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Summary: Use of plastics teeth belt and spur gear for engaging the teeth belt instead of using steel cable and helical gear to improve the transmission efficiency and accordingly reduce the motor torque needed for operation of the sunroof. Drastic reduction in number of parts needed.
Weight Savings: 10% over current sunroof system
Cost Savings: 40% over current sunroof system
Most Innovative Feature: The sunroof is operated by engaging a gear (helical gear) with the cable (winding wire). However, this structure may decrease the power transmission efficiency at the gear-engaging portion and it is necessary to use a larger motor with higher torque. To solve the problems, we employed plastics teeth belt and spur gear for engaging the teeth belt instead of using steel cable and helical gear. This structure improved the transmission efficiency and accordingly reduced the motor torque needed. Since the outer surface is covered with resin, it is not necessary to additionally provide flocking or coating to solve the noise problems of the current model.
Other Innovative Features: The functional components are formed from steel plate (press-formed products) and mostly the sliding portion is formed by resin insert. This structure needs larger number of parts with a large mass. However, according to our developed product, the steel plate portions are abolished and formed by resin-integration and the number of parts was drastically reduced. At the same time mass reduction was also achieved.
Forming Process: Extrusion molding for Q.1 / Injection molding for Q.2
First time process used?: Yes
Previous Process Used: Extrusion molding for coating on the cable surface, Injection molding for the sliding portion of the function bracket
Tooling Innovations: Extrusion molding of the teeth belt (wire insert), Injection molding of the resin integrated function bracket
New Material Developments: TPEE was adopted as the resin material which has both flexibility and strength for the teeth belt. PA6T was adopted as the resin material which has both strength and sliding for the function bracket.
Weight Savings: 10% down compared with our current sunroof system
Direct Cost Savings: 40% down compared with our current sunroof system
Indirect Cost Savings: N/A
Direct Consumer Benefit: Low-cost and lightening - mass reduction.
Translates to other Vehicles?: Yes
Safety Benefits: N/A
Environmental Benefits: Recyclability improvement
Additional Info: The plastics teeth belt type sunroof is the first in the world.
