Two-Piece Splash Guard with Integrated Cover for Paint Precision

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing manufacturing process of splash guards is tedious and time-consuming due to the need for precise painting to prevent paint bleed onto the tire side, requiring taping or masking, which has not been efficiently addressed in prior art.

Innovation Solution

A two-piece splash guard assembly with slits and tabs allows for removably securing a cover to the splash guard body, enabling fine paint lines without taping or masking, and a method for painting that secures the cover either before or after painting to achieve clean edges.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If taping or masking is used to prevent paint bleed during splash guard manufacturing, then painting precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepaint edge precisionVSAvoidmasking process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The splash guard is divided into two separate pieces: a main body and a cover portion. The cover portion acts as a built-in mask that prevents paint from bleeding onto the tire-facing side during the painting process. This segmentation eliminates the need for external masking materials and simplifies the manufacturing process while maintaining precise paint edges.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cover portion is pre-formed as an integral part of the splash guard structure before painting. This preliminary configuration of the masking element eliminates the need for post-molding masking operations, thereby reducing manufacturing steps and time consumption while ensuring precise paint application boundaries.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If taping or masking is used to prevent paint bleed, then painting precision is improved, but manufacturing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepaint edge precisionVSAvoidmanufacturing speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The splash guard is divided into two separate pieces: a main body and a cover portion. The cover portion acts as a built-in mask that prevents paint from bleeding onto the tire-facing side during the painting process. This segmentation eliminates the need for external masking materials and simplifies the manufacturing process while maintaining precise paint edges.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cover portion is pre-formed as an integral part of the splash guard structure before painting. This preliminary configuration of the masking element eliminates the need for post-molding masking operations, thereby reducing manufacturing steps and time consumption while ensuring precise paint application boundaries.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9862426B2Vehicle splash guard and method of painting same

Publication Date: 2018.01.09 QUALITY ENG

AI summary

The present invention is, in a first aspect, a two-piece vehicular splash guard assembly including a splash guard body, having at least one slit, and a cover, having at least one tab corresponding to and registerable with the at least one slit. Removably securing the cover about an interior surface of the splash guard body, either before or after painting the splash guard body, ensures that no paint bleeds onto the inside surface of the splash guard body during the manufacturing process. In a second aspect, a method of painting said splash guard assembly is provided in order to create fine paint lines along the edges of the splash guard body. The cover may be attached either prior to or after painting and, thereafter, the combined cover and splash guard body may be attached to a vehicle or, alternatively, the splash guard body alone may be attached to the vehicle.