Pillar Garnish Alignment via Sliding Mold Protrusion

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Solution Overview

Problem

In existing pillar garnish manufacturing methods, variations in the outline shape or warpage of the main body member can cause it to float or be misaligned within the injection molding mold, leading to potential damage when closing the mold due to improper contact with the sliding mold.

Innovation Solution

The method involves using a sliding mold with protrusions that engage with penetration holes in the main body member to align it correctly, ensuring the mold surface contacts the member at the intended position, preventing damage and burr formation by using a sliding mold with inclined surfaces and recesses to guide the member into position.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the main body member is set in the injection molding mold without positioning mechanisms, then the setting process is simple and fast, but the main body member may float up or be misaligned due to variation in outline shape or warpage, causing damage when the sliding mold closes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of setting main body memberVSAvoidalignment accuracy of main body member

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a positioning mechanism consisting of a positioning protrusion on the sliding mold and a positioning groove on the main body member. This intermediary positioning structure mediates between the simple setting operation and the requirement for precise alignment, ensuring that the main body member is accurately positioned before the sliding mold closes, thereby preventing damage while maintaining operational simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The positioning groove is pre-formed on the main body member before injection molding. When the main body member is placed in the mold, the positioning protrusion automatically engages with this pre-formed groove, performing the alignment action in advance before the closing process begins. This preliminary positioning action prevents misalignment and damage during mold closure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Device complexity

If the sliding mold directly contacts the main body member without positioning, then the mold closing process is simple, but the contact may occur at unexpected positions causing damage to the main body member

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomplexity of mold closing processVSAvoiddamage to main body member

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning protrusion and positioning groove act as intermediary elements that guide the sliding mold to contact the main body member at the correct position. This intermediary mechanism ensures that the mold closing process remains simple while preventing harmful contact at unexpected positions, thus resolving the contradiction between process simplicity and damage prevention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The positioning groove is designed to prevent the harmful effect of misalignment before it can occur. By providing a predetermined engagement path for the positioning protrusion, the system preemptively counteracts the potential damage that would result from direct contact at incorrect positions, thereby protecting the main body member without complicating the closing process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the main body member has warpage or outline variation, then manufacturing the first member is more flexible, but the member cannot be properly aligned with the sliding mold, leading to damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetolerance to shape variation of main body memberVSAvoidalignment precision with sliding mold

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning groove serves as an intermediary feature that accommodates variations in the main body member's shape and warpage. By providing a standardized engagement interface, it enables precise alignment even when the overall shape of the main body member varies, thus resolving the contradiction between manufacturing flexibility and alignment precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of requiring the entire main body member to have high precision, the positioning groove is created as a localized high-precision feature. This local quality approach allows the rest of the member to tolerate shape variations while ensuring accurate alignment at the critical positioning interface, balancing adaptability and precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS10525622B2Pillar garnish manufacturing method

Publication Date: 2020.01.07 TOKAI KOGYO CO LTD

AI summary

A main body portion is disposed at a regular position by inserting a protrusion into an engaging portion formed in a leg portion of the main body portion in accordance with a forward movement of a sliding mold including the protrusion. Then, an injection molding mold is completely closed to cause at least a part of a mold surface of the sliding mold to come into contact with the main body portion.