Vehicle body component, preparation method thereof and vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle body component and a preparation method thereof and a vehicle. The vehicle body component is provided with a plurality of supporting arm parts which are connected together in a crossed mode through joint parts, and the vehicle body component is made of composite materials and provided with a plurality of laying layers which are arranged in a stacked mode; wherein the paving directions of the composite materials of the adjacent paving layers are different, and in each paving layer, the composite materials of at least part of the supporting arm part and the composite materials of the joint part are continuous. The vehicle body component is made of the composite materials, and in each laying layer, the composite materials of at least part of the supporting arm parts and the composite materials of the joint parts are continuous, so that the light weight of a vehicle body can be facilitated, the connection strength of the joint positions of the vehicle body can be improved, and the vehicle body component has good practicability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of vehicle bodies, and particularly to a vehicle body component. The present invention also relates to a preparation method of the vehicle body component, and a vehicle provided with the vehicle body component. Background Art

[0002] At present, in a vehicle body, for a vehicle body component formed by connecting a plurality of structural members, for example, for a side wall component formed by an upper side member and a B-pillar, it generally uses sheet metal parts and is fixedly connected into one body by welding. Although the existing vehicle body component with this structural form can meet the requirements of vehicle body structure design to a certain extent, it also has disadvantages such as a relatively large weight, being not conducive to vehicle body lightweighting, not conducive to improving the endurance of the whole vehicle, and being prone to connection failure at the connection joints, and thus needs to be further improved. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle body component, which is conducive to vehicle body lightweighting and can also increase the connection strength at the joint position of the vehicle body.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the technical solution of the present invention is realized as follows:

[0005] A vehicle body component, the vehicle body component has a plurality of arm portions cross-connected through a joint portion, and the vehicle body component is made of a composite material and has a plurality of stacked plies;

[0006] Wherein, the laying directions of the composite materials of adjacent plies are different, and in each ply, at least part of the composite material at the arm portion is continuous with the composite material at the joint portion.

[0007] Further, the plurality of arm portions include a first arm and a second arm arranged along the vehicle body length direction, and the first arm and the second arm are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the joint portion;

[0008] The plurality of arm portions further include a third arm arranged along the vehicle body height direction, and the third arm is connected to the first arm and the second arm respectively through the joint portion;

[0009] Along the direction pointing to the joint portion, the width of the end of the third arm connected to the joint portion is gradually increased.

[0010] Further, the laying directions of the composite materials of adjacent plies are perpendicular.

[0011] Further, the composite material is a carbon fiber composite material.

[0012] Further, the ply is made of a laid carbon fiber prepreg, or the ply is made of a wound fiber bundle.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0014] The body member described in the present invention is made of a composite material, and in each ply, at least part of the composite material at the arm portion is continuous with the composite material at the joint portion. On the one hand, by using the composite material, the weight of the body member can be reduced, which is beneficial to the lightweight of the vehicle body. On the other hand, through the continuous design of the composite material at the arm portion and the joint portion, the connection strength at the joint position of the body member can also be increased, so it has good practicability.

[0015] In addition, the third arm is arranged with a larger width in the direction pointing to the joint portion, which can increase the contact area between the third arm and other arms, and further increase the connection strength between the third arm and other arms. The laying directions of the composite materials of adjacent plies are perpendicular, which is convenient for laying each layer of composite material and can also ensure the overall strength of the body member. The composite material is a carbon fiber composite material, which has mature technology, low cost, and can also meet the structural performance requirements of vehicle body components.

[0016] The present invention also proposes a preparation method for a body member, which includes:

[0017] Preparing a core material for forming the body member;

[0018] Laying multiple layers of composite materials on the core material in a preset direction to form an intermediate product with multiple plies arranged in a stacked manner;

[0019] Curing and molding the intermediate product to obtain the body member;

[0020] Wherein, the obtained body member has multiple arm portions cross-connected through a joint portion;

[0021] The laying directions of the composite materials of adjacent plies are different, and in each ply, at least part of the composite material at the arm portion is continuous with the composite material at the joint portion.

[0022] Further, the laying directions of the composite materials of adjacent plies are perpendicular; and / or,

[0023] The intermediate product is cured and molded by a vacuum bag molding process, and the vacuum bag molding process includes heating the intermediate product.

