Vehicle Mirror Cover Attachment System Vibration Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
External vehicle rear view mirrors, especially those on commercial vehicles, face vibration-induced wear and tear, leading to loose connections between the cover, bezel, and carrier plate, causing the bezel or cover to fall off, and existing solutions either fail to provide sufficient strength or complicate assembly and repair processes.
Innovation Solution
A secure and easily removable attachment system featuring mounting tabs on the carrier plate, complementary attachment sockets on the cover with spring clips for a friction fit, and release tabs for disengagement, along with angled engaging surfaces and flexible retaining arms for enhanced stability and ease of assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If clips and hooks are used to snap the cover and bezel together, then assembly is simple and manufacturing is easy, but vibration causes wear and loosening leading to disengagement
Solution Approach 1:
The spring clips are designed to be resilient and adaptable, automatically adjusting to vibration and movement rather than maintaining a rigid fixed position. The spring nature allows the clips to dynamically respond to vibrational forces, maintaining engagement despite relative motion between components.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring clips act as intermediary elements between the cover/bezel and carrier plate, absorbing the harmful effects of vibration through their elastic deformation. They mediate the connection by converting vibrational energy into elastic potential energy, preventing direct transmission of damaging forces to the engagement interfaces.
2Reliability
If metal screws are used to mount the cover and bezel, then connection strength and vibration resistance are improved, but assembly complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical screw-fastening system with a spring-based elastic retention system. This substitution eliminates the need for threaded fasteners, holes, and complex assembly tools while maintaining secure attachment through elastic engagement forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring clips utilize elastic deformation as a key parameter, transforming the rigid mechanical connection of screws into a flexible elastic connection. The clips are designed with specific elastic properties that allow them to maintain engagement forces equivalent to or greater than screws while enabling simple snap-together assembly.
3Ease of operation
If traditional clips are used to secure the bezel, then assembly is easy, but the clips lack sufficient strength to prevent easy removal
Solution Approach 1:
The spring clips are designed as composite structures combining elastic material properties with geometric reinforcement. The clips integrate multiple functional elements (engagement hooks, resilient bodies, and positioning features) into a single composite component that simultaneously provides easy assembly and strong retention.
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 system provides a stable and secure connection that resists vibration-induced wear, is easily removable for repairs, and simplifies assembly, ensuring the bezel and cover remain securely attached to the carrier plate.
Implementation Method 1
a spring clip carried in each of the attachment sockets engaging the mounting tabs in a releasably connected engagement
Implementation Method 2
first and second flexible retaining arms having a complementary retaining surface aligning flush against each of the angled engaging surfaces of the mounting tabs in a friction fit arrangement
Data Source
AI summary
A carrier plate including mounting tabs. A cover including attachment sockets releasably engaging the mounting tabs. A spring clip carried in each of the attachment sockets releasably engaging the mounting tabs. A bezel extending around the carrier plate including a bezel lip extending along select portions of the bezel, and a cover lip receiving slot disposed along select portions of the bezel not including the bezel lip. A cover lip included on the cover extending along select portions of a perimeter edge of the cover, and a bezel lip receiving slot extending along select portions of the perimeter edge not including the cover lip. The cover lip is received into the cover lip receiving slot and the bezel lip is received into the bezel lip receiving slot for mounting the cover to the carrier plate.