Rear Roof Cross Beam Pre-positioning Posts and Grooves

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing rear roof cross beam mounting structures for vehicles face inefficiencies in assembly due to the difficulty and potential damage caused by the bending operation required for pre-lap hasps, leading to low assembly efficiency and component damage.

Innovation Solution

A rear roof cross beam mounting structure featuring pre-positioning posts and U-shaped grooves, where the posts are columnar protrusions extending at an acute angle from the D pillars and the grooves are on the lower cross beam, allowing for easy alignment and fixation of the lower cross beam between the D pillars, thereby optimizing assembly and reducing the risk of component damage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If pre-lap hasps are used for pre-positioning the lower cross beam, then the cross beam can be fixed between D pillars, but the bending operation required causes difficulty in operation and potential damage to the hasps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepre-positioning stabilityVSAvoidassembly operation difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The pre-positioning structure is divided into separate components: columnar protrusions on the D pillars and corresponding recesses on the lower cross beam. This segmentation eliminates the need for bending operations while maintaining stable pre-positioning, as the protrusions simply need to be inserted into the recesses without deformation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using hasps that require bending to engage, the invention inverts the approach by using fixed columnar protrusions that insert directly into recesses. This reverses the operation sequence and eliminates the harmful bending step, making the assembly process simpler and less prone to damage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If pre-lap hasps undergo bending operation to achieve pre-positioning, then the cross beam can be secured, but the assembly efficiency is reduced due to the complex operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection stabilityVSAvoidassembly efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The columnar protrusions and recesses are pre-formed during manufacturing, eliminating the need for on-site bending operations. This preliminary preparation of the connection features significantly improves assembly efficiency while maintaining reliable pre-positioning of the lower cross beam.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The bending operation step is completely extracted from the assembly process. By designing fixed protrusions and recesses that engage through simple insertion, the complex bending operation is removed entirely, streamlining the assembly process and improving productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If columnar protrusions extend at acute angle from D pillars, then the lower cross beam can be easily aligned and positioned, but the machining complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment easeVSAvoidmachining difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The columnar protrusions extend at acute angles rather than perpendicular to the D pillar surfaces. This asymmetric configuration provides natural alignment guidance for the lower cross beam during assembly, making positioning easier while the machining complexity remains manageable through standard angular drilling and tapping operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentEP4245649B1Rear roof cross beam mounting structure for vehicle, and vehicle
Publication Date: 2024.05.01 NIO TECH ANHUI CO LTD
  • EP4245649B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4245649B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP4245649B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

Rear roof cross beam mounting structure for a vehicle, and a vehicle. The rear roof cross beam mounting structure comprises: a left D pillar (10) and a right D pillar (12), the left D pillar and the right D pillar each being fixed to a body of the vehicle (2); a lower cross beam (30), the lower cross beam being arranged between the left D pillar and the right D pillar; and a pre-positioning structure, the pre-positioning structure comprising pre-positioning posts (61) and pre-positioning holes (62), wherein the pre-positioning posts are columnar protrusions respectively extend upwardly from bodies of the left D pillar and the right D pillar along a center line offset from a Z-direction of the vehicle by a predetermined acute angle, the pre-positioning holes are U-shaped grooves respectively formed in a left side edge and a right side edge of the lower cross beam and having openings facing away from a body of the lower cross beam, and the columnar protrusions are configured to be insertable into corresponding U-shaped grooves such that the lower cross beam can be placed on each of the left D pillar and the right D pillar along the center line. The vehicle of the disclosure can efficiently achieve pre-positioning fit, the assembly takt can be optimized, and the assembly efficiency can be increased.