[0024] Further, the composite material is a carbon fiber composite material, and the ply is made of a laid carbon fiber prepreg, or the ply is made of a wound fiber bundle.

[0025] Further, when the ply is made of a laid carbon fiber prepreg, laying each layer of the composite material on the core material in a preset direction includes starting from one of the arm portions, passing through the joint portion, and then sequentially laying the other arm portions;

[0026] When the ply is made of a wound fiber bundle, laying each layer of the composite material on the core material in a preset direction includes starting from one of the arm portions, winding at the joint portion, dividing the composite material into multiple strands according to the number of the remaining arm portions, and after winding the joint portion with the multiple strands of the composite material respectively, then winding the remaining arm portions respectively.

[0027] In the method for preparing the body member of the present invention, by laying multiple layers of composite materials on a core material to form an intermediate product and curing and molding the intermediate product, the required body member can be obtained. At the same time, by using composite material laying, the weight of the body member can be reduced, which is beneficial to the lightweight of the vehicle body. Moreover, through the continuous design of the composite material at the arm portion and the joint portion, the connection strength of the joint position of the body member can also be increased, and thus it has good practicability.

[0028] In addition, the intermediate product is cured and molded by a vacuum bag molding process, and the intermediate product is heated during the vacuum bag molding process. The technology is mature and reliable, and at the same time, it can also ensure that the obtained body member has good structural quality. When the ply is made of a laid carbon fiber prepreg, laying is carried out sequentially in a preset direction, and when the ply is made of a wound fiber bundle, the composite material is divided into multiple strands, and the divided multiple strands of the composite material are wound around the joint portion, so as to realize the laying of the carbon fiber composite material and ensure the laying quality.

[0029] In addition, the present invention also provides a vehicle, in which the above-mentioned body member is provided.

[0030] By providing the above-mentioned body member in the vehicle of the present invention, the reliability of the connection of the vehicle body structure can be ensured, which is also beneficial to the lightweight design of the vehicle body, can improve the endurance of the whole vehicle, and thus has good practicability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The drawings constituting a part of the present invention are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The schematic embodiments and descriptions thereof of the present invention are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation to the present invention. In the drawings:

[0032] Figure 1Schematic diagram of the structure of the body member according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 Flow chart of the method for preparing the body member according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the laying direction of one layer of composite material;

[0035] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the laying direction of another adjacent layer of composite material;

[0036] Figure 5 Schematic diagram when the composite material laying according to an embodiment of the present invention is completed;

[0037] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0038] 100, body member;

[0039] 101, arm part; 102, joint part;

[0040] 1011, first arm; 1012, second arm; 1013, third arm;

[0041] k, width of the third arm. Detailed implementation manners

[0042] It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments in the present invention and the features in the embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0043] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that if terms indicating orientation or positional relationship such as "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", etc. appear, they are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention. In addition, if terms such as "first", "second", etc. appear, they are also only for descriptive purposes and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0044] In addition, in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, the terms "installation", "connection", "connection", "connector" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood in combination with specific situations.

[0045] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with embodiments.

[0046] Embodiment 1

[0047] This embodiment relates to a vehicle body member 100. In terms of the overall structure, as shown in Figure 1 , the vehicle body member 100 has a plurality of arm portions 101 cross-connected together through a joint portion 102, and the vehicle body member 100 is also made of a composite material and has a plurality of laminated plies.

[0048] Among them, in the plurality of laminated plies of the vehicle body member 100, the laying directions of the composite materials of adjacent plies are different, and in each ply, the composite material at at least part of the arm portion 101 is continuous with the composite material at the joint portion 102.

[0049] At this time, with the above settings, by making the vehicle body member 100 of a composite material and making the composite material at at least part of the arm portion 101 continuous with the composite material at the joint portion 102 in each ply, this embodiment can not only reduce the weight of the vehicle body member by using the composite material, which is beneficial to the lightweight of the vehicle body, but also achieve the effect of increasing the connection strength at the joint position of the vehicle body member 100 through the continuous design of the composite material at the arm portion 101 and the joint portion 102.

