Inner Trim Panel Transducer Mounting for Contact and Vibration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing interior trim panels with electrodynamic or magnetostrictive transducers face challenges in simplifying assembly, optimizing signal transmission, ensuring reliable electrical contacts, and preventing parasitic vibrations.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a molded core panel with a base overmolded in a fixing zone, featuring harpoons and a ring with electrical connectors, and an electrodynamic or magnetostrictive transducer with a threaded fixing part that creates a spacing force between the ring and base, ensuring continuous surface contact and tight electrical connections, simplifying assembly and reducing vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the base is fixed to the core using screws, then the assembly is secure, but it creates air gaps between the base and core, reducing signal transmission quality
Solution Approach 1:
The base is overmolded directly onto the core in the fixing zone, merging the base and core into a single integrated structure. This eliminates air gaps and ensures continuous surface contact for optimal signal transmission, while maintaining secure fixation without requiring separate fastening elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The base is nested within the core through overmolding, with the core forming an integral part of the base structure. This nesting arrangement ensures continuous surface contact between the base and core, eliminating air gaps that would occur with separate screw-fixing methods.
2Ease of manufacture
If the transducer is mounted with a simple ring and harpoon structure, then assembly is simplified, but electrical contacts may be unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connectors are pre-integrated into the ring structure during molding, and the harpoons are pre-formed on the base. This preliminary integration simplifies the final assembly process while ensuring reliable electrical contacts are already in place and properly positioned before the transducer is installed.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical connectors are merged with the ring structure, creating a single integrated component. This combination ensures that the electrical contact elements are securely positioned and maintained during assembly, improving reliability while keeping the overall structure simple and easy to manufacture.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the transducer is tightly fixed to eliminate vibrations, then parasitic vibrations are reduced, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing structure merges multiple functions into a single integrated design: the harpoons provide mechanical anchoring, the ring provides structural support and electrical connectivity, and the overmolded base-core junction provides vibration damping. This integration eliminates parasitic vibrations without increasing assembly complexity, as all fixing elements are built-in rather than requiring separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing structure utilizes composite construction with the overmolded base-core junction creating a damped, vibration-resistant connection. The combination of different materials and structural layers in the fixing zone provides both mechanical strength and vibration suppression, reducing parasitic vibrations while maintaining a relatively simple single-piece assembly structure.
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
This configuration simplifies assembly, optimizes signal transmission, ensures reliable electrical contacts, and prevents parasitic vibrations by maintaining continuous surface contact and mutual support between components, enhancing the overall performance of the interior trim panel.
Implementation Method 1
an electrodynamic or magnetostrictive transducer which is provided with a fixing part
Implementation Method 2
an electrodynamic or magnetostrictive transducer which is provided with a fixing part
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The invention relates to a motor vehicle inner trim panel (1) comprising a moulded core (2) and: a base (3) which is overmoulded by the core in an attachment zone (4), the base being provided with forked ties (5) which project from the core; a ring (6) which is provided with receiving means (7) interlocking with the forked ties, the ring further being provided with two electric connectors (8), the central opening (9) of the ring being provided with a thread (10); a transducer (11) which is provided with a generally cylindrical attachment portion (12) which is threaded and screwed into the opening, the free end (13) of the attachment portion abutting in the zone so as to ensure gripping contact between the forked ties and the receiving means, the transducer further being provided with two reciprocal electric connectors (14) on which each of the connectors abut, respectively.