Vehicle Partition Hook Structure That Prevents Twist and Mis-Hooking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing room separation devices for motor vehicles, such as net partitions, often have a rigid upper rod that is heavy and requires significant installation space, making them cumbersome when not in use, and alternative designs with flexible hooks can be prone to incorrect orientation and malfunction.

Innovation Solution

A room separation device featuring a hook element with a connecting section formed by double rod material, which provides increased strength and prevents rotation, ensuring correct orientation and secure attachment to the vehicle's roof structure, along with a flexible wall element that can be easily stored and deployed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a rigid upper rod is used to support the net partition, then the hooks can be correctly positioned and attached, but the device becomes heavy and requires significant installation space

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehook attachment reliabilityVSAvoidrod weight
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The rigid rod is segmented into multiple individual hooks, each capable of independent attachment. This eliminates the need for a continuous rigid rod while maintaining attachment reliability at each hook position. The wall element is divided into sections with discrete hooks at regular intervals, allowing flexible configuration without requiring a heavy continuous support structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the rigid rod structure with flexible wall elements that have hooks attached directly to them. The wall elements can be made of flexible materials that provide sufficient support without the weight and space requirements of rigid rods. The flexible nature allows the wall to conform to different mounting configurations while maintaining structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Weight of stationary object

If individual hooks are used to support the net partition, then the weight and installation space are reduced, but the hooks can twist and become incorrectly oriented

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverod weightVSAvoidhook attachment reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The hooks are designed with asymmetric geometry that prevents rotation and ensures correct orientation during attachment. The hook shape includes features such as asymmetric curvature or directional elements that naturally guide the hook into the correct position and prevent it from twisting or becoming misoriented after attachment to the wall element.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The hooks are pre-positioned and pre-oriented on the wall elements during manufacturing, ensuring correct orientation before installation. The wall elements are supplied with hooks already attached in the correct orientation, eliminating the risk of incorrect installation by the end user and ensuring reliable attachment from the first installation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If hooks are made from round wire material, then the manufacturing is simple, but the hooks can rotate freely and may not engage correctly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehook manufacturing simplicityVSAvoidhook engagement reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using symmetric round wire hooks that can rotate freely, the patent employs hooks with asymmetric cross-sections or directional features. The hooks may have oval, rectangular, or specially contoured cross-sections that prevent rotation and ensure correct engagement orientation while maintaining manufacturability through standard forming processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The hooks are constructed using composite material structures that combine the manufacturing simplicity of wire forming with the rotational prevention features of shaped profiles. This may involve wire hooks with molded plastic inserts, or multi-layer wire constructions that provide both ease of manufacture and reliable engagement characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentEP4371824A1Room partitioning device and motor vehicle
Publication Date: 2024.05.22 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP4371824A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4371824A1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP4371824A1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a partition device (10) for dividing the interior of a motor vehicle, comprising a wall element (11) and at least one hook element (20) attached to the wall element (11) for suspension in a hook receptacle (60), wherein the hook element (20) comprises a free hook end (21) and a connecting section (22) for connecting the hook element (20) to the wall element (11), which extend in an arrangement plane (30), wherein at least a longitudinal region of the connecting section (22) has a greater extent in cross-section along the arrangement plane (31) than in this cross-section a greater extent transverse to the arrangement plane (32), and wherein the connecting section (22) is formed by a double rod material (40), the two rod elements (41, 42) of which are arranged side by side in the arrangement plane (30). The invention further relates to a motor vehicle with the partition device.