Vehicle Ceiling Material with Radial Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle ceiling materials with low basis weight are prone to damage during transportation and mounting due to insufficient stiffness, especially around areas with low cross-sectional secondary moment, such as air outlets and sunroof openings, and existing reinforcement solutions are difficult to manufacture and mount efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle ceiling material design featuring rod-like reinforcement members and supporting members with radial fitting portions that allow easy attachment and sliding engagement, enhancing stiffness and versatility by accommodating various cross-sectional shapes and thermal expansion differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the ceiling material is made with low basis weight to reduce vehicle weight, then weight reduction is achieved, but the ceiling material lacks sufficient stiffness and is prone to damage during transportation and mounting
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines a lightweight ceiling material with separate reinforcement members to create a composite structure. The ceiling material itself remains low basis weight for weight reduction, while the reinforcement members (rod-like members with supporting members) provide the necessary stiffness and strength, resolving the contradiction between weight and strength.
2Strength
If rod-like reinforcement members are used to compensate for lack of stiffness, then strength is improved, but the members are difficult to mount because they must be slid in from a longitudinal direction
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the mounting direction from longitudinal (difficult) to radial (easy). The rod-like members are designed to be mounted radially from the side, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, which dramatically simplifies the mounting operation while maintaining the strength enhancement function.
3Reliability
If rod-like members are designed to slide into supporting members from a longitudinal direction, then engagement is achieved, but the manufacturing complexity increases due to specific shape requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the engagement direction from longitudinal to radial. The rod-like members and supporting members are designed with radial fitting portions that engage from the radial direction, which simplifies manufacturing compared to the complex longitudinal sliding engagement while maintaining reliable engagement.
4Weight of moving object
If the ceiling material lacks sufficient stiffness around openings for accessories, then weight is reduced, but damage occurs at these vulnerable portions during transportation and mounting
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies reinforcement members specifically at locations where stiffness is needed, such as around openings for accessories and other vulnerable portions. This localized reinforcement provides damage resistance where required while maintaining overall weight reduction, as the reinforcement is not applied uniformly across the entire ceiling material.
Data Source
AI summary
A ceiling material for a vehicle includes a ceiling interior material facing a vehicle cabin inner surface of a roof panel for a vehicle, and a reinforcement member arranged on an upper surface of the ceiling interior material on the side of the roof panel. The reinforcement member may include a rod-like member and supporting members for respectively supporting at least two sections in a slidable manner in a longitudinal direction of the rod-like member. Each of the supporting members includes a fitting portion which allows the rod-like member to be fitted from a radial direction.