Hinged Flap Cover for Commercial Vehicle Shackle Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing covers for functional parts on motor vehicles do not provide adequate protection while maintaining accessibility and are often complicated to assemble.
Innovation Solution
A cover design featuring a housing with an openable flap, pivotally articulated on the underside, which encloses the functional part and allows for easy access, using a film hinge or similar pivot axis, and is attached to the vehicle body via a non-visible fastening mechanism, such as a plug-in or screw connection, to ensure protection and accessibility with minimal manufacturing effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a cover is provided for the functional part, then protection against weather and injury is improved, but accessibility to the functional part deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is divided into a stationary housing and a movable flap that can be opened independently. This segmentation allows the cover to provide protection when closed while enabling easy access to the functional part through the flap without removing the entire cover.
Solution Approach 2:
The flap is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to transition between closed (protective) and open (accessible) states. This dynamic element resolves the contradiction by providing protection only when needed while allowing easy access when required.
2Ease of operation
If a hinged flap design is used, then accessibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flap is constructed from a flexible plastic material that can be formed directly with a film hinge integrated into its structure. This eliminates the need for separate hinge components and reduces assembly complexity while maintaining the desired flexibility and accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge function is merged directly into the flap material through the film hinge, combining what would traditionally be separate components (flap and hinge) into a single integrated element. This reduces the number of parts and simplifies the overall structure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the cover encloses the entire shackle, then protection is improved, but manufacturing effort and dimensions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed to enclose only the critical portions of the shackle that require protection from weather and injury, rather than covering the entire length. This local approach provides adequate protection while reducing material usage, manufacturing complexity, and overall cover dimensions.
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
The solution provides comprehensive protection for the functional part, reduces the risk of injury, and maintains easy handling, while being simple to assemble and adaptable to various vehicle designs.
Implementation Method 1
If the flap is made of plastic (other, preferably elastically flexible materials can also be used), it can be formed particularly easily in terms of production technology with a film hinge as a pivot axis
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a cover for a functional part projecting from a superstructure at the front or rear of a motor vehicle, in particular a shackle of a commercial vehicle pivotably attached to a mounting part via a bolt. According to the invention, the cover (10) encloses the functional part (2, 3) in a housing-like manner, to which a superstructure (1) is attached and which has a hinged flap (11) on the outside (10a) through which the functional part (2, 3) is accessible when required.