Integral Guide Rail for Vehicle Sliding Roof Wear Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guide rails for vehicle sliding roof systems experience wear and noise issues due to the sliding element transitioning from a lifting section to a shifting section, where the joint between these sections causes friction and potential spurious anti-pinch responses.
Innovation Solution
A guide rail design where the lifting section integrally adjoins the shifting section, forming a continuous guide with guide webs on both sides, allowing for easy bending and eliminating the joint, and featuring a connecting web for stability and attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the guide rail is designed in two parts (rail element and attachment part) to simplify manufacture, then ease of manufacture is improved, but wear and noise increase due to the joint between parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the lifting section and shifting section into a single integral guide rail structure. The lifting section (16) and shifting section (17) are formed as one continuous piece, eliminating the joint between separate parts. This integration removes the abutting edges that caused wear and noise while maintaining the functional separation between lifting and shifting sections through integral geometry design.
2Reliability
If the lifting section and shifting section are joined to form a complete guide rail, then the guide function is improved, but wear and noise occur at the joint between sections
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting section and shifting section are merged into a single integral structure formed from one continuous piece of material. This eliminates the joint interface that caused wear and noise while preserving the complete guide function for both lifting and shifting operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs curved transition geometry at the junction between the lifting section and shifting section. The guide slot features a smooth curved transition that guides the sliding element from the oblique lifting section into the horizontal shifting section without abrupt angular changes. This curvature eliminates impact and friction at the joint, preventing wear and noise while maintaining reliable guidance.
Data Source
AI summary
A guide rail (10) for a vehicle sliding roof system, having a guide (22) which can receive a sliding element (18) for shifting motion that is coupled to a cover of the sliding roof system, the guide (22) including a shifting section (17) that extends in a substantially straight line, and the guide rail (10) being made of metal, in particular of an aluminum alloy, is characterized in that it includes a lifting section (16) which integrally adjoins the shifting section (17) and extends obliquely to the direction of extent of the shifting section (17). Also described is a method of producing a guide rail for a vehicle sliding roof system.