Vehicle Roof Connector Assembly from Inside
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing connection devices for openable vehicle roofs require lengthy assembly times and result in an unsatisfactory visual appearance due to the need for bending thin PU foam or using additional plastic covers to access screw heads, which are costly and complex to coordinate.
Innovation Solution
The connection device allows assembly from the inside out, using a continuous covering panel to conceal connection points, eliminating the need for a plastic cover and incorporating a washer instead of a retaining plate, with a bearing pin and fastening screw system that simplifies assembly and reduces weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If assembly is performed from outside to inside using conventional connection devices, then screw heads are accessible for assembly, but the PU foam coating must be interrupted or thinned, resulting in unsatisfactory visual appearance and additional assembly steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional assembly direction by performing assembly from inside to outside instead of outside to inside. The fastening element is inserted from the inside of the vehicle through the holding device and into the bearing pin, allowing the PU foam coating to remain continuous and undisturbed while still providing access to the fastening operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the dimensional approach by providing access to the fastening element through the interior space of the vehicle rather than from the exterior. This allows the fastening operation to occur through the holding device structure itself, eliminating the need to compromise the external PU foam coating.
2Ease of operation
If thin PU foam coating is used at connection points to allow screw access, then assembly is possible, but the PU foam becomes wavy and visually unsatisfactory after bending
Solution Approach 1:
By reversing the assembly direction to inside-to-outside, the patent eliminates the need to bend or deform the PU foam coating at all. The fastening element accesses the bearing pin through the holding device structure rather than by deforming the external coating, preserving the surface quality completely.
3Manufacturing precision
If plastic cover is used to cover connection points, then visual appearance is improved, but additional components are required and coordination is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the need for separate plastic covers by redesigning the assembly approach. The holding device structure itself provides the necessary access and support functions, eliminating the requirement for additional plastic cover components and simplifying the overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding device is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides structural support, enables fastening from the inside, and maintains the visual appearance by eliminating the need for separate covers. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of components required.
4Strength
If conventional retaining plate is used in connection device, then structural support is provided, but weight and complexity are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional retaining plate with a washer, which is a simpler, lighter component. The washer provides sufficient structural support for the fastening operation while significantly reducing weight and manufacturing complexity compared to a full retaining plate assembly.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a connector device for a retainer device (2) on a cover of an openable vehicle roof on an operating mechanism, in particular, on an operating lever (3) with a bearing pin (4), comprising a mid axis (104), about which the operating lever (3) is mounted to pivot relative to the cover, characterised in that the bearing pin (4) is mounted to rotate relative to the operating lever (3) and has a housing device (10, 13) for the retainer device (2) in a region facing the a vehicle inner side (111), wherein the retainer device (2) is connected with fixing means (22) to the housing device (10, 13) in an axially and rotationally fixed manner relative to the bearing pin (4).