Panel Assembly Edge Seaming with Boundary Clearances

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing panel assemblies with sheet metal seaming often result in excessive resistance for curling punches, leading to poor appearance due to scratches and dents caused by improper biting engagement at boundary regions during the curling process.

Innovation Solution

Defining clearances in boundary regions between seamed and unseamed end portions, which are spaced away from the seaming range, to reduce the resistance and load on the curling punch, ensuring a smooth curling and seaming process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the distal end portion of the inner panel has a forming width that increases at boundary regions, then the panel assembly can be formed with a continuous edge, but the curling punch is subjected to excessive resistance causing scratches and dents

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinuity of edgeVSAvoidresistance to curling punch

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A clearance is defined in the end of the inner panel at the boundary region before the curling operation. This preliminary geometric modification reduces the forming width at the boundary, thereby reducing the resistance when the curling punch forms the edge, preventing scratches and dents while maintaining edge continuity in the seamed distal end portion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Stability of the object's composition

If the forming width increases at boundary regions to maintain continuous edge formation, then edge continuity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to improper biting engagement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveedge continuityVSAvoidedge quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The clearance is defined in advance in the inner panel's end at the boundary region between the distal end portion and the end. This preliminary action ensures that when the curling punch forms the edge, the reduced forming width at the clearance prevents improper biting engagement, thereby maintaining both edge continuity in the seamed region and high manufacturing precision by avoiding scratches and dents.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Strength

If sheet metal seaming is used to fasten the distal end portions, then joint strength is improved, but the load on the curling punch increases due to the forming width at boundary regions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvejoint strengthVSAvoidload on curling punch

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The clearance is defined in the inner panel's end at the boundary region before the curling and seaming operations. This preliminary geometric modification reduces the forming width where the curling punch acts, thereby reducing the load on the curling punch during the forming process, while the sheet metal seaming still achieves strong joint strength in the distal end portions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9427791B2Panel assembly and method of forming same

Publication Date: 2016.08.30 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A panel assembly includes an outer member and an inner member, which overlap each other and jointly have an edge that includes a distal end portion of the outer member and a distal end portion projecting from an end of the inner member. The distal end portions are fastened together by sheet metal seaming. Boundary regions of the inner member between the distal end portion, which is seamed, and the end, which is not seamed, have respective clearances defined in the end, and which are spaced away from a seaming range in which the distal end portions are seamed.