Vehicle Window Stopper Curved Surface Foreign Matter

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Solution Overview

Problem

In vehicles with manually raised and lowered window panels, the stopper at the lower limit position is prone to damage from foreign matter, and reducing its size to prevent this can lead to detachment issues under impact or vibration.

Innovation Solution

A groove with a curved abutting surface stopper is used to support the window panel's lower edge, allowing foreign matter to fall off and preventing it from being caught, while maintaining stability through a flexible material and strategic design features like vertical end surfaces and gaps to manage deformation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the stopper is made large to prevent detachment under impact or vibration, then reliability is improved, but foreign matter is more likely to fall on the stopper causing damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of window panel detachmentVSAvoidforeign matter damage to stopper

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The abutting surface of the stopper is designed with a curved shape that protrudes upward, causing foreign matter to roll off rather than accumulate. This curved geometry maintains the necessary stopper size for reliable window panel support while eliminating the harmful effect of foreign matter accumulation that would occur with a flat surface

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the stopper is made small to reduce foreign matter accumulation, then foreign matter damage is reduced, but the window panel may detach under impact or vibration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveforeign matter damage to stopperVSAvoidprevention of window panel detachment

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The curved abutting surface allows the stopper to maintain adequate size for reliable support while the curvature geometry prevents foreign matter accumulation, resolving the contradiction between size requirements for reliability and foreign matter exposure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Stability of the object's composition

If a hard stopper is used to prevent deformation, then structural stability is improved, but foreign matter is more likely to be caught causing window panel damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestopper structural stabilityVSAvoidforeign matter caught between window panel and stopper

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The curved abutting surface design ensures that even with a hard, structurally stable stopper, foreign matter cannot be caught or accumulated, as the curvature causes foreign matter to roll off the surface

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS11453273B2Vehicle

Publication Date: 2022.09.27 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

A vehicle may include a vehicle body, a door, a window frame, a window panel, a lower support and a stopper. The window panel may be provided in the window frame, configured to be manually raised and lowered, and supported to be movable between an upper limit position where the window panel closes an opening of the window frame and a lower limit position where the window panel opens the opening of the window frame. The lower support may include a groove. The groove may be configured to receive a lower edge of the window panel when the window panel is located at the lower limit position. The stopper may be disposed in the groove of the lower support and include an abutting surface configured to abut the lower edge of the window panel, wherein the abutting surface may be curved to protrude upward.