Tuning Platform for Vehicle Fit-Up Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Achieving proper fit-up of vehicle components is challenging due to misalignment and spacing issues, leading to undesirable contact, wear, noise, and vibration, which complicates design and assembly, and often requires customized fit pads and trial-and-error adjustments.

Innovation Solution

The use of a tuning assembly with multiple platforms of varying heights and ramped sections on vehicle accessories allows for selective application of tuning pads to define spatial relationships, enabling precise adjustment of gaps between components without modifying existing parts, ensuring alignment and reducing installation damage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional mounting methods are used without tuning mechanisms, then the assembly process is simple, but misalignment and spacing issues occur leading to wear, noise, and vibration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefit-up qualityVSAvoidmounting structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting structure is segmented into multiple tuning platforms at different heights, allowing independent adjustment of each platform to achieve precise alignment and spacing between vehicle components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Tuning pads are introduced as intermediary elements between the tuning platforms and the vehicle body, enabling fine-tuning of spatial relationships and eliminating direct contact that causes wear and noise

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If customized fit pads are used to achieve proper spacing, then alignment precision improves, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespatial alignmentVSAvoidproduction process

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The tuning platforms are designed as universal components with standardized interfaces that can be used across different vehicle models and accessory types, eliminating the need for customized fit pads for each application

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of manufacturing custom pads with different dimensions, the system changes the parameter of platform height to achieve various spacing requirements, allowing a single standardized pad design to work with multiple platform heights

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If trial-and-error adjustments are performed to achieve proper fit-up, then alignment accuracy improves, but installation time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefit-up toleranceVSAvoidinstallation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The tuning platforms are pre-positioned at specific heights during manufacturing, and the correct platform is selected based on the required spacing, eliminating the need for trial-and-error adjustments during installation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses inexpensive, easily replaceable tuning pads that can be quickly installed and removed if needed, allowing for rapid iteration and adjustment without time-consuming manufacturing processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentUS10744929B2Position tuning platform

Publication Date: 2020.08.18 VOLKSWAGEN AG

AI summary

Devices, systems, and methodologies for transportation vehicle fit-up can include a tuning assembly for tuning the spatial relationship between an accessory and adjacent portions of the transportation vehicle.