Longitudinal Rear Door Hinge Assembly for Seamless Roof Molding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing rear part structure of vehicles requires multiple parts and complex assembly steps to cover the groove where the hinge is located, leading to increased manufacturing costs and a compromised external appearance due to the exposure of seam joints.
Innovation Solution
A hinge assembly with an anchor portion, swing motion support portion, and connecting portion aligned in the longitudinal direction, allowing for a smaller transverse breadth, enabling a single uniform-width roof molding to cover the groove seamlessly, reducing the number of parts and assembly steps, and enhancing the vehicle's appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a hinge base part with sufficient breadth is provided to withstand the load when the rear door is opened or closed, then the strength is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for multiple parts and complex assembly steps to cover the groove
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge base part is repositioned from a transverse arrangement to a longitudinal arrangement within the groove. By aligning the hinge base part along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the transverse breadth required is reduced, allowing the groove to have a uniform width that can be covered by a single roof molding piece rather than multiple parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge base part is divided into three functional segments: an anchor portion for fixing to the vehicle body, a swing motion support portion for supporting the door hinge part, and a connecting portion extending between them. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall structural efficiency.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple parts are used to cover the groove, then the manufacturing precision can be maintained, but the loss of time increases due to increased assembly steps
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple groove covering parts are merged into a single roof molding piece. By designing the groove with a uniform width that can accommodate the repositioned hinge base part, a single continuous roof molding can cover the entire groove from front to rear, eliminating the need for separate cover members and reducing assembly steps.
3Reliability
If the hinge base part is positioned to support the rear door effectively, then the reliability is improved, but the shape of the groove becomes complex requiring non-uniform width
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge base part is repositioned from a transverse arrangement to a longitudinal arrangement within the groove. By aligning the hinge base part along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the transverse breadth required is reduced, allowing the groove to have a uniform width that can be covered by a single roof molding piece rather than multiple parts.
Data Source
AI summary
A rear door is supported at a rear end of a vehicle by a hinge assembly, which includes a hinge base part and a door hinge part. The hinge base part is provided in a groove formed at a joint between a roof panel and a side panel of a vehicle body, and the door hinge part is attached to the rear door and swingably supported by the hinge base part. The hinge base part includes an anchor portion fixed to a bottom of the groove, a swing motion support portion disposed in a position aligned in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle with the anchor portion and separate from the anchor portion to support the door hinge part, and a connecting portion extending between the anchor portion and the swing motion support portion to fix the swing motion support portion relative to the anchor portion.