Integrated Cable Guide Unit for Vehicle Sunroof Drive
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bearing and drive devices for adjustable vehicle sunroofs have a complex design with multiple parts, leading to increased costs and assembly complexity, and lack a compact cable guide solution that optimizes cable feed and adaptation to the guide rail.
Innovation Solution
A cable guide unit that integrates a cable guide for drive cables and a guide link for the bearing unit, forming a compact, one-piece design that can be coupled to the guide rail, allowing for a continuously longitudinal extruded profile and reducing the need for additional parts and assembly points, with a coupling mechanism for secure mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a multi-part cable guide design is used with separate cable guides and guide links connected by bolts, then adaptability to different cable feed configurations is improved, but device complexity and assembly cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cable guide and guide link into a single integrated cable guide unit that can be coupled to the guide rail. This merging of previously separate components (cable guide + guide link + connection elements) into one unit reduces device complexity while maintaining the necessary adaptability through the coupling mechanism.
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate parts are used for cable guide and guide link, then ease of manufacturing individual components is improved, but assembly complexity and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cable guide unit integrates the cable guide and guide link into a single component that can be manufactured as one piece, eliminating the need for separate manufacturing of multiple parts and their subsequent assembly. This improves productivity by reducing the number of assembly steps and connection points.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If guide tubes are encapsulated with damping tubes, then noise reduction is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The damping tube is integrated directly into the guide rail as a single component rather than being a separate encapsulation layer. This merging of the damping function into the guide rail structure itself reduces device complexity while maintaining the noise reduction benefit during cover actuation.
Data Source
AI summary
A bearing and drive device for an adjustable cover of a vehicle roof, which may have a guide rail on which the cover is movably mounted by a bearing unit that can be actuated by means of a drive cable, having a cable guide unit that can be coupled to the guide rail at the front or back end thereof, and that has at least one intermediate cable guide for the drive cable and—a guide track for the bearing unit.