Hybrid structure instrument beam support comprising a plurality of materials and manufacturing process thereof

Abstract

The mixed structure instrument cross beam support provided by the application comprises a support body, a plurality of support pipes arranged on the support body, and a plurality of support pipe connecting plates arranged on the support body and connected with the support pipes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of automotive component fixing structure technology, specifically involving a hybrid structure instrument beam bracket containing multiple materials such as steel, aluminum, magnesium, and plastic, and its manufacturing process. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the automotive manufacturing industry still largely uses all-steel materials to manufacture car body frames, assembling prefabricated stamped or cast tubular beams through welding. However, all-steel frame structures are heavy, have numerous parts, and incur significant costs for tooling and fixtures during manufacturing. The numerous weld points also limit machining accuracy. In some car body structural components using aluminum-plastic composites, critical components such as instrument brackets and main beams require increased dimensions or thicker tube walls to ensure necessary structural strength, making further weight reduction difficult. Therefore, improving car body structural components and their manufacturing processes to increase strength while reducing weight is a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, and in response to the technical problems existing in this field, the present invention provides a hybrid structure instrument beam bracket comprising multiple materials, which consists of a beam, a body connecting bracket, a center channel support bracket, and a steering column mounting bracket;

[0004] The vehicle body connecting bracket is fixedly installed at the left and right ends of the crossbeam and is used to connect with the vehicle body frame respectively; the center channel support bracket is fixedly installed in the middle of the crossbeam and is used to connect with the lower vehicle body frame to support the instrument crossbeam bracket and to install the vehicle center console; the steering column bracket is used to install the vehicle steering column.

[0005] The crossbeam is a metal tube beam covered with carbon fiber prepreg; the body connecting bracket is a composite material and is integrally formed on the metal tube beam by injection molding; the center channel support bracket is a composite material and is integrally formed on the metal tube beam by injection molding; the steering column mounting bracket is made of aluminum-magnesium alloy and is integrally formed on the metal tube beam by die casting injection.

[0006] The crossbeam is integrally formed through the following high-pressure bulging process:

[0007] After placing the metal tube blank into the mold cavity with carbon fiber prepreg on the inner surface, the two ends of the metal tube blank are sealed, the mold cavity is heated and the mold is closed, and a high-pressure expansion medium is injected into the port of the metal tube blank, so that the outer wall of the metal tube blank adheres to the mold. The pressure of the high-pressure expansion medium is used to form the predetermined tube cross-sectional shape of the metal tube blank, and the carbon fiber prepreg covers part of the outer surface of the metal tube blank to form the crossbeam.

[0008] The central channel support bracket and the vehicle body connecting bracket are formed by injecting composite material into a portion of the space formed between the inner wall of the mold cavity and the outer wall of the metal tube blank after the crossbeam is formed.

[0009] The steering column mounting bracket is formed by injecting aluminum-magnesium alloy material into a portion of the space between the inner wall of the mold cavity and the outer wall of the metal tube blank after the middle channel support bracket is formed.

[0010] After the mold cavity cools down, demolding yields the integrated structure of the hybrid instrument beam support.

[0011] Furthermore, the metal tube blank is specifically made of high-strength steel or ultra-high-strength steel or aluminum; the composite material is specifically made of nylon or double nylon with a certain proportion of glass fiber, or PP material with a certain proportion of glass fiber.

[0012] Furthermore, the predetermined cross-sectional shape of the metal tube beam is oval.

[0013] Accordingly, the present invention also provides a corresponding manufacturing process, which involves sequentially performing the following steps to integrally obtain the hybrid structure instrument beam support containing multiple materials:

[0014] Step 1: Prepare the metal tube blank material for manufacturing the crossbeam, the composite material for manufacturing the center channel support bracket and the body connecting bracket, the aluminum-magnesium alloy material for manufacturing the steering column mounting bracket, the carbon fiber prepreg, and the mold.

[0015] Step 2: After placing the metal tube blank into the mold cavity with carbon fiber prepreg on the inner surface, seal both ends of the metal tube blank and heat the mold cavity to the first specified temperature.

[0016] Step 3: Close the mold and inject high-pressure expansion medium into one side of the metal tube blank port, so that the outer wall of the metal tube blank adheres to the mold. The pressure of the high-pressure expansion medium causes the metal tube blank to expand and form a predetermined tube cross-sectional shape, so that the main body of the metal tube blank forms a support beam. The left and right ends of the beam form a vehicle body connection bracket. The carbon fiber prepreg is covered on the outer surface of the beam as the mold is applied.

[0017] Step 4: Adjust the temperature inside the mold cavity to the second specified temperature, and inject composite material into the space formed between the inner wall of the mold cavity and the outer wall of the metal tube blank to form the middle channel support bracket and the body connecting bracket in the middle of the crossbeam.

