fixing section, and the other side of the cover plate at least partially covers the sealing strip; the fixing bracket is disposed on the fixing section for fixing the guide rail body to the door sheet metal.