Vehicle Panel Assembly With Guided Mechanical Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle body production requires large-scale facilities and high manufacturing costs due to low design freedom and the need for numerous press dies, making it inefficient for small batch production and responsive to changing market demands.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle panel assembly system that couples an inner panel formed around the vehicle's roof and pillars with an outer panel, using mechanical coupling methods like bolting or riveting, eliminating the need for pressing and welding processes, and utilizing modular pipe structures for cost-effective assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional pressing and welding processes are used for vehicle body production, then structural integrity is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases and design freedom decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle body is divided into modular panels (inner panel, outer panel, door panel, fender panel) that can be independently manufactured and assembled. Each panel is formed by bending a plate along predetermined lines to create groove portions, allowing modular construction without requiring expensive press dies for each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection method transitions from rigid welding to flexible mechanical coupling using groove portions and coupling members. This allows panels to be connected through insertion and locking mechanisms that maintain structural integrity while enabling easier assembly, disassembly, and design modifications.
2Adaptability or versatility
If numerous press dies are used for design changes in small batch production, then design flexibility is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The body panels are segmented into standardized modules with uniform groove portions and coupling mechanisms. This modularity allows different panel configurations and designs to be achieved by recombining standard modules rather than creating new press dies for each design variation.
Solution Approach 2:
The panel formation method changes from press die shaping to bending along predetermined lines creating groove portions. This parameter change allows the same base panel structure to be adapted for different designs by modifying the groove patterns and coupling arrangements rather than requiring entirely new press dies.
3Productivity
If traditional vehicle body assembly methods are used, then structural strength is maintained, but assembly efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Groove portions are pre-formed on the panels during the bending process before assembly. The coupling members are designed with predetermined insertion paths and locking mechanisms, allowing panels to be quickly connected without requiring complex alignment procedures or additional fastening steps during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling members are designed to self-align and self-lock into the groove portions through the insertion mechanism. The groove portions and coupling structures are configured to automatically guide the assembly process, reducing the need for precise manual alignment and complex fastening operations.
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment vehicle panel assembly includes an inner panel configured to wrap a roof and opposite pillars of a vehicle body, the inner panel including a second inner assembly portion provided at pillar-side opposite side parts and a guide portion provided at an upper side of the second inner assembly portion, and an outer panel configured to be loaded from above the inner panel and coupled to the inner panel to wrap an outside of the inner panel, the outer panel including a second outer assembly portion provided at a side part, the second outer assembly portion configured to be guided downwards by the guide portion when loaded from above and facing the second inner assembly portion after loading, wherein the second outer assembly portion is fastened to the second inner assembly portion.