[0050] Based on the above overall introduction, specifically, as a preferred implementation form, the composite material for preparing the vehicle body member 100 can be, for example, a carbon fiber composite material. And based on using the carbon fiber composite material, each ply in the vehicle body member 100 can be, for example, a laminated carbon fiber prepreg, or, for example, each of the above plies can also be a wound fiber bundle.

[0051] It can be understood that by making the above composite material a carbon fiber composite material, it has the advantages of mature technology and low cost, and can also meet the structural performance requirements of the vehicle body member 100. At the same time, it should be pointed out that in addition to using the carbon fiber composite material, of course, the vehicle body member 100 of this embodiment can also be made of other composite materials as long as they can also form a plurality of laminated plies and can realize the corresponding structural shape of the vehicle body member 100 through a curing process.

[0052] In this embodiment, still taking the body member 100 made of carbon fiber composite material as an example, it is worth noting that the composite material at the above-mentioned arm portion 101 is continuous with the composite material at the joint portion 102, that is, the fiber bundles in the carbon fiber composite material at the arm portion 101 are continuous with the fiber bundles in the carbon fiber composite material at the joint portion 102, and there is no disconnection between the arm portion 101 and the joint portion 102. Of course, it is precisely by virtue of the non-interruption of the fiber bundles in the carbon fiber composite material that the joint portion 102 and the arm portion 101 can be made into an integral whole to achieve the purpose of increasing the connection strength at the joint position.

[0053] Still as Figure 1 shown in, as an exemplary structural form, the above-mentioned body member 100 of this embodiment may be, for example, a side member formed by the upper side beam and the B-pillar in the body side panel, or a side panel reinforcement member applied between the upper side beam and the B-pillar. And at this time, the structural settings of the relevant structures in the body are the same. The body member 100 of this embodiment is as Figure 1 shown in the figure as being in a "T" shape.

[0054] However, in addition to being the above-mentioned "T"-shaped side member or side panel reinforcement member, of course, in the body, the body member 100 of this embodiment may also be other structures. This structure has a plurality of arm portions 101 cross-connected through the joint portion 102, and this structure may also be in a "T" shape, or may also be in a "rice" shape, a "cross" shape, an "H" shape or a "*" shape.

[0055] In this embodiment, continuing to take the body member 100 as a "T"-shaped side member, at this time, preferably, the plurality of arm portions 101 in the body member 100 may be arranged coplanarly, or approaching coplanarity. And further, the above-mentioned plurality of arm portions 101 also specifically include a first arm 1011 and a second arm 1012 arranged along the body length direction. The first arm 1011 and the second arm 1012 are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the joint portion 102. At the same time, the above-mentioned plurality of arm portions 101 also include a third arm 1013 arranged along the body height direction. The third arm 1013 is respectively connected to the first arm 1011 and the second arm 1012 through the joint portion 102.

[0056] The above-mentioned first arm 1011 and the second arm 12 connected through the joint portion 102 are part of the upper side beam in the body side panel, and the above-mentioned third arm 1013 is also the B-pillar. At the same time, continue to refer to Figure 1, As a preferred implementation form, along the direction pointing to the joint part 102, the width k of the end of the third arm 1013 connected to the joint part 102 can be, for example, set to increase gradually. In this way, by making the width k of the third arm 1013 larger along the direction pointing to the joint part 102, the contact area between the third arm 1013 and other arms can be increased, thereby further increasing the connection strength between the third arm 1013 and other arms.

[0057] In this embodiment, regarding the different laying directions of the composite materials of the adjacent plies mentioned above, it should be noted that in specific implementation, as a preferred implementation form, for example, the laying directions of the composite materials of the adjacent plies can be set perpendicular to each other. In this way, making the laying directions of the composite materials of the adjacent plies perpendicular can facilitate the laying of each layer of composite material and at the same time ensure the overall strength of the vehicle body component.

[0058] However, in addition to making the laying directions of the composite materials of the adjacent plies perpendicular, of course, on the premise of being able to meet the structural performance of the vehicle body component 100 obtained, it is also possible to adopt other included angles between the laying directions of the composite materials of the adjacent plies.

