Sandwich Panel Protrusion Protuberances Press-Fitting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sandwich panels with internally inserted resin core materials and reinforcement members face challenges in press-fitting due to size variations during molding, leading to difficulties in integration and efficient manufacturing, particularly with solid foamed resin core materials exhibiting maximum or minimum dimensional tolerances.
Innovation Solution
The sandwich panel design incorporates a thermoplastic resin core material with a protrusion featuring protuberances that can be laterally press-fit into a recessed reinforcement member, ensuring secure integration regardless of dimensional tolerance, with protuberances compressively deforming to form a tight contact surface and inclining or curving to facilitate press-fitting, preventing the reinforcement member from falling at minimum tolerances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the thickness of the protrusion is set greater than the interval of the inner surfaces of the recess throughout in the longitudinal direction, then press-fitting can be ensured at maximum dimensional tolerance, but the reinforcement member may fall from the resin core material at minimum dimensional tolerance
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusion is designed with locally varying thickness: the first portion (at the pressing side) has a greater thickness to ensure press-fitting at maximum dimensional tolerance, while the second portion (at the opposite side) has a smaller thickness to prevent falling at minimum dimensional tolerance. This local variation in geometric property resolves the contradiction between ensuring press-fitting reliability and maintaining integration stability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the thickness of the protrusion is set uniformly throughout in the longitudinal direction, then manufacturing is simplified, but press-fitting cannot be ensured at both maximum and minimum dimensional tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniform thickness, the protrusion employs local quality variation with two distinct thickness portions. The first portion has greater thickness for reliable press-fitting at maximum tolerance, while the second portion has smaller thickness to prevent falling at minimum tolerance, thereby achieving press-fitting reliability across the full dimensional tolerance range.
3Productivity
If conventional press-fitting methods are used, then manufacturing process is simple, but integration of resin core material and reinforcement member is difficult due to size variations
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusion's varying thickness profile (first portion with greater thickness, second portion with smaller thickness) provides built-in compensation for size variations in the resin core material, enabling reliable integration without requiring complex manufacturing processes or tight tolerance control.
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
This configuration ensures reliable press-fitting of the resin core material with the reinforcement member across varying dimensional tolerances, enhancing manufacturing efficiency and maintaining structural integrity by preventing detachment at minimum tolerances and ensuring flush integration.
Implementation Method 1
each of the protuberances has a predetermined height from the opposing surfaces so as to enable the protuberances to tightly contact the inner surfaces of the recess at the time of press-fitting
Data Source
AI summary
A sandwich panel includes a reinforcement member having a recess formed to extend in a longitudinal direction over a predetermined length and open laterally. The thermoplastic resin core material has a rectangular flat board-like shape, and includes a protrusion which is disposed on a peripheral side surface portion thereof and which is capable of being laterally press-fit with respect to the recess. The protrusion has opposing surfaces respectively opposing mutually opposed inner surfaces of the recess, the opposing surfaces being oriented so as to protrude from the peripheral side surface portion. At least one of the opposing surfaces is provided with a plurality of protuberances disposed at an interval in the longitudinal direction. Each of the protuberances has a predetermined height from the opposing surfaces enabling the protuberances to tightly contact the inner surfaces of the recess at the time of press-fitting.