Sun Visor Asymmetric Slider Assembly Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sun visors with a slide on rod function face challenges in ensuring correct assembly orientation of the detent spring clip, which can lead to improper positioning and reduced effectiveness in maintaining glare prevention and noise reduction, especially due to symmetrical components that allow for incorrect installation.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a chain of asymmetries in the design of the sun visor components, such as an asymmetric guiding profile, screen, and slider, ensuring that each part can only be mounted in a single, correct position, facilitating automatic assembly and preventing incorrect orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If symmetrical components (guiding profile, slider, detent spring clip) are used in sun visor design, then ease of manufacture and assembly are improved, but assembly orientation correctness deteriorates leading to incorrect installation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry principle by making the detent spring clip asymmetric in shape so that it can only be correctly mounted in one specific orientation on the slider. The clip has a specific geometric configuration that prevents incorrect installation, ensuring that the flat surface for engagement with the shaft is properly positioned. This asymmetric design resolves the contradiction by sacrificing some manufacturing simplicity to guarantee correct assembly orientation and prevent installation errors.
2Reliability
If detent spring clip is made asymmetric for correct orientation, then assembly orientation correctness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detent spring clip is designed with asymmetric geometry where one end has a specific shape that engages with a corresponding feature on the slider, while the other end has a flat surface for shaft engagement. This asymmetry ensures correct orientation without requiring complex assembly mechanisms, guides, or additional components. The simplicity of the asymmetric clip design minimizes the increase in device complexity while effectively solving the orientation problem.
3Ease of operation
If incorrect orientation of detent spring clip occurs, then ease of operation is maintained, but stability deteriorates causing excessive movement and resonance
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric design of the detent spring clip prevents incorrect orientation from occurring in the first place, thereby maintaining both ease of operation and stability. The geometric constraints of the asymmetric clip ensure that it can only be installed in the correct orientation, guaranteeing proper engagement with the shaft and slider. This eliminates the risk of instability, excessive movement, and resonance that would result from incorrect installation, while still allowing for simple assembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The asymmetric geometry of the detent spring clip incorporates preliminary anti-action by designing the component shape itself to prevent incorrect installation before assembly occurs. The asymmetric features create mechanical constraints that make incorrect orientation physically impossible, rather than relying on operator awareness or additional checking steps. This preliminary prevention ensures stability is maintained from the moment of correct assembly.
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
Ensures correct and secure assembly of the sun visor components, enhancing the stability and effectiveness of the sun visor's shading and fold-up functions by preventing incorrect installation and resonance issues.
Implementation Method 1
a friction torque must be applied between the screen and the shaft. This friction torque is generated by a metallic pincer (detent spring clip), generally hold in the screen. The detent spring is fixed to the screen and elastically engaged over the shaft such that when the screen is rotated the detent spring rotates around the shaft, generating the friction torque.
Implementation Method 2
The detent spring clip encounters a flat surface, generated on the shaft, and by clamping on the edge of the flat surface, it generates a fold-up torque which automatically folds-up the screen against the headliner
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The sun visor comprises a screen (1, 11), slidably mounted over a shaft (4) attachable to the vehicle, a guiding profile (5) mounted in the screen (1), a slider rotatably mounted (2) over the shaft (4) and housed inside the guiding profile (5) such that the guiding profile (5) can slide longitudinally over the slider (2) to establish a slide on rod function for the sun visor and a detent spring clip (3) attached to the slider (2) and engaging elastically over the shaft (4) of the sun visor. The detent spring clip (3) comprises an asymmetrical shape to fit to an asymmetrical core shape of the slider (2) in a single position. The slider (2) comprises an asymmetrical external shape to fit to an asymmetrical internal shape of the guiding profile (5) in a single position. The guiding profile (5) comprises an asymmetrical external shape to fit to an internal shape of the screen (1) in a single position.