Integrated Body Structure to Accommodate Manual and Power Door Sunshade Variants in a Vehicle

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Door sunshade in a vehicle has proven to be very comfortable and luxurious feature to the customers. Luxury vehicles provide power sunshade which is electrically operated with the activation of a switch, whereas cost conscious vehicles provide manual sunshade which requires manual coiling and uncoiling. This study is to develop a door panel structure that can accommodate both the manual sunshade and power sunshade, thereby serving both cost conscious as well as luxury seeking customers. Manual sunshade consists only of cassette, pull bar, spindle mechanism and hooks whereas the power sunshade consists of cassette, pull bar, spindle mechanism, flap mechanism, bowden cable mechanism, actuator and motor. Due to this difference in package, it becomes difficult to accommodate both variants of sunshade into the same body system. However, this study helps in developing a common body structure by ways of effective packaging, modifying the cable and actuator mechanism and critical packaging of motor that helps in commonization of inner panel and other body systems. Bowden cable has been routed in a way that it does not impact inside door handle, latch system and window regulator assembly. Actuator and motor assembly has been packaged and mounted without regulator assembly, door glass part and other body systems. Critical challenges faced were on the load criteria for actuation of sunshade and durability considerations for abuse load cases.</div></div>