Overlapping Split Roof Structure for Multi-Length Utility Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing different types of vehicles requires separate roofs for different vehicle lengths, which is cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle design featuring a split roof structure with a front roof and a rear roof that overlap in the top-bottom direction, allowing a fixing member to attach a rod member with a fitting groove for easy fitting, enabling the use of common roof components across various vehicle types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate roofs are prepared for different vehicle types with different lengths, then each vehicle type can have a customized roof, but the manufacturing process becomes troublesome and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal roof system where a single roof structure can be used across multiple vehicle types with different lengths. The roof is designed with standardized dimensions and attachment mechanisms that allow it to be installed on various vehicle platforms, eliminating the need to manufacture separate roofs for each vehicle type.
Solution Approach 2:
The roof is divided into a front roof portion and a rear roof portion that can overlap in the top-bottom direction. This segmentation allows the roof to be configured for different vehicle lengths by adjusting the overlap arrangement, providing versatility while maintaining a standardized base design.
2Ease of manufacture
If a single roof is used for multiple vehicle types, then manufacturing becomes simpler, but fitting different vehicle lengths becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The roof system incorporates adjustable and detachable components that allow the same roof structure to be dynamically configured for different vehicle lengths. The fixing members and rod members can be positioned and arranged to accommodate various vehicle types, enabling a single roof design to adapt to multiple applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The front roof and rear roof portions are designed to overlap in the top-bottom direction, creating a nested arrangement. This nesting allows the roof components to be compactly stored and easily assembled/disassembled for different vehicle configurations, maintaining both manufacturing simplicity and adaptability.
3Ease of manufacture
If the rear end portion of the front roof and front end portion of the rear roof are positioned separately, then assembly is simple, but rainwater can easily enter the cabin
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of positioning the front roof and rear roof portions side-by-side in the horizontal plane, the patent utilizes the vertical dimension by having them overlap in the top-bottom direction. This vertical stacking creates an overlapping barrier that effectively blocks rainwater from entering the cabin while maintaining simple assembly procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A utility vehicle 100 includes a front roof 50 and a rear roof 60 located rearward of the front roof 50, a rear end portion 51 of the front roof 50 overlaps a front end portion 61 of the rear roof 60 in a top-bottom direction, and the rear end portion 51 is located below the front end portion 61.