Sunroof Rear Link Metallic Bracket Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sunroof devices face instability issues due to the use of resinous guide blocks for link engaging portions, which fail to reliably maintain the tilting link in an inclined state, especially under external forces.
Innovation Solution
The sunroof device incorporates a metallic engaging bracket with an upwardly opened cutout portion in the guide rail, covered by a metallic engaging bracket, and a metallic shaft body with a resin layer, providing enhanced stability and noise suppression by regulating the tilting link's movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a resinous guide block is used for the link engaging portion, then ease of molding and silence are achieved, but stability and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The guide block is constructed as a composite structure combining resin and metal materials. The resin portion provides ease of molding and noise absorption, while the metal reinforcement (metal plate or metal insert) provides the necessary strength and stability to prevent the engaging protrusion from disengaging under external forces. This composite approach allows both materials to contribute their advantageous properties to the same component.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a resinous guide block is used for the link engaging portion, then silence is achieved, but stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The guide block uses a composite structure where the resin material provides noise absorption and silence during operation, while the embedded metal reinforcement (metal plate or metal insert) provides the structural strength and stability needed to maintain the engaging protrusion in the groove under external forces. This allows the component to simultaneously achieve silence and stability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the engaging protrusion is regulated by the link engaging portion, then the tilting link maintains its inclined state, but the structure becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The metal reinforcement element (metal plate or metal insert) is integrated directly into the resin guide block structure. The metal plate is positioned to form part of the link engaging portion that regulates the engaging protrusion, while the metal insert is embedded within the resin to provide reinforcement. This merging approach strengthens the structure without adding separate independent components, thus maintaining simplicity while achieving stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A sunroof device includes a rear link that slides along a longitudinal direction of a guide rail in conjunction with a slide member and moves up and down a rear end side of a movable panel by tilting in conjunction with the sliding of the slide member. Further, the rear link is provided with an engaging protrusion protruding in a width direction of the guide rail, and the guide rail is provided with a link engaging portion that regulates, by arranging the engaging protrusion inside, tilting of the rear link in a rising direction. The link engaging portion includes an upwardly opened cutout portion provided in the guide rail, and a metallic engaging bracket having an upper wall portion covering a topside of the cutout portion by being fixed to the guide rail. The engaging protrusion includes a metallic shaft body, and a resin layer covering the shaft body.