Rear longitudinal member with programmed deformation applicable to automotive vehicles and vehicles.

Description

1 / 7 Rear longitudinal member with programmed deformation applicable to automotive vehicles and vehicles. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of the automotive industry, focusing more specifically on the development of an innovative solution for a rear programmed deformation zone of an automotive vehicle, applicable to any model, but particularly relevant to vehicle models equipped with a third row of seats, in order to optimize and reduce the cost of the process and the final product, as well as ensure passive safety for the occupants of the vehicle equipped with the proposed invention. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Vehicle safety has been the subject of constant improvements throughout the history of the automotive industry, with particular emphasis on protecting occupants during a collision. In the early years of the automotive industry, cars were designed with a focus on robustness and structural strength, and passive occupant safety was not a priority. During this period, vehicles were quite rigid, and in the event of collisions, much of the impact energy was transmitted directly to the occupants, resulting in serious injuries. Faced with this, the industry began to realize that vehicle rigidity, while effective in protecting against deformation, was not sufficient to guarantee occupant safety.The search for new solutions to improve safety led to the idea of ​​crumple zones, when automotive engineering realized that, in a collision, energy should not only be absorbed by the vehicle's rigid structure, but also distributed throughout the structure to minimize the effects on occupants. Thus, crumple zones began to be developed in the vehicle's body, mainly in the front and rear regions, designed to yield and absorb impact energy, keeping the vehicle's interior as intact as possible and protecting the driver and passengers. With technological advancements and the application of safety regulations, new materials and body design techniques were incorporated, giving rise to the concept of programmed crumple zones, which are more effective and precise, resulting in better protection for occupants in different collision scenarios.In general, automotive engineering uses metal parts molded into a basic shape, but not yet fully formed in their final construction aspects. Petition 870250006131, dated 01 / 26 / 2025, page 10 / 20 2 / 7 require additional manufacturing processes, such as stamping, cutting, or welding, to obtain elements like body panels and others. These basic parts are defined in technical terminology as blanks, obtained from different materials and their combinations, which are designed to be molded or worked in subsequent stages. The construction of a programmed deformation zone uses blanks formed by two (or more) metal sheets with different characteristics, such as material, thickness, coating, and physical-chemical properties. The joining of each component sheet of the blank is done by TWB welding (Tailor Weld Blank welding), that is, welding sheets of different specifications to configure the composite blank. This welding is done by non-conventional welding processes, usually laser welding, before the forming process of the composite blank.The use of this solution for joining blanks with different characteristics in the construction of a programmed deformation element becomes easily understandable, since it allows for the creation of a component with regions of different mechanical resistances where, as a rule, the thinner portion, and therefore with lower mechanical resistance, will be able to deform more than the thicker portion.

[0003] Despite the positive aspects promoted by the use of composite blanks of different materials and thicknesses obtained by TWB welding, particularly with regard to vehicle safety and design flexibility, this manufacturing process also presents a number of disadvantages such as: high investments in welding processes and automation of the sheet feeding line; high demand for quality in sheet cutting and in the weld bead that joins the sheets; and the cost of manufacturing the forming tools is about 30% higher compared to tools built for parts of a single thickness.Other negative aspects are related to the TWB welding process itself between plates of different thicknesses, where a phenomenon known as weld line movement can occur, leading to fractures and defects in that region, requiring the use of equipment with compensation systems to accommodate different plate thicknesses, which are costly and highly complex.

[0004] The present invention proposes obtaining a programmed deformation rear longitudinal beam made from a single material of uniform thickness, eliminating the use of different materials and TWB welding, resulting in a significant reduction in manufacturing costs, with the same protection for vehicle occupants in the event of a rear impact. Petition 870250006131, dated 01 / 26 / 2025, page 11 / 20 3 / 7

[0005] Searching the state of the art patent literature, the following documents were found:

[0006] Document CN212797079 discloses a rear subframe assembly designed to increase structural strength and stability in vehicle manufacturing. It features a rear wheel cover, a longitudinal beam, and a reinforcement bracket with a threaded steel bushing. This configuration effectively supports the vehicle body load, reduces weld fractures, and improves noise and vibration performance, thereby increasing passenger comfort.

