Vehicle Body Side Structure Gap Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle body side structures increase air resistance due to separately formed parting lines between the lid and quarter window, which are independent of each other.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle body side structure featuring a lid openably attached to the rear part of the vehicle body, with a quarter window positioned rearward of the rear door opening, forming a gap in the front-rear direction between the lid's upper side and the quarter window's lower side, thereby unifying the parting line without interposing members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the lid and quarter window are positioned with separately formed parting lines, then the design can be enriched and the lid can be disposed between the quarter window and rear light, but the air resistance increases when the vehicle is moving
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the parting lines of the lid and quarter window into a single unified parting line that extends continuously from the front to the rear of the vehicle body. This is achieved by positioning the lid such that its front side aligns with the front side of the quarter window, creating a seamless gap formation that eliminates the need for separate parting lines. The unified parting line structure reduces aerodynamic disruption while maintaining the lid's functional positioning between the quarter window and rear light.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a gap is formed by the upper side of the lid and lower side of the quarter window extending in the front-rear direction, then air resistance is reduced, but the design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the gap formation into distinct functional zones: the front gap portion formed by the upper side of the lid and lower side of the quarter window, and the rear gap portion formed by the rear light assembly. This segmentation allows each component to contribute specifically to aerodynamic optimization while maintaining design simplicity. The lid's upper side and quarter window's lower side are positioned to create a controlled gap that manages airflow without requiring complex additional components.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle body side structure includes a lid openably and closably attached to a side surface of a vehicle body rear part, and a quarter window provided at a position rearward of a rear door opening. A gap extending in a front-rear direction of a vehicle body is formed by an upper side of the lid extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body and a lower side of the quarter window extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body.