Hidden Division Bar Layout for Seamless Vehicle Windows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle windows often cannot retract entirely within the door due to their size, leading to a need for partitioning that results in visible dividers detracting from the seamless appearance.
Innovation Solution
A two-part vehicle window system with a fixed and movable section separated by a hidden division bar, where the movable window closes against the division bar, which is not directly visible from outside, and is configured to move vertically or horizontally, with the fixed window offset laterally and tinted to obscure the division bar.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the window is partitioned into fixed and movable sections, then the movable window can retract within the door, but the division bar becomes visible from outside, detracting from the seamless appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The division bar is extracted from the visible exterior surface and relocated to the interior surface of the fixed window. This allows the division bar to remain functional for separating fixed and movable window sections while being hidden from external view, thus maintaining the seamless appearance while enabling window retraction
Solution Approach 2:
The division bar is repositioned from a two-dimensional exterior plane to a three-dimensional interior location on the backside of the fixed window. This dimensional relocation allows the division bar to serve its structural purpose while becoming invisible from the outside, resolving the conflict between functionality and aesthetics
2Shape
If the window is made as a single large piece, then the appearance remains seamless, but the window cannot retract entirely within the door
Solution Approach 1:
The window system is segmented into fixed and movable sections, with the division bar positioned on the interior surface to separate them. This segmentation enables the movable window to retract independently while the fixed window remains stationary, achieving both retraction capability and seamless exterior appearance
3Ease of manufacture
If the division bar is placed on the exterior surface, then it can easily separate the windows, but it is directly visible from outside the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The division bar is extracted from the exterior surface and repositioned on the interior surface of the fixed window. This relocation maintains the window separation function while eliminating visibility from the outside, thus resolving the contradiction between functional ease of manufacture and aesthetic appearance
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle window system includes a vehicle door that has a window region. The system includes a fixed window having an exterior surface and an interior surface, a division bar, and a movable window. The fixed window is arranged in a first portion of the window region, and the division bar is arranged along a first region of the interior surface. The movable window is arranged in a second portion of the window region and is configured to close against the division bar. The division bar is not directly visible from outside of the vehicle door when viewed at an elevation of the fixed window. To illustrate, the movable window can be configured to move vertically within the first portion of the window region and the fixed window arranged at the top of the window region and the division bar is arranged substantially horizontally along the interior surface.