Multi-part Vehicle Sunroof Frame Horizontal Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of multi-part frames for sliding or tilt-and-slide vehicle roofs is laborious and costly due to the need for separate installation of individual parts and the requirement for vertical or overhead work, which complicates the process.
Innovation Solution
A multi-part frame with a plastic injection-moulded support component featuring open cable channels and a cover that can be easily slid onto the support component during installation, allowing for horizontal fastening and reducing the need for additional fastening means, thereby simplifying the installation process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multi-part covers are installed separately in the vertical direction, then the frame structure is secure, but the installation process becomes laborious and costly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple separate cover parts are merged into a single integrated cover component that can be installed as one piece. The cover is designed with multiple functional areas (cable channel coverage, fastening areas, structural support) combined into one monolithic component, eliminating the need for separate installation of multiple parts and reducing installation complexity while maintaining structural security.
Solution Approach 2:
The installation direction is inverted from the conventional vertical overhead approach to a horizontal approach. The cover is designed to be installed horizontally along the displacement direction of the cover element, which is more accessible and less laborious than vertical installation requiring overhead work or vehicle pivoting.
2Manufacturing precision
If vertical installation direction is used, then the frame can be properly assembled, but overhead work or vehicle pivoting is required
Solution Approach 1:
The installation direction is inverted from vertical to horizontal. The cover is designed with fastening mechanisms that enable secure attachment in the horizontal direction, eliminating the need for overhead work or vehicle pivoting while maintaining proper assembly accuracy through the displacement direction alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The installation approach transitions from a vertical dimension (overhead work) to a horizontal dimension (lateral installation). This dimensional change allows installers to work from the side rather than above, significantly reducing installation complexity while maintaining assembly precision through the geometric relationship between the cover and support component.
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple individual parts are installed separately, then the frame can be assembled, but installation time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple individual cover parts are merged into a single integrated cover component that performs multiple functions simultaneously. This reduces the number of installation steps, decreases installation time, and lowers costs while maintaining the structural integrity and functionality that would be achieved through separate part assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover is designed as a pre-integrated single-piece component with all necessary fastening features, cable channel coverages, and structural elements already combined during manufacturing. This preliminary integration eliminates the need for on-site assembly of multiple parts, significantly improving installation efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-part frame (10) for a sliding roof of a vehicle or a tilt-and-slide roof of a vehicle for guiding and holding a movable cover element allocated to a corresponding roof opening is specified, with a support component (12) formed as a plastic injection-moulded part, in which open cable channels (24) are moulded, in order to guide drive cables for moving the cover element, which are in drive engagement with a drive device, displaceably in a compression-resistant manner, wherein the cable channels (24) are configured such that they can be closed by at least one cover (14) likewise formed as a plastic injection-moulded part and fastenable to the support component (12), and wherein the fastening of the cover (14) to the support component (12) is configured such that an installation direction during fastening of the cover (14) to the support component (12) runs in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, a method for installing a multi-part frame (10) is specified.