Retractable Rear Quarter Window Using Inboard Body Cavity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional monobody designs result in unutilized and inaccessible spaces in cavities between panels, preventing the integration of features like wiring, motors, or window recesses, while also limiting design flexibility and increasing manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A retractable rear quarter window system is integrated into the cavity formed between the interior and exterior panels, with the wet/dry line positioned inboard, allowing for the use of this space for moving components and enabling separate manufacturing and painting of the rear quarter panel, which can be of different materials and colors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional monobody designs are used to simplify manufacturing and reduce parts, then manufacturing cost and assembly complexity are reduced, but space utilization in body cavities deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The body is divided into separate stampable panels (inner body panel, outer body panel) that are assembled together, creating accessible cavities between them. This segmentation allows the cavity space to be utilized for window storage while maintaining the manufacturing simplicity of stamping individual panels.
Solution Approach 2:
The window storage cavity is created by utilizing the depth dimension between the inner and outer body panels, rather than attempting to expand lateral or vertical dimensions. This dimensional approach maximizes usable space within the existing body structure.
2Reliability
If the wet/dry line is positioned on the outer surface to prevent corrosion, then corrosion protection is improved, but access to cavity space for installing features deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The body is segmented into inner and outer panels with the wet/dry line positioned on the outer panel surface. This segmentation allows the cavity between panels to be accessed and utilized while maintaining the outer surface as the corrosion protection boundary.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner body panel acts as an intermediary structure that provides access to the cavity space while the outer body panel maintains the wet/dry line for corrosion protection. This intermediary structure enables both corrosion resistance and cavity accessibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If complex stamping or casting methods are used to create monobody designs, then manufacturing flexibility and design freedom are improved, but the number of manufacturing steps and cost deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The complex body design is segmented into multiple stampable panels rather than requiring a single complex monobody stamping operation. This segmentation maintains design flexibility while simplifying the manufacturing process to standard stamping operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple separately stamped panels are merged through assembly to create the final body structure with integrated cavity space. This merging approach achieves the design complexity of monobodies while using simpler, more cost-effective stamping processes for each component.
Data Source
AI summary
An automobile includes a body side panel including: a first pillar disposed rearward of a door of the automobile; a second pillar disposed rearward of the first pillar; an interior panel connecting the first pillar and the second pillar; a rear quarter panel attached to the exterior of the body side panel and forming a cavity between the rear quarter panel and the interior panel; and a retractable window disposed between the first pillar and the second pillar; wherein the retractable window is configured to move between a first position and a second position, the first position being defined by a roof of the automobile, the first pillar, and the second pillar, and the second position being inside the cavity.