Motorcycle Visor Substrate Seamless Molding
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing decorative molded components, such as windshields for motorcycles, result in a visible seam between the front cowl and the visor, which detracts from the appearance and does not provide a seamless connection.
Innovation Solution
A decorative molded component is created with a substrate and a skin that is bonded to the substrate using adhesive, where the skin is molded to cover the through hole and the shell, providing a seamless and continuous outer surface, and the molded body covers the through hole, enhancing the appearance and maintaining the functionality of the components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a decorative sheet is overlaid on the outer surface of the molded component with an adhesive sheet, then the decorative component achieves decoration and protective film functions, but a visible seam appears between the front cowl and the visor, deteriorating the appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the decorative sheet and the visor into a single integrated structure. The decorative sheet is formed with a protruding portion that extends into the through hole of the substrate, and the visor is formed integrally with this protruding portion. This merging eliminates the seam between the decorative sheet and the visor, achieving a seamless appearance while maintaining decoration and protective functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends the decorative sheet into the through hole dimension of the substrate. The protruding portion of the decorative sheet projects from the outer surface into the through hole space, allowing the visor to be formed integrally in this third dimension. This dimensional extension enables the seamless connection between the decorative sheet and the visor.
2Strength
If the decorative sheet does not contribute to rigidity, then the molded component maintains its structural integrity, but the decorative sheet and visor create a visible seam that deteriorates appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The decorative sheet and visor are merged into a single integrally formed component. The visor is formed as a continuation of the decorative sheet's protruding portion, eliminating the need for separate assembly and the resulting visible seam. The substrate maintains its structural integrity while the integrated decorative sheet-visor assembly achieves seamless appearance.
3Reliability
If screws or rivets are used to attach the visor to the front cowl, then the visor is securely fixed, but visible seams and fasteners appear on the exterior, deteriorating appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The visor is merged with the decorative sheet to form a single integrally molded component. This eliminates the need for separate fasteners like screws or rivets, as the visor and decorative sheet are already connected in the molded state. The fixation is achieved through the integral structure itself, maintaining both secure attachment and seamless exterior appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the fastener elements (screws, rivets) from the assembly. By forming the visor integrally with the decorative sheet, the need for separate fastening components is removed entirely, achieving both secure fixation and seamless exterior without visible fasteners.
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 solution achieves a seamless appearance while maintaining the structural integrity and functionality of the components, improving the aesthetic appeal by eliminating visible seams and enhancing the rigidity through the use of a resin sheet thermoformed to match the mating surface.
Implementation Method 1
the skin and the molded body are a mold of a resin sheet that is coated to the shell and the through hole at the mating surface by thermoforming
Implementation Method 2
the skin is a laminate bonded to the shell at the mating surface with adhesive
Data Source
AI summary
A decorative molded component includes: a substrate having a shell extending along a mating surface and a through hole adjacent to the shell and defined along the mating surface; and a molded body coated to the mating surface, the molded body covering the through hole to be continuous from a skin bonded to the shell. The decorative molded component improves appearance while keeping the functions of the two members.