Vehicle Roof Gate with Anchored Plastic Guide Webs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle roof designs face challenges in achieving high mechanical strength and stability while maintaining ease of manufacturing and low dimensional tolerances, particularly in the gate area where plastic sheathing is used.
Innovation Solution
The gate is constructed with metal sections featuring passages for anchoring plastic guide webs, which can include direct plastic infusion, embossing for increased surface area bonding, or load-bearing bolts for enhanced strength, allowing for secure bonding between metal and plastic components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the gate is made completely of plastic with thick walls to achieve mechanical strength and stability, then the strength is improved, but the weight increases and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gate combines metal sections with plastic material to create a composite structure that achieves high mechanical strength while maintaining low weight. The metal sections provide structural integrity and anchoring points, while the plastic material reduces overall weight compared to a solid plastic gate with thick walls.
2Strength
If the gate is made of sheet metal with plastic sheathing, then the strength is improved, but the manufacturing precision and dimensional tolerances worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The gate is divided into separate metal sections and plastic components that are assembled together. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently with precise tolerances, then joined using standardized connection elements, thereby maintaining high manufacturing precision while achieving the required strength.
3Ease of manufacture
If the gate is formed by bending sheet metal parts, then the manufacturing ease is improved, but the manufacturing precision and dimensional tolerances worsen due to complexity and large tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the advantages of different manufacturing approaches by combining metal sections with controlled bending (for ease of manufacture) with precision-machined connection elements and plastic components (for dimensional precision). This hybrid approach achieves both ease of manufacture and high manufacturing precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design results in a lightweight, high-strength vehicle roof gate with reduced manufacturing complexity and improved load-bearing capacity, suitable for various roof types including sliding/lifting and externally guided sliding roofs.
Implementation Method 1
the passages are surrounded by plastic, the plastic material is securely bonded to the vertical web of the gate
Implementation Method 2
the surface of the guide area between the metallic gate and the plastic material is increased in comparison with the simple passages of the first variant, thereby further increasing the load-bearing capacity of the gate
Implementation Method 3
the passages serve to anchor load-bearing bolts, which in turn support the plastic material of the guide webs
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a vehicle roof with a movable roof section which can be deployed into a ventilation position by means of a deploy and/or displacement mechanism and/or then displaced above or below the vehicle roof or an at least temporarily stationary roof section for at least partially releasing a roof opening in the vehicle roof. The deploy and/or displacement mechanism comprises at least one vertical gate (9) which has at least one guide web (10), disposed perpendicular to the gate (9) and having slide tracks (15, 16) that are at least partially encircled by a slide element of a slide (8) that can be displaced along a guide rail. The gate (9) is produced from metal and the guide web (10) at least partially from plastic. In order to provide a simple and stable gate (9) having good sliding properties, the gate (9) comprises a plurality of spaced-apart openings (11) for anchoring the plastic (14) of the guide webs (10).