Vehicle Interior Lamp Unit Spacer Impact Retention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Vehicle interior illumination lamp units are prone to malfunction and unit disassembly during strong impacts, such as those from curtain airbag inflation, leading to potential unit detachment and scattering within the vehicle.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle interior illumination lamp unit design featuring a designed unit and a functional unit coupled via an attachment hole in the ceiling plate, with an elastically deformable operation plate and a spacer that inhibits warping and provides an engagement portion for dropout prevention, ensuring secure attachment and easy repair.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the engaged portion is made elastically deformable to engage with the engagement hook, then the coupling between the designed unit and functional unit is achieved, but the engaged portion may warp under strong impact to release the coupling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoupling reliabilityVSAvoidengagement stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The spacer is installed in advance to abut on the operation plate before impact occurs, preventing the engaged portion from warping under strong impact forces during airbag inflation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The spacer acts as an intermediary component between the operation plate and the impact force, distributing and restraining the deformation stress to prevent the engaged portion from releasing from the engagement hook

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of repair

If the engaged portion is designed to be easily detachable for repair, then the ease of repair is improved, but the coupling stability under impact deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveunit detachabilityVSAvoidcoupling reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The coupling system is segmented into multiple components (engagement hook, engaged portion, spacer) with distinct functions, allowing the spacer to provide impact resistance while the engaged portion maintains detachability for repair purposes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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

Prevents unexpected release of the coupling between the designed and functional units, maintaining the lamp's position and functionality even under impact, while allowing for easy detachment and repair, and eliminates the need for special processes by covering die cut holes.

Implementation Method 1

an elastically deformable operation plate provided in the functional unit, having an engaged portion engaged with the engagement hook

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS7775694B2Vehicle interior illumination lamp unit

Publication Date: 2010.08.17 YAZAKI CORP

AI summary

A vehicle interior illumination lamp unit includes: a designed unit disposed on a lower side of a ceiling plate of a vehicle; and a functional unit disposed on an upper side of the ceiling plate of the vehicle and coupled to the designed unit. A spacer insertion space is provided on an outside of an operation plate of the functional unit, and an insertion plate portion of the spacer is inserted into the spacer insertion space, whereby engagement between an engagement hook and an engaged portion is inhibited from being released by an impact.