A rear pillar assembly structure, a vehicle, and a design method thereof

Abstract

This invention discloses a rear strut assembly structure, a vehicle, and its design method. It includes a rear strut inner plate fixed to the outer rear wheel arch panel and a rear wheel arch inner plate reinforcing plate fixed to the inner rear wheel arch panel. A rear strut support plate, a rear strut corner plate, a rear strut upper reinforcing plate, and a roof rear crossbeam lower plate are fixed to the inner rear strut panel. The rear strut support plate is arranged at an acute angle, and the rear strut support plate and the rear strut corner plate are fixedly connected by a rear strut connecting plate. The rear strut upper reinforcing plate is fixed to the rear strut support plate, and the two are arranged at an obtuse angle. The roof rear crossbeam lower plate and the rear strut inner plate are fixed, and the roof rear crossbeam lower plate and the rear strut upper reinforcing plate are arranged at an obtuse angle. The rear strut corner plate has a quadrilateral cross-sectional shape. The outer rear wheel arch panel and the rear strut support plate overlap in the Y direction. The rear wheel arch inner plate reinforcing plate, the rear strut support plate, and the roof rear crossbeam lower plate are arranged in a C-shape. This invention can improve the bending and torsional rigidity of the body-in-white during the project development stage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of rear strut technology, specifically relating to a rear strut assembly structure, a vehicle, and a design method thereof. Background Technology

[0002] In modern automotive design, the body-in-white, as a core component of the vehicle structure, directly affects the vehicle's safety, handling, and ride comfort due to its rigidity and durability. The body-in-white consists of various load-bearing structures, among which the rear strut, as a crucial structural component supporting the roof and rear of the body, plays a vital role in the overall rigidity and stability of the vehicle.

[0003] The rear strut roof joint is a critical point connecting the vehicle body and roof, and is one of the concentration points of force transmission. During vehicle operation, external impacts, vibrations, bending, and torsional forces all act on this part. Therefore, the rigidity of this joint has a significant impact on the overall structural rigidity of the body-in-white. Insufficient rigidity of the rear strut roof joint will lead to a decrease in the overall rigidity of the body-in-white, thereby affecting the vehicle's handling performance, body durability, and occupant safety.

[0004] Currently, the overall bending and torsional stiffness of the body-in-white is typically simulated and verified using methods such as finite element analysis. Designers can ensure sufficient stiffness of the body-in-white through overall modal analysis and bending and torsional stiffness analysis. However, for the rigidity design of local joints, such as the joint at the rear of the rear strut roof, there is currently no clear design method or standard. The rigidity design of local joints often relies on experience or local reinforcement methods, lacking a systematic design process. This poses certain challenges to later manufacturing processes and may also lead to poor performance at the joint.

[0005] Therefore, how to improve the local rigidity of the rear joint of the rear pillar roof through effective design and analysis methods, so as to meet the overall rigidity requirements of the body-in-white without increasing the structural weight too much, has become an urgent problem to be solved in the field of automotive engineering. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention addresses the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing a rear strut assembly structure, vehicle, and its design method, which rapidly improves the bending and torsional rigidity of the body-in-white during the project development phase.

[0007] This invention discloses a rear strut assembly structure, including a rear strut inner plate fixed to the outer plate of the rear wheel arch and a rear wheel arch inner plate reinforcing plate fixed to the inner plate of the rear wheel arch. A rear strut support plate, a rear strut corner plate, a rear strut upper reinforcing plate, and a roof rear crossbeam lower plate are fixed to the rear strut inner plate. The rear strut support plate is arranged at an acute angle, and the rear strut support plate and the rear strut corner plate are fixedly connected by a rear strut connecting plate. The rear strut upper reinforcing plate is fixed to the rear strut support plate, and the two are arranged at an obtuse angle. The roof rear crossbeam lower plate is fixed to the rear strut inner plate, and the roof rear crossbeam lower plate and the rear strut upper reinforcing plate are arranged at an obtuse angle. The rear strut corner plate has a quadrilateral cross-section. The rear wheel arch outer plate and the rear strut support plate overlap in the Y direction. The rear wheel arch inner plate reinforcing plate, the rear strut support plate, and the roof rear crossbeam lower plate are arranged in a C-shape.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rear pillar support plate, the rear pillar corner plate, and the rear pillar connecting plate form an A-shaped structure.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rear pillar, the rear pillar support plate, the rear pillar corner plate, the rear pillar upper reinforcing plate, and the lower plate of the rear crossbeam of the top cover constitute a four-way valve type X-connector.

[0010] The present invention also discloses a vehicle including a rear strut assembly structure.

[0011] This invention also discloses a design method for a rear strut assembly structure, which involves: constructing a three-dimensional rear strut assembly structure; applying constraints and loads to the three-dimensional model; determining deformation monitoring points of the three-dimensional model; performing structural stiffness simulation of the three-dimensional model; and optimizing the structure based on the simulation results.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, constraints are applied to the three-dimensional model in three forced excitation directions.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a load is applied to the lower part of the X-joint of the three-dimensional model based on the stress limit of the actual vehicle shock absorber.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the deformation monitoring point is the center of the X-joint of the three-dimensional model.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, structural weak points are identified through simulation analysis, specifically including: comparing the deformation data of the other three fixed constraints and the middle part between the loading point and the detection point of the X-type four-way connector of the base vehicle; and determining the location where the deformation is greater than that of the deformation detection point as the structural weak point.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the optimization method includes: adding an A-type connection to the X-type joint to address the simulated weak point, thereby strengthening the connection between the joint and the constraint; adding a partition layer in front of the weak point of the joint to construct a supporting cavity and support the rigidity of the joint; and increasing the connection area between the wheel arch outer plate and the D-pillar support plate to enhance the force transmission of the load to the joint position.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are: the rear structure optimization method of the vehicle body proposed in this invention effectively improves the overall rigidity of the body-in-white by accurately positioning and improving the rigidity of local joints, providing an innovative and efficient optimization solution for the field of automotive structure design.

[0018] This invention improves the rigidity of the rear strut top cover's rear joint by constructing a four-way valve structure on the upper part of the rear strut. This improvement directly enhances the overall structural strength of the body-in-white, thereby improving the overall rigidity of the vehicle.

[0019] Secondly, this invention innovatively proposes using the structural rigidity and local rigidity of the joint as evaluation criteria. This method overcomes the limitations of traditional methods that rely solely on overall modal and bending-torsional stiffness simulation analysis. By precisely locating and optimizing the rigidity of local joints, this method provides a more direct and effective way to achieve the required overall rigidity of the body-in-white. This not only simplifies the design process but also improves the accuracy and efficiency of optimization.

[0020] Furthermore, the simulation model analysis method employed in this invention can accurately identify structural weak points and perform targeted optimizations. This method not only improves the accuracy of structural design but also significantly reduces the time and cost of repeated testing. By optimizing key components such as the X-joint, the weak points of the front joint, and the connection between the wheel arch outer plate and the D-pillar support plate, this method achieves a significant improvement in structural stiffness, increasing it from the initial 58435 N / mm to 69000 N / mm, exceeding the design target of 60000 N / mm.

[0021] Furthermore, the method of this invention has good adaptability and scalability. By adjusting simulation parameters and optimization schemes, this method can be applied to the optimization of the rear structure of the body-in-white for different vehicle models, providing automotive design engineers with a powerful tool.

[0022] Finally, the optimization method of this invention not only improves the structural strength of the vehicle body, but also helps to improve the overall performance of the vehicle, including driving stability, noise and vibration (NVH) performance, etc. These improvements will directly translate into a better driving experience and higher product quality, enhancing the vehicle's market competitiveness. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments disclosed in this invention, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments will be briefly described below. These drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the positions of the rear strut support plate and the rear wheel arch outer plate of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the rear strut support plate of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the four-way valve type X-connector of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the rear support plate cavity reinforcement structure of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the rear support plate cavity reinforcement structure of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the Y-direction overlap between the outer wheel arch plate and the rear strut support plate of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the C-ring of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 10 This is a complete schematic diagram of the C-ring of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram showing the constraint and load positions of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 12 This is a flowchart of the method of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The technical solutions (including preferred technical solutions) of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and by way of listing some optional embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] This invention discloses a rear strut assembly structure, including a rear strut inner plate 1 fixed to the rear wheel arch outer plate 7 and a rear wheel arch inner plate reinforcing plate 8 fixed to the rear wheel arch inner plate 9. A rear strut support plate 2, a rear strut corner plate 3, a rear strut upper reinforcing plate 5, and a roof rear crossbeam lower plate 6 are fixed to the rear strut inner plate 1. The rear strut support plate 2 and the rear strut corner plate 3 are arranged at an acute angle and are fixedly connected by a rear strut connecting plate 4. The rear strut upper reinforcing plate 5 is fixedly connected to the rear strut support plate 2 and the two are arranged at an obtuse angle. The roof rear crossbeam lower plate 6 is fixedly connected to the rear strut inner plate 1 and the roof rear crossbeam lower plate 6 and the rear strut upper reinforcing plate 5 are arranged at an obtuse angle. The rear strut corner plate 3 has a quadrilateral cross shape. The rear wheel arch outer plate 7 and the rear strut support plate 2 overlap in the Y direction. The rear wheel arch inner plate reinforcing plate 8, the rear strut support plate 2, and the roof rear crossbeam lower plate 6 are arranged in a C-shape. The rear pillar support plate 2, the rear pillar corner plate 3, and the rear pillar connecting plate 4 form an A-shaped structure. The rear pillar, the rear pillar support plate 2, the rear pillar corner plate 3, the rear pillar upper reinforcing plate 5, and the lower plate of the rear crossbeam of the top cover 6 form a four-way valve type X-joint. This invention, through the construction of the A-shaped reinforcing structure, the four-way valve structure, the cavity reinforcement, the addition of the Y-direction overlap, and the complete C-ring, forms a rear pillar assembly with high structural rigidity and light weight.

[0038] The present invention optimizes and improves the structure through the following optimization design methods;

[0039] S1. Construct the upper joint structure of the rear support column to form a structure like... Figure 6 The four-way valve structure shown;

[0040] S2. Based on the excitation effect on the rear of the vehicle body, the main source of road excitation on the rear of the vehicle body is the rear shock absorber;

[0041] Therefore, the following simulation model is constructed:

[0042] • Constrain the three forced excitation directions of the X-type connector;

[0043] • Load is applied through the lower part of the X-joint (based on the actual vehicle's shock absorber's stress limit).

[0044] • The center of the joint is set as the deformation monitoring point, and the deformation at this point is simulated.

[0045] • The deformation here represents the structural stiffness of the X-shaped structure, which is used to support the overall vehicle stiffness.

[0046] 3. Simulation of structure and identification and optimization of structural weak points;

[0047] The initial structural stiffness of the X-type connector on the base vehicle is 58435 N / mm, but the rear of the vehicle body is generally 60000 N / mm. The structural stiffness of the four-way connector on the base vehicle is lower than that of the connector at the rear of the vehicle body, which does not meet the design target.

[0048] By comparing the deformation data of the other three fixed constraints and the middle part between the loading point and the detection point of the X-type four-way joint on the basic vehicle with the deformation amount at the top of the joint, it was found that the deformation at the yellow position in the figure was higher than that at the deformation detection point. Therefore, it was determined that the structure in these three directions was relatively weak. After inputting load force to the load application point and constraining points 1 / 2 / 3, corresponding deformation amounts (simulated values) existed at various points on the four-way joint. The location where the deformation was greater than that at the deformation detection point was the weak point of the structure, which would affect and cause the structural stiffness of the four-way joint to reach the target value. According to the simulation results, the deformation of the structure in the yellow area in the figure was greater than that at the detection point. Therefore, this was determined to be a weak point that needed to be strengthened.

[0049] Therefore, the following optimizations are performed on the three regions shown in the figure, and various schemes are simulated in sequence and combination. The following enhancement schemes are implemented for the three locations respectively:

[0050] • Optimization 1: Add type A connection to the X-type joint to address the weak points in the simulation, thereby strengthening the connection between the joint and the 3-constraint;

[0051] • Optimization 2: Add a partition layer at the weak point of the front joint to construct a supporting cavity and enhance the rigidity of the joint;

[0052] • Optimization 3: Increase the connection area between the wheel arch outer panel and the D-pillar support plate to enhance the force transmission from the load to the joint.

[0053] S4. Solution Verification

[0054] After performing structural stiffness simulation on the optimized structure again, the final optimized structure has a stiffness of 69,000 N / mm, which meets the design requirements; the deformation data of the middle part in the three constraint directions and the loading direction are close and the same as the deformation of the upper part of the joint.

[0055] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, combinations, substitutions, improvements, etc., made under the spirit and principles of the present invention are included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rear strut assembly structure, comprising a rear strut inner plate (1) fixedly connected to the rear wheel arch outer plate (7) and a rear wheel arch inner plate reinforcing plate (8) fixedly connected to the rear wheel arch inner plate (9), characterized in that, The rear support plate (2), rear support corner plate (3), rear support upper reinforcing plate (5), and top cover rear crossbeam lower plate (6) are fixedly connected to the rear support inner plate (1). The rear support plate (2) and the rear support corner plate (3) are arranged at an acute angle. The rear support plate (2) and the rear support corner plate (3) are fixedly connected to each other by a rear support connecting plate (4). The rear support upper reinforcing plate (5) is fixedly connected to the rear support plate (2) and the two are arranged at an obtuse angle. The top cover rear crossbeam lower plate (6) and the rear support support plate (2) are fixedly connected to the rear support inner plate (1). The rear support inner plate (1) is fixedly connected, and the lower plate (6) of the rear crossbeam of the top cover and the upper reinforcing plate (5) of the rear support are arranged at an obtuse angle. The cross-sectional shape of the rear support corner plate (3) is quadrilateral. The outer plate (7) of the rear wheel cover and the support plate (2) of the rear support are overlapped in the Y direction. The inner plate reinforcing plate (8) of the rear wheel cover, the support plate (2) of the rear support, and the lower plate (6) of the rear crossbeam of the top cover are arranged in a C-shape. The support plate (2) of the rear support, the corner plate (3) of the rear support and the connecting plate (4) of the rear support form an A-shaped structure.

2. The rear strut assembly structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rear support column, the rear support column support plate (2), the rear support column corner plate (3), the rear support column upper reinforcing plate (5), and the lower plate of the rear crossbeam of the top cover (6) constitute a four-way valve type X-connector.

3. A vehicle, characterized in that: Includes the rear strut assembly structure as described in any one of claims 1-2.

4. A design method for a rear strut assembly structure, characterized in that: Three-dimensional modeling of the rear strut assembly structure as described in any one of claims 1-2; applying constraints to the three-dimensional model, applying loads to the three-dimensional model, and determining the deformation monitoring points of the three-dimensional model; Complete the structural stiffness simulation of the 3D model, and optimize the structure based on the simulation results; Weak points in the structure are identified through simulation analysis, specifically by comparing the deformation data of the other three fixed constraints of the X-type four-way connector on the base vehicle and the middle part between the loading point and the detection point. The location where the deformation exceeds the deformation detection point is identified as the structural weak point. Optimization methods include adding an A-type connection to the X-type joint to target the simulated weak point, strengthening the connection between the joint and the constraint; adding a partition layer in front of the weak point of the joint to construct a supporting cavity and support the rigidity of the joint; and increasing the connection area between the wheel arch outer plate and the D-pillar support plate to enhance the force transmission of the load to the joint location.

5. The design method for the rear strut assembly structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: Constraints are applied to the three-dimensional model in three forced excitation directions.

6. The design method for the rear strut assembly structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: Loads were applied to the lower part of the X-joint of the 3D model based on the stress limit of the actual vehicle shock absorber.

7. The design method for the rear strut assembly structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The deformation monitoring point is the center of the X-joint of the 3D model.

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