One-Piece Overmolded Slider for Vehicle Guide Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle sliders are multipiece, leading to high tooling and installation costs, noise issues, and the need for complex tolerance compensation, which results in undesirable play between slider and guide elements, especially when navigating curvatures.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece slider with a metal region overmolded by a plastics region, allowing for improved sliding properties and noise reduction, where the metal region's elasticity adapts to tolerances and curvatures, eliminating the need for large tolerances and play.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a multipiece slider is used, then the slider can be assembled from individual parts, but high tooling and installation costs arise and complex tolerance compensation is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the metal insert and plastics housing into a single integrated slider component. The metal region is embedded within the plastics region during molding, eliminating the need for separate assembly steps and reducing tooling complexity while maintaining the functional benefits of both materials.
2Ease of manufacture
If a multipiece slider is used, then the slider can be assembled from individual parts, but disturbing noise occurs when individual parts are displaced
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the metal insert and plastics housing into a single molded component, the patent eliminates the interfaces between separate parts that generate noise during displacement. The integrated structure ensures smooth, noise-free operation while maintaining the functional advantages of both materials.
3Manufacturing precision
If large tolerances are provided in the slider, then tolerance compensation is achieved, but undesired play between the slider and guide element occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure with a metal insert embedded in a plastics housing. The metal region provides dimensional stability and precision, while the plastics region absorbs tolerances through elastic deformation. This composite approach enables tight tolerances without play, as the plastics adapts to manufacturing variations while the metal maintains geometric accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the elastic properties of the plastics material to dynamically adjust to tolerance variations. The plastics region deforms elastically to compensate for manufacturing tolerances and guide element curvatures, maintaining consistent contact and eliminating play throughout the slider's operational range.
4Ease of operation
If the slider is made entirely of plastics, then sliding properties are improved, but stability and force absorption are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite slider where the plastics housing provides smooth sliding properties and corrosion resistance, while the embedded metal insert provides structural strength and stability. The metal region acts as a reinforcement skeleton that absorbs forces and maintains dimensional stability, while the plastics exterior ensures low-friction movement along the guide element.
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 results in a cost-effective, simple-to-mount slider with enhanced stability and noise suppression, capable of smoothly following curvatures without jamming, by optimizing the metal and plastics combination for specific applications.
Implementation Method 1
a metal region of the slider is at least partially or entirely overmolded with a plastics region
Implementation Method 2
the stability or elasticity thereof can be set such that a tolerance range is covered via appropriate elastic deformation of the metal region
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle having a slider for guiding a displaceable element of the vehicle relative to a body of the vehicle, wherein the slider can be arranged so as to be movable along a guide element, and has a plastics region and a metal region. The slider may be embodied in one piece, wherein the metal region is at least partially overmolded with the plastics region. The slider may be configured such that at least one portion of the slider engages at least partially around the guide element.