Side Window Deflector Camming Facet for Smooth Glass Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional side window deflectors are prone to failure and damage due to spatial interference with the moving window glass, leading to potential shattering and dislodgment, especially when the window glass advances and encounters the deflector's flange, which can result in dangerous debris and hinder proper window closure.
Innovation Solution
The side window deflector design features a camming facet on its inner surface, which guides the advancing window glass edge, easing its upward motion and preventing damage by ensuring the glass first contacts the facet, thus reducing stress on the deflector and enhancing its structural integrity through smooth, curved transitions between the flange and body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the deflector flange is positioned to extend outwardly from the window channel, then it effectively blocks rain and debris from entering the vehicle, but it creates spatial interference with the advancing window glass, causing potential shattering and deflector failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by replacing the conventional planar flange with a camming facet that has a curved surface. This curved surface allows the window glass to cam along smoothly during upward movement, eliminating the abrupt impact that causes shattering while maintaining the deflector's protective function against rain and debris.
Solution Approach 2:
The camming facet acts as an intermediary element between the window glass and the deflector body. It mediates the interaction by providing a gradual transition surface that guides the glass edge, preventing direct impact on the flange and thereby avoiding deflector failure while still allowing the flange to perform its protective function.
2Strength
If the flange is made thicker and stronger to prevent failure, then structural integrity improves, but spatial interference with window glass increases, exacerbating the shattering risk
Solution Approach 1:
By curving the flange surface into a camming facet, the patent reduces the need for increased thickness. The curved geometry distributes the load and guides the glass smoothly, allowing a thinner flange to achieve both strength and compatibility with window glass movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the flange from a planar shape to a curved camming surface. This parameter change alters the interaction dynamics between the flange and window glass, reducing impact forces and eliminating the need for excessive flange thickness while maintaining structural integrity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the transition between flange and body is made abrupt for manufacturing simplicity, then ease of manufacture improves, but susceptibility to fracture at the joint increases
Solution Approach 1:
The camming facet introduces a curved transition between the flange and body, replacing the abrupt angular joint. This curved transition distributes stress more evenly across the joint area, significantly reducing fracture susceptibility while remaining compatible with standard manufacturing processes for molded deflectors.
Data Source
AI summary
A side window deflector has a body, and a flange joined to the body for fitting into a channel of a vehicle door window. At least one camming facet is formed on an inner surface of a deflector body end portion, adjacent a junction of an end portion lower edge and a flange lower edge. An advancing top edge of a window glass will encounter this camming facet before it encounters any other structure of the body end portion. Some embodiments have two camming facets. The camming facet eases the upward travel of the window glass into its channel. The main and end portions of the body have curved and recurved transitions to the flange, mitigating against bending stress.