Variable-Height Sunshade Operating Beam With Controlled Width
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing operating beams for vehicle sunshade assemblies face challenges in achieving sufficient stiffness in the middle while minimizing height, leading to issues with waste material and improper fit due to fixed dimensions.
Innovation Solution
A method involving folding a metal plate part to create a rolled section and an upstanding portion, with a stamped end portion that maintains a constant or varying distance, ensuring the operating beam has a variable height and controlled width, secured by clamping or stamping force control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the height of the operating beam is reduced to minimize package size, then the sunshade assembly occupies less headroom space, but the operating beam loses sufficient stiffness to counter natural frequency and misuse issues
Solution Approach 1:
The operating beam is designed with variable height along its length, creating different local properties: the middle section has greater height for stiffness, while end sections have reduced height for compactness. This resolves the contradiction by providing sufficient stiffness where needed (middle section) while minimizing package size at the ends.
Solution Approach 2:
The operating beam transitions from a uniform cross-section to a variable cross-section along its longitudinal axis. This dimensional variation allows the beam to optimize both stiffness (through increased height in the middle) and package size (through reduced height at ends), resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
2Strength
If the middle section of the operating beam is made wider to increase stiffness, then the beam can better counter natural frequency and misuse issues, but the overall width of the operating beam increases
Solution Approach 1:
The operating beam features localized width variation where the middle section has increased width for enhanced stiffness, while the end sections maintain a narrower width. This local quality change provides the necessary structural strength without unnecessarily increasing the overall width of the entire beam.
3Volume of moving object
If shaving or cutting material from the operating beam to reduce width, then the package size is minimized, but waste material is created
Solution Approach 1:
The operating beam is formed with its variable cross-section profile during the initial shaping process rather than through subsequent cutting or shaving operations. This preliminary forming action creates the desired geometry directly from the material, eliminating the need for waste-generating removal operations while achieving the compact package size.
4Area of stationary object
If pressing down the ends of the operating beam to flatten them, then the width at ends is reduced, but the middle section becomes narrower than the ends
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of pressing down the ends to reduce width (which would compromise middle section stiffness), the design inverts the approach by reducing width at the ends through geometric shaping while maintaining or increasing width at the middle section. This ensures the middle section retains sufficient stiffness while achieving reduced end width.
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
The solution provides an operating beam with sufficient stiffness in the middle and optimal fit to vehicle headliners, reducing waste and maintaining consistent width without material expansion.
Implementation Method 1
folding the first metal plate part along a first side in the transversal direction thereby creating a rolled section for fixating a sunscreen, folding the first metal plate part along a second side in the transversal direction thereby creating an upstanding portion opposed to the rolled section
Implementation Method 2
stamping an end portion of the second metal plate part towards the first metal plate part, wherein the stamped portion of the second metal plate flows within the perimeter between the rolled section and the upstanding portion of the first metal plate part
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an operating beam of a sunshade assembly having a variable height while controlling the width in manufacturing. The invention further relates to an operating beam manufactured as such and the use of said operating beam in a vehicle.