Inner Fender Resin Hinge for Easy Headlight Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle body structures face challenges in efficiently opening the inner fender for headlight maintenance, as traditional methods either allow water or dust ingress or require significant force due to the firm pressing of elastic flat pieces against the finger.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle body structure with an inner fender featuring a finger hook surrounded by a resin hinge and slit portion, allowing easy opening by inserting a finger from the resin hinge side to the slit side, and incorporating C-shaped and E-shaped beads to concentrate forces for efficient opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an opening is formed in the inner fender to allow finger insertion for opening, then the inner fender can be opened for maintenance, but water or dust may enter the vehicle body through the opening
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible resin hinge structure that acts as a movable barrier. The hinge connects the openable area to the main body of the inner fender, allowing controlled movement. When opened, the hinge maintains a seal between the openable area and the wheel arch, preventing water and dust ingress while enabling maintenance access. This flexible sealing mechanism resolves the contradiction between ease of opening and protection against harmful factors.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If elastic flat pieces are used to form a normally closed opening, then water or dust ingress is prevented, but significant force is required to open the fender
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the inner fender into a fixed main body and a movable openable area connected by a resin hinge. This segmentation allows the opening to be controlled locally rather than requiring forceful separation of the entire structure. The hinge mechanism distributes the opening force along its length, significantly reducing the force needed compared to separating rigid elastic flat pieces, while still maintaining the sealing function to prevent water and dust ingress.
3Ease of operation
If the entire inner fender is removed for headlight maintenance, then complete access is achieved, but maintenance time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary portion of the inner fender (the openable area) from the main structure, rather than removing the entire component. The resin hinge enables this partial extraction, creating a controlled opening that provides sufficient access for headlight maintenance while leaving the majority of the inner fender in place. This selective extraction dramatically reduces maintenance time while maintaining adequate access to the headlight assembly.
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 design reduces maintenance time by eliminating the need to remove the entire inner fender, enhances work efficiency by minimizing force required to open the fender, and prevents water or dust ingress during maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a tongue openable outward from an inner side of the inner fender by a finger inserted from the resin hinge side to the slit portion side
Data Source
AI summary
A tongue of a finger hook of an openable area is opened outward about a resin hinge by pressing the tongue from the inner side of the inner fender. When the finger hook is pulled by the finger hooked therein, the openable area undergoes elastic deformation and can be opened from the fender panel. When the openable area is opened, a gap α is formed between the fender panel and the openable area. In order to pull the finger hook, the finger is inserted into the finger hook from the resin hinge side to the slit portion side.