[0007] Document CN203902667 discloses a rear installation support structure aimed at improving strength and rigidity. This structure includes a front extension panel for the center channel longitudinal member and a uniquely designed rear mounting bracket that facilitates better alignment and connection with the vehicle body, increasing safety and performance during collisions.

[0008] Thus, considering the solutions of the state of the art, it is evident that none of them has been able to solve the technical problems associated with the use of programmed deformation components of an automotive vehicle formed from elements with different constructive characteristics, including different thicknesses, among others, as well as the methodology for joining said elements. It should be noted that none of the prior art addresses or provides sufficient teachings to conceive an adequate solution to such a problem. In particular, the prior art fails to reveal a programmed deformation component obtained from a single material of uniform thickness, eliminating welding of at least two materials with different characteristics, this welding being high-tech and high-cost.

[0009] In view of the points presented, the importance and urgency of a technical solution capable of overcoming the current gap in this technical field is clear. Taking these points into account, the present invention aims to offer a favorable solution to the problems previously presented. OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention, in a first objective, aims to provide a programmed deformation rear longitudinal beam applied to an automotive vehicle, obtained from a single material of uniform thickness.

[0011] Another objective of the invention is to eliminate the use of various materials. Petition 870250006131, dated 01 / 26 / 2025, page 12 / 20 4 / 7 different thicknesses joined by TWB type laser welding for the configuration of programmed deformation elements applied to automotive vehicles.

[0012] Another objective of the present invention is to offer a technical solution for a programmed deformation element applied in an automotive vehicle that offers protection equivalent to that provided by state-of-the-art solutions obtained using various materials and TWB type laser welding.

[0013] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a vehicle equipped with a programmed deformation rear longitudinal member obtained from a single material of uniform thickness and in accordance with the characteristics described in this invention. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] In this way, the present invention solves such problems of the prior art by means of a programmed deformation rear longitudinal beam obtained from hot-stamped sheet metal of a single material and uniform thickness, containing deformation control elements represented by strategically positioned holes and ribs.

[0015] The present invention also relates to a vehicle provided with a programmed deformation rear longitudinal member, as defined by the present invention.

[0016] All the technical features of this patent application will be immediately recognized and appreciated by those skilled in the art. These features will be detailed further below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0017] The present invention will be described in more detail after the presentation of the figures, which contain a preferred configuration. The figures show: Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of an automotive vehicle floor detailing the relative positioning of the programmed deformation rear longitudinal members included in said floor. Figure 2 shows a top plan view illustrating a programmed deformation rear longitudinal beam employing the current state of the art. Figure 3 shows a top plan view illustrating a rear longitudinal member with programmed deformation according to the present invention. Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective of detail A from Figure 3, rotated 90° to the right, illustrating the application of the solution provided in the present invention.

[0018] The reference elements present in the figures are: floor 1; first Petition 870250006131, dated 01 / 26 / 2025, page 13 / 20 5 / 7 conventional stringer segment 2; second conventional stringer segment 3; TWB weld line 4; one-piece stringer 5; oblong hole 6; and ribs 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Before the invention is described in detail, it should be understood that it is not limited to the specific component parts of the described apparatus, as such components may vary. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is only for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to be limiting. It should be noted that, as used in the descriptive report, claims and abstract presented, the singular forms a, an, and the include singular and / or plural referents, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that, in the case of parameter ranges delimited by numerical values ​​being provided, the ranges are considered to include these limiting values.

[0020] It should also be understood that the modalities disclosed herein should not be understood as individual modalities that are unrelated to each other. The characteristics discussed with one modality should also be disclosed in connection with other modalities shown herein. If, in one case, a specific characteristic is not disclosed with one modality but with another, the person skilled in the art would understand that this does not necessarily mean that the characteristic is not intended to be disclosed with the other modality. The person skilled in the art would understand that the essence of this request is to disclose the characteristic also for the other modality, but that only for the sake of clarity and to keep this descriptive report to a manageable volume, this has not been done.

