Modular Insulating Element for Irregular Vehicle Cavities
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealing and reinforcement elements for vehicle cavities require custom designs for each shape, leading to high development and manufacturing costs, especially for small production runs.
Innovation Solution
An insulating element comprising a basic element with expandable material and additional elements, connected via coupling elements, allowing for versatile application across various cavity shapes using a single basic element and cost-effective additional elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If custom-designed sealing and reinforcement elements are manufactured for each body shape and cavity, then the sealing and reinforcement effectiveness is improved, but the development and manufacturing costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a basic element with a standardized coupling element that can be combined with various additional elements to create sealing and reinforcement solutions for different cavity shapes and sizes. This modular approach allows a single basic element design to serve multiple applications across different body shapes, reducing development costs while maintaining effective sealing and reinforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the sealing and reinforcement element into a basic element and additional elements that can be separately manufactured and then combined through coupling elements. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized and manufactured independently using cost-effective processes, while the assembled combination provides the required sealing and reinforcement for specific cavity configurations.
2Manufacturing precision
If individually manufactured insulating elements are produced for each cavity, then the insulation precision is improved, but the productivity decreases and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The basic element is designed as a universal component that can be used across multiple cavity applications. By standardizing the basic element design while allowing customization through additional elements, the system achieves high insulation precision for each specific cavity while maintaining high productivity through repeated use of the same basic element design in mass production.
Solution Approach 2:
The basic element is pre-designed and standardized in advance, allowing it to be manufactured in large quantities using efficient production processes. This preliminary design action enables rapid assembly for different cavity applications without requiring individual customization, thereby maintaining high insulation precision while significantly improving productivity.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single standardized insulating element is used for all applications, then the manufacturing cost decreases, but the adaptability to different cavity shapes is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating element is segmented into a standardized basic element and configurable additional elements. The basic element provides the core insulation function and can be manufactured in large quantities at low cost, while additional elements can be added to adapt the overall solution to different cavity shapes and sizes, thereby maintaining both cost-effectiveness and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows dynamic configuration by combining the standardized basic element with different additional elements depending on the specific application requirements. This dynamic adaptability enables the same basic element to be effectively used across various cavity shapes and sizes without sacrificing manufacturing efficiency.
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
Reduces overall costs by enabling mass production of a basic element for multiple applications, while additional elements can be produced cost-effectively, providing effective sealing and reinforcement for irregularly shaped cavities.
Implementation Method 1
the basic element comprises expandable material; an additional element with a second coupling element, wherein the additional element comprises expandable material
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2c
Figure 3a~3f
AI summary
An insulating element for insulating a structural component in a vehicle comprises a base element, an additional element, and a fixing element. The base element has a first coupling element and expandable material. The additional element has a second coupling element and expandable material. The base element and the additional element are connected to each other by the coupling elements.