[0059] In this embodiment, based on the above description of the structure of the vehicle body component 100, during preparation, still taking the vehicle body component 100 made of carbon fiber composite material as an example, combined with Figure 2 as shown, the preparation method of the vehicle body component 100 includes the following steps.

[0060] Step S1, prepare a core material for forming the vehicle body component 100, and the core material has a plurality of arm parts 101 cross-connected through the joint part 102.

[0061] In step S1, the above-mentioned core material can be made of foam, for example, and in specific implementation, generally, the foam base material can be processed according to the three-dimensional data of the vehicle body component 100 to be prepared in advance to form a core material with the same shape as the vehicle body component 100. At this time, the core material also has a plurality of arm parts 101 cross-connected through the joint part 102, just like the vehicle body component 100.

[0062] Step S2, lay multiple layers of composite materials on the core material in a preset direction to form an intermediate product with multiple layers stacked.

[0063] In step S2, for laying multiple layers of composite materials on the core material in a preset direction, among them, when the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) of the whole vehicle is defined as the laying 0° direction and the up-down direction (Z-axis direction) of the whole vehicle is defined as the laying 90° direction, combined with Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, for example, the laying directions of the composite materials of adjacent plies can be 45° and -45° respectively, so that the laying directions of the composite materials of adjacent plies are perpendicular. Moreover, the laying of each layer of composite material is repeated. When the laying of each ply is completed according to the designed number of layers and thickness, the arrangement of the composite materials of adjacent plies can be as shown in Figure 5 as illustrated.

[0064] In addition, in view of the fact that when the composite material is a carbon fiber composite material, the above-mentioned plies can adopt laid carbon fiber prepregs or wound fiber bundles. Therefore, in step S2, it is worth noting that when the plies adopt laid carbon fiber prepregs, as shown by the arrows and the numbers on one side of the arrows in Figure 3 , laying each layer of composite material on the core material in the preset direction can, for example, include starting to lay from one of the arm portions 101, passing through the joint portion 102, and then sequentially laying the other arm portions 101 until the laying of this layer is completed.

[0065] At the same time, when laying the next layer, as shown by the arrows and the numbers on one side of the arrows in Figure 4 , it still starts to lay from one of the arm portions 101, passes through the joint portion 102, and then sequentially lays the other arm portions 101 until the laying of this layer is completed.

[0066] When the plies adopt wound fiber bundles, as an exemplary laying method, laying each layer of composite material on the core material in the preset direction can, for example, include starting to wind from one of the arm portions 101, dividing the composite material into multiple strands according to the number of the remaining arm portions 101 at the joint portion 102, and then, after winding the multiple strands of composite material around the joint portion 102 respectively, making the separated strands of composite material correspond to the remaining arm portions 101 one by one and winding the remaining arm portions 101 respectively.

[0067] It should be noted that the above-mentioned winding of the separated strands of composite material around the joint portion 102 is mainly to achieve the covering of the joint portion 102 by the composite material. Moreover, to ensure the amount of composite material at the joint portion 102 and the connection strength at the position of the joint portion 102, at the position of the joint portion 102, the above-mentioned separated strands of composite material can also change directions, for example, and wind back and forth multiple times from different directions, so that after the composite material fully covers the joint portion 102 in the core material, the wound strands of composite material can jointly form the joint portion 102. After completing the winding of the joint portion 102, each strand of composite material can continue to wind the corresponding arm portion 101 on the core material in the preset direction.

[0068] Step S3: Cure and mold the intermediate product to obtain the vehicle body component 100.

[0069] In step S3, as a preferred implementation form, in this embodiment, for example, the intermediate product can be cured and formed by a vacuum bag molding process, and the above-mentioned intermediate product can also be heated during the vacuum bag molding process.

[0070] At this time, for the carbon fiber composite material, the above-mentioned heating temperature can generally be between 130° and 180°, and the intermediate product is cured and formed by a vacuum bag molding process, and the intermediate product is heated during the vacuum bag molding process. It has the advantages of mature and reliable technology, and can also ensure that the obtained body member 100 has good structural quality.