[0021] The present invention discloses a programmed deformation rear longitudinal beam obtained from a single sheet of uniform thickness and substantially U-shaped cross-section, defining a single-piece longitudinal beam 5 hot-stamped and provided in its horizontal portion, near the end of its straight section, with at least one oblong hole 6, together with at least one pair of aligned ribs 7, provided at one of the vertices of the longitudinal beam 5.

[0022] The presented constructive arrangement replaces with significant advantages the current state of the art illustrated exemplarily in Figure 2, in which the conventional longitudinal beam is obtained from two segments 2,3 of different materials and thicknesses, joined by a TWB weld line 4. As previously explained, this configuration is quite suitable for use in programmed deformation regions in automotive vehicles, however, Petition 870250006131, dated 01 / 26 / 2025, page 14 / 20 6 / 7 requiring high investments in welding processes and automation of the sheet metal feeding line, high demands on the quality of sheet metal cutting and the weld bead joining the sheets, high cost of manufacturing forming tools, and the possibility of movement of the welding line, leading to fractures and failures in this region. In addition to these aspects, the use of materials of different thicknesses can lead to an increase in the vehicle's own weight, raising its final price and increasing its maintenance costs, such as higher fuel consumption.

[0023] The constructive configuration proposed in this invention acts in a manner equivalent to the state-of-the-art solution, with programmed deformation occurring through the action of the oblong hole(s) 6 in conjunction with the ribs 7. Empirical studies have shown that this invention, in addition to representing lower costs in all aspects, with the use of a single material for the conformation of the longitudinal member 5, eliminates the need for high-cost welds and has a lower self-weight, all in comparison with the current technique, and also guarantees the same result in deformation control. Tests with vehicles equipped with a third passenger seat, the most critical safety situation for rear-end collisions in vehicles, in tests at 50 km / h, showed the same deformation control for the conventional solution and for the solution proposed in this invention. It should be clarified that this proposed solution can be applied to any model of automotive vehicle, whether or not it contains a third row of seats.

[0024] It is also necessary to clarify that, although the description refers to a programmed deformation rear longitudinal member, its use occurs in pairs, as illustrated in Figure 1, acting symmetrically to the left and right of floor 1.

[0025] From the main embodiment disclosed and described in detail herein and the non-exhaustive examples of alternative embodiments described, various alterations, additions, and even additional forms of alternative embodiments may be made without departing from the scope or the totality of the subject matter disclosed in the present invention.

[0026] All the technical characteristics of the different embodiments disclosed in this patent application will be immediately recognized and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0027] It is expressly provided that all combinations of elements that perform the same function substantially in the same way to achieve the Petition 870250006131, dated 01 / 26 / 2025, page 15 / 20 7 / 7 The same results of the elements now claimed are within the scope of the present invention. Finally, it should be noted that the scope of protection of the present invention covers other possible variations, not being limited solely by the content of the claims alone, including possible equivalents.

[0028] It should be noted that the drawings presented are not necessarily to scale and are merely conceptual in nature. Nevertheless, it is expressly provided that all combinations of elements that perform the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results as the elements claimed herein are within the scope of the present invention. Finally, it should be noted that the scope of protection of the present invention covers other possible variations, not being limited solely by the content of the claims alone, including possible equivalents. Petition 870250006131, dated 01 / 26 / 2025, p. 16 / 20

Claims

1 / 1 Claims 1. Stringer (5) characterized by comprising a single sheet of uniform thickness and hot-stamped U-section and provided in its horizontal portion, near the end of its straight section, with at least one oblong hole (6), together with at least one pair of aligned ribs (7), provided at one of the vertices of the stringer (5).

2. Vehicle, characterized by comprising the longitudinal beam (5), as defined in claim 1. Petition 870250006131, dated 01 / 26 / 2025, page 17 / 20

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