[0018] Step 5: Adjust the temperature inside the mold cavity to the third specified temperature, and inject aluminum-magnesium alloy material into the space formed between the inner wall of the mold cavity and the outer wall of the metal tube blank to form the steering column mounting bracket on the crossbeam.

[0019] Step 6: Depressurize and recover the high-pressure expansion medium. After the mold cavity cools down, demold the mold. The manufacturing of the hybrid structure instrument beam support is now complete.

[0020] The first, second, and third specified temperatures mentioned above can be flexibly set according to the actual needs of high-pressure bulging, composite materials, or aluminum-magnesium alloy injection molding.

[0021] The hybrid structure instrument beam bracket and its manufacturing process provided by the present invention, which incorporates multiple materials, combines high-strength and lightweight materials at different locations and components of the bracket. This achieves sufficient strength in the bracket's tube beam structure while effectively reducing the tube wall thickness and weight. The use of high-pressure bulging combined with injection molding and other processes during manufacturing enables the production of an integrated bracket structure with higher processing precision and efficiency, thereby significantly reducing tooling and labor costs in manufacturing. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 A perspective view of the hybrid structure instrument beam support provided by the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 A preferred structural diagram of the tube beam section of the hybrid structure instrument beam support provided by the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 The manufacturing process flow diagram of the hybrid structure instrument beam bracket provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0027] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0028] The terms high-strength steel and ultra-high-strength steel used in this invention have general meanings in the fields of manufacturing and processing and materials, which should be known by those skilled in the art, and therefore will not be elaborated here.

[0029] The steel-aluminum-magnesium-plastic hybrid structure instrument beam bracket provided by this invention, such as... Figure 1 , 2 As shown, it consists of a crossbeam 4, a body connecting bracket 1, a center channel support bracket 3, and a steering column mounting bracket 2;

[0030] The vehicle body connecting bracket is fixedly installed at the left and right ends of the crossbeam and is used to connect with the vehicle body frame respectively; the center channel support bracket is fixedly installed in the middle of the crossbeam and is used to connect with the lower vehicle body frame to support the instrument crossbeam bracket and to install the vehicle center console; the steering column bracket is used to install the vehicle steering column.

[0031] The crossbeam is a metal tube beam covered with carbon fiber prepreg; the body connecting bracket is a composite material and is integrally formed on the metal tube beam by injection molding; the center channel support bracket is a composite material and is integrally formed on the metal tube beam by injection molding; the steering column mounting bracket is made of aluminum-magnesium alloy and is integrally formed on the metal tube beam by die casting injection.

[0032] The crossbeam is integrally formed through the following high-pressure bulging process:

[0033] After placing the metal tube blank 5 into the mold cavity with carbon fiber prepreg on the inner surface, the two ends of the metal tube blank are sealed, the mold cavity is heated and the mold is closed, and a high-pressure expansion medium is injected into the port of the metal tube blank, so that the outer tube wall of the metal tube blank adheres to the mold. The pressure of the high-pressure expansion medium is used to form the predetermined tube cross-sectional shape of the metal tube blank, and the carbon fiber prepreg 6 covers part of the outer surface of the metal tube blank to form the crossbeam.

[0034] The central channel support bracket is formed by injecting composite material into a portion of the space formed between the inner wall of the mold cavity and the outer wall of the metal tube blank after the crossbeam and the body connecting bracket are formed.

[0035] The steering column mounting bracket is formed by injecting aluminum-magnesium alloy material into a portion of the space between the inner wall of the mold cavity and the outer wall of the metal tube blank after the middle channel support bracket is formed.

[0036] After the mold cavity cools down, demolding yields the integrated structure of the hybrid instrument beam support.

[0037] The metal tube blank is specifically made of high-strength steel or ultra-high-strength steel or aluminum; the composite material is specifically made of nylon or double nylon with a certain proportion of glass fiber, or PP material with a certain proportion of glass fiber.

[0038] The predetermined cross-sectional shape of the metal tube beam is as follows: Figure 2 The shape shown is oval.

[0039] Accordingly, the present invention also provides a corresponding manufacturing process, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the hybrid structure instrument beam support containing multiple materials is obtained by sequentially performing the following steps:

[0040] Step 1: Prepare metal tube blanks for manufacturing crossbeams, composite materials for manufacturing center channel support brackets and body connecting brackets, and aluminum-magnesium alloy materials, carbon fiber prepregs, and molds for manufacturing steering column mounting brackets.

[0041] Step 2: After placing the metal tube blank into the mold cavity with carbon fiber prepreg on the inner surface, seal both ends of the metal tube blank and heat the mold cavity to the first specified temperature.

[0042] Step 3: Close the mold and inject high-pressure expansion medium into one side of the metal tube blank port, so that the outer wall of the metal tube blank adheres to the mold. The pressure of the high-pressure expansion medium causes the metal tube blank to expand and form a predetermined tube cross-sectional shape, so that the main body of the metal tube blank forms a support beam. The left and right ends of the beam form a vehicle body connection bracket. The carbon fiber prepreg is covered on the outer surface of the beam as the mold is applied.

[0043] Step 4: Adjust the temperature inside the mold cavity to the second specified temperature, inject composite material into the space formed between the inner wall of the mold cavity and the outer wall of the metal tube blank, and form the central channel support bracket in the middle of the crossbeam.

[0044] Step 5: Adjust the temperature inside the mold cavity to the third specified temperature, and inject aluminum-magnesium alloy material into the space formed between the inner wall of the mold cavity and the outer wall of the metal tube blank to form the steering column mounting bracket on the crossbeam.

[0045] Step 6: Depressurize and recover the high-pressure expansion medium. After the mold cavity cools down, demold the mold. The manufacturing of the hybrid structure instrument beam support is now complete.

[0046] It should be understood that the sequence number of each step in the embodiments of the present invention does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0047] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A hybrid structure instrument beam support comprising multiple materials, characterized in that: The instrument beam support bracket is composed of a cross beam, a vehicle body connecting support, a middle channel supporting support and a steering column mounting support; The vehicle body connecting support is fixedly arranged at the left and right ends of the cross beam and is used for being connected with the vehicle body frame respectively; the middle channel supporting support is fixedly arranged at the middle part of the cross beam and is used for being connected with the lower vehicle body frame to support the instrument beam support bracket and mounting the vehicle center console; and the steering column mounting support is used for mounting the vehicle steering column; The cross beam is a metal pipe beam coated with carbon fiber prepreg, the vehicle body connecting support is a composite material and is integrally formed on the metal pipe beam by injection molding, the middle channel supporting support is a composite material and is integrally formed on the metal pipe beam by injection molding, and the steering column mounting support is an aluminum-magnesium alloy material and is integrally formed on the metal pipe beam by die casting injection molding; The cross beam is integrally obtained through the following high-pressure bulging process steps: After the metal pipe blank is placed in the mold cavity with the inner surface coated with carbon fiber prepreg, the two ends of the metal pipe blank are sealed, the mold cavity is heated and the mold is closed, high-pressure bulging medium is injected into the port of the metal pipe blank, the outer pipe wall of the metal pipe blank is attached to the mold, the metal pipe blank is formed into a predetermined pipe cross section shape by the pressure of the high-pressure bulging medium, and the carbon fiber prepreg is coated on part of the outer surface of the metal pipe blank to form the cross beam; The middle channel supporting support and the vehicle body connecting support are formed by injecting composite material into the space formed between the inner wall of the mold cavity and the outer wall of the metal pipe blank after the cross beam is hot bulged; The steering column mounting support is formed by injecting aluminum-magnesium alloy material into the space formed between the inner wall of the mold cavity and the outer wall of the metal pipe blank after the middle channel supporting support is formed; After the mold cavity is cooled, the integrated structure of the combined mixed structure instrument beam support bracket is obtained.

2. The hybrid instrument beam bracket comprising a plurality of materials of claim 1, wherein: The metal pipe blank is specifically selected from high-strength steel or ultra-high-strength steel material or aluminum material; and the composite material is specifically selected from nylon or double nylon added with a certain proportion of glass fiber, or PP material added with a certain proportion of glass fiber.

3. A manufacturing process for manufacturing a hybrid structure instrument beam support comprising a plurality of materials as claimed in any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that: Specifically includes the following steps: Step one, preparing the metal pipe blank material for manufacturing the cross beam, the composite material for manufacturing the middle channel supporting support and the vehicle body connecting support, the aluminum-magnesium alloy material for manufacturing the steering column mounting support, and the carbon fiber prepreg and the mold; Step two, after the metal pipe blank is placed in the mold cavity with the inner surface coated with carbon fiber prepreg, the two ends of the metal pipe blank are sealed, and the mold cavity is heated to a first specified temperature; Step three, the mold is closed, high-pressure bulging medium is injected into the port of the metal pipe blank, the outer pipe wall of the metal pipe blank is attached to the mold, the metal pipe blank is bulged to form a predetermined pipe cross section shape by the pressure of the high-pressure bulging medium, the main part of the metal pipe blank forms the cross beam, the left and right ends of the cross beam form the vehicle body connecting support, and the carbon fiber prepreg is coated on part of the outer surface of the cross beam along with the attachment to the mold; Step four, adjust the temperature in the mold cavity to a second specified temperature, inject composite material into the space between the inner wall of the mold cavity and the outer wall of the metal tube blank, and form the middle passage support bracket and the body connecting bracket in the middle of the cross beam; Step five, adjust the temperature in the mold cavity to a third specified temperature, inject aluminum magnesium alloy material into the space between the inner wall of the mold cavity and the outer wall of the metal tube blank, and form the steering column mounting bracket on the cross beam; Step six, release the high-pressure expansion medium, and demold after the mold cavity is cooled, and the manufacturing of the mixed structure instrument cross beam bracket is completed.

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