Vehicle Opening Panel With Removable Skin for Sealed Light Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle tailgates face challenges with side rear signaling lights that are difficult to install, require separate waterproofing, compromise aesthetics, and are not easily removable, leading to reduced rigidity and maintenance complexity.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle opening design featuring a support plate integrated within the tailgate, where equipment is sealed and attached directly to the outer skin, allowing easy access and installation, maintaining aesthetics and structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If side lights are attached to the external face of the tailgate, then installation is simplified, but aesthetics are compromised and waterproofing becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The side lights are nested within the tailgate structure by mounting them on the internal face of the outer skin, which is itself attached to the inner panel. This nesting allows the lights to be integrated into the tailgate's internal volume rather than attached externally, achieving both aesthetic continuity and simplified installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from external attachment (external face mounting) to internal integration (internal face mounting with sealed enclosure). By moving the mounting dimension from external to internal and adding the sealed enclosure dimension, the solution achieves both aesthetic continuity and installation simplicity.
2Reliability
If outer skin is permanently glued to inner panel for sealing, then waterproofing is improved, but equipment accessibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The outer skin is segmented into two functional parts: a sealed portion attached to the inner panel for waterproofing, and a removable portion that can be detached to access equipment. This segmentation allows the sealed enclosure to maintain waterproofing while enabling equipment accessibility through selective removal of the skin portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment between outer skin and inner panel is made dynamic rather than static. The skin can be permanently sealed for waterproofing but also designed to be removable for equipment access, allowing the system to transition between sealed and accessible states as needed.
3Ease of repair
If access holes are made in inner panel for light removal, then equipment accessibility is improved, but structural rigidity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of accessing equipment through the inner panel (one dimension), the invention provides access through the outer skin (another dimension). The outer skin can be removed from the external side to access equipment mounted on the internal face, eliminating the need for holes in the inner panel and preserving structural rigidity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If side lights are mounted separately in two places, then installation flexibility is improved, but installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the mounting of both side lights into a single integrated process. The outer skin, with both lights attached to its internal face, is installed as one unit and then sealed to the inner panel in a single operation, combining what would otherwise be separate mounting operations into one unified installation step.
Data Source
Figure 1A~2
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AI summary
The invention relates to a motor vehicle opening (1) comprising: - an inner panel (2), preferably made of plastic, having an upper portion (2A) in which a first opening (21) is formed for receiving a window (7), and - an outer skin (3), at least partially made of plastic, attached to the inner panel (2), comprising an internal surface (31) facing an external surface (23) of the inner panel (2). The opening (1) further comprises a support plate (4) for equipment (6) covered by the outer skin (3). The internal surface (31) of the outer skin (3) being directly attached to the support plate (4) in a sealed manner, the plate (4) is located within an internal volume (5A) delimited, on the one hand, by the external surface (23) of the inner panel (2) and, on the other hand, by the internal surface (31) of the outer skin (3).The plate (4) is attached to the inner panel (2) so that the assembly consisting of the plate (4) and the outer skin (3) is mounted on the inner panel (3) in a removable manner.