Segmented Vehicle Panel Guide Channel for Flush Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle outer panel designs face challenges in achieving a flush alignment of retractable panes with the vehicle surface, leading to stress peaks, restricted design freedom, and inadequate guidance in the X-direction, which necessitates additional guides and compromises in component alignment.
Innovation Solution
A modular design where the outer panel and carrier strip form a guide channel with a guide profile on the pane's interior surface, allowing independent positioning and direct force transmission, eliminating the need for stress-relieving material accumulations and enabling guidance in both X and Y directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the web of the outer strip part is made longer to reach accessible fastening means, then assembly accessibility is improved, but the web becomes relatively long requiring alignment with body structure which restricts design freedom
Solution Approach 1:
The outer panel is divided into two separate components: the outer strip and the carrier strip. The carrier strip is attached to the body structure with fastening means accessible for assembly, while the outer strip is positioned independently and connected to the carrier strip. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the carrier strip handles assembly accessibility while the outer strip achieves flush alignment with the pane.
2Strength
If material accumulations or ribbing are provided at the base of the inwardly extending web to counteract stress peaks, then structural strength is improved, but injection molding-related sink marks appear on the outer decorative surface
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the outer strip from the carrier strip, the stress-bearing function is transferred to the carrier strip and its connection to the body structure. The outer strip's web no longer needs to extend inward to reach the body structure, eliminating the stress peaks at the web base that would require material accumulations and cause sink marks on the decorative surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The stress-bearing function is extracted from the outer strip's web and transferred to the carrier strip's connection with the body structure. This allows the outer strip to be designed purely for aesthetic purposes with a clean decorative surface, while the carrier strip handles the mechanical loads.
3Device complexity
If the outer panel is aligned solely with the body structure to which it is attached, then attachment simplicity is improved, but alignment with other components such as window pane and seals requires many compromises
Solution Approach 1:
The outer panel is segmented into the carrier strip (attached to body structure) and the outer strip (positioned independently). This allows the carrier strip to be aligned with the body structure while the outer strip can be independently positioned to achieve precise alignment with the window pane and seals, eliminating the need for compromises.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer strip is designed to be movable relative to the carrier strip during assembly, allowing it to be positioned independently to achieve precise alignment with the window pane and seals. This dynamic positioning capability enables accurate alignment without being constrained by the body structure's alignment requirements.
4Ease of manufacture
If a one-piece construction is used, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but fastening means must be arranged at accessible points restricting design freedom
Solution Approach 1:
The panel is divided into two separately manufacturable components (outer strip and carrier strip) that can be produced using standard injection molding processes. The carrier strip includes the fastening means attached to the body structure, while the outer strip is manufactured separately and then connected, allowing both components to be optimized for their respective manufacturing requirements.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
Figure 5~9
AI summary
The structure has an outer strip (2), which forms a portion of a vehicle outer surface with the surface of an outer molding portion (7) turned towards vehicle exterior. The outer strip is attached on a support strip (3) in predetermined installed state, where the support strip is connected to vehicle body structure (14) in the predetermined installation state. The outer strip and support strip together form a guide channel for a guide profile (9) arranged on a countersink plate (8). The connection of the support strip and the outer strip is provided as a sliding- or locking connection (16).