[0071] In addition, it should be noted that in addition to using the vacuum bag molding process, in specific implementation, this embodiment can also use other molding processes such as autoclaves. Moreover, when curing the intermediate product, if carbon fiber prepreg is used in step S2, it can be directly cured by the vacuum bag molding process. If fiber winding is used in step S, it is necessary to infiltrate the resin before curing and then cure it by the vacuum bag molding process.

[0072] The body member 100 and its manufacturing method of this embodiment are made of a composite material to form the body member 100, and in each ply, the composite material at at least part of the arm portion 101 is continuous with the composite material at the joint portion 102, which helps to reduce the weight of the body member, is beneficial to the lightweight of the body, and can also increase the connection strength of the joint position of the body member 100, which is beneficial to improving the connection quality between the body structures.

[0073] In addition, the body member 100 and its manufacturing method of this embodiment, compared with the existing method of manufacturing carbon fiber components using a carbon fiber knitting machine, can realize the manufacturing of special-shaped components such as "T" shape, "rice" shape, "cross" shape, "H" shape or "*" shape, can overcome the deficiency that the existing knitting machine cannot manufacture special-shaped components, can meet the manufacturing requirements of various types of components in the body, and has good practicability.

[0074] Embodiment Two

[0075] This embodiment relates to a vehicle, in which the body member 100 in Embodiment One is provided.

[0076] Among them, in the vehicle of this embodiment, still as mentioned in Embodiment One, the above-mentioned body member 100 can be a side member or a side reinforcement member in the body, or can also be other structures in the body.

[0077] Meanwhile, by providing the vehicle body member 100 in the first embodiment, the vehicle of this embodiment can ensure the reliability of the connection of the vehicle body structure, is also conducive to the lightweight design of the vehicle body, can improve the endurance of the whole vehicle, and thus has very good practicability.

[0078] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle body member, characterized in that: The vehicle body member (100) has a plurality of arm portions (101) cross - connected together through a joint portion (102), and the vehicle body member (100) is made of a composite material and has a plurality of stacked plies; Wherein, the laying directions of the composite materials of adjacent plies are different, and in each ply, at least part of the composite material at the arm portion (101) is continuous with the composite material at the joint portion (102).

2. The vehicle body member according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of arm portions (101) include a first arm (1011) and a second arm (1012) arranged along the vehicle body length direction, and the first arm (1011) and the second arm (1012) are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the joint portion (102); The plurality of arm portions (101) further include a third arm (1013) arranged along the vehicle body height direction, and the third arm (1013) is connected to the first arm (1011) and the second arm (1012) respectively through the joint portion (102); Along the direction pointing to the joint portion (102), the width (k) of the end of the third arm (1013) connected to the joint portion (102) is gradually increasing.

3. The vehicle body member according to claim 1, characterized in that: The laying directions of the composite materials of adjacent plies are perpendicular.

4. The vehicle body member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The composite material is a carbon fiber composite material.

5. The vehicle body member according to claim 4, characterized in that: The ply is made of a laid carbon fiber prepreg, or the ply is made of a wound fiber bundle.

6. A preparation method of a vehicle body component, characterized in that The manufacturing method includes: Preparing a core material for forming the vehicle body member (100); Laying multiple layers of composite materials on the core material in a preset direction to form an intermediate product having a plurality of stacked plies; Curing and molding the intermediate product to obtain the vehicle body member (100); Wherein, the obtained vehicle body member (100) has a plurality of arm portions (101) cross - connected together through a joint portion (102); The laying directions of the composite materials of adjacent plies are different, and in each ply, at least part of the composite material at the arm portion (101) is continuous with the composite material at the joint portion (102).

7. The manufacturing method of the vehicle body member according to claim 6, characterized in that: The laying directions of the composite materials of adjacent plies are perpendicular; and / or, The intermediate product is cured and molded by a vacuum bag molding process, and the vacuum bag molding process includes heating the intermediate product.

8. The manufacturing method of the vehicle body member according to any one of claims 6 and 7, characterized in that: The composite material is a carbon fiber composite material, and the ply is made of a laid carbon fiber prepreg, or the ply is made of a wound fiber bundle.

9. The preparation method of the vehicle body member according to claim 8, wherein: When the laid ply uses the laid carbon fiber prepreg, laying each layer of