Vehicle Side Mirror Mounting With Projections For Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional side mirror mountings on vehicles often suffer from misalignment during assembly, particularly in assembly line environments, due to accumulated tolerances in mounting formations, making it difficult for workers to accurately locate the mirror without leaving their position inside the vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A side mirror mounting with a base featuring multiple projections that can be inserted into apertures on the vehicle panel to provide precise location points, allowing for a two-step process of initial anchoring and final positioning, enabling accurate alignment without the need for workers to leave their position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional fixing screws are used to secure the mounting, then the mounting can be secured to the panel, but misalignment occurs due to accumulated tolerances in mounting formations
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting base is segmented to include multiple projections (first projection, second projection, third projection) that can be inserted into separate apertures in the panel. This segmentation allows each projection to independently locate the mounting in a specific direction, thereby reducing the accumulation of tolerances and improving alignment precision without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If workers partially tighten all fixing screws initially to check position, then alignment can be verified, but this process is time and effort intensive and unsuitable for mass production
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting base incorporates projections that perform preliminary location action during the insertion phase, before any fixing screws are tightened. The projections automatically locate the mounting in multiple directions by inserting into corresponding apertures, eliminating the need for workers to partially tighten screws and check alignment. This preliminary location action ensures alignment accuracy while maintaining high assembly speed suitable for mass production.
3Manufacturing precision
If a specially-shaped gasket with integral projection is used to locate the mounting, then alignment can be improved, but misalignment still occurs and workers cannot properly align without leaving their position inside the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The locating function is extracted from the gasket and transferred to dedicated projections integrated into the mounting base. Instead of relying on a specially-shaped gasket with an integral projection, the invention uses multiple separate projections (first, second, and third projections) that can be inserted into corresponding apertures. This extraction provides superior location accuracy in multiple directions and allows workers to perform alignment from inside the vehicle by simply inserting the projections without needing to leave their position.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
AI summary
A mounting is provided for attaching a side mirror to a panel of a vehicle. The mounting comprises fixing means for securing the mounting to the panel and a plurality of projections for insertion into associated apertures in the panel to locate the mounting before it is secured to the panel.