Vehicle Door Wire with Molded Resin Protector

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing wire manufacturing process for vehicle doors results in noise due to wire vibration and requires inefficient protector manufacturing, with potential damage from stray strands and the need for enlarged diameters to prevent rattling, which compromises the protector's thickness and effectiveness.

Innovation Solution

A metal wire with a resin protector integrally molded or closely adhered to its outer periphery, eliminating the need to pass the wire through the protector and allowing for thicker, serrated, or thermally molded designs that enhance cushioning and reduce rattling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the wire is attached to the back door with slack to facilitate attachment and accommodate distortion, then the attachment task can be performed smoothly, but vibration and noise generation occur during vehicle travel

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of wire attachmentVSAvoidnoise generation from wire vibration

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a protector as an intermediary component that wraps around the wire. This protector serves as a mediator between the wire and the surrounding environment, providing both attachment flexibility and vibration suppression. The protector allows the wire to move slightly during attachment while preventing excessive vibration during vehicle operation, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of attachment and noise reduction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the internal diameter of the protector cylinder is enlarged to allow easy wire passage, then wire installation becomes easier, but the protector thickness decreases and rattling reduction effect suffers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of wire passage through protectorVSAvoidprotector thickness and rattling reduction effect

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of making the wire pass through the protector from one end to the other (traditional approach), the patent inverts the approach by having the protector wrap around the wire. This inversion eliminates the need for a large internal diameter while maintaining ease of installation, as the protector can be slipped over the wire from any position along its length.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Productivity

If the wire is forced through the protector cylinder interior during manufacturing, then wire production can proceed, but stray strands at wire ends can damage the protector

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewire production efficiencyVSAvoidprotector damage from stray strands

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional manufacturing approach by having the protector wrap around the wire rather than the wire passing through the protector. This reversal eliminates the risk of stray strands damaging the protector during manufacturing, as the wire never needs to be forced through the protector's interior.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

4Object-generated harmful factors

If a foamed material protector is used to cover the wire outer periphery, then rattling reduction effect is achieved, but manufacturing efficiency suffers due to potential protector damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverattling reduction effectVSAvoidwire manufacturing efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces the protector as an intermediary component that wraps around the wire, maintaining the rattling reduction benefits of foamed material while eliminating manufacturing issues. The protector serves as a protective mediator that can be easily applied without forcing the wire through, thus maintaining both rattling reduction effectiveness and manufacturing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11572657B2Wire, wire manufacturing method, and vehicle door

Publication Date: 2023.02.07 NHK SPRING CO LTD

AI summary

A wire including a wire body that is made of metal, and a protector that is made of resin, that covers an outer periphery of the wire body, and that is integrally molded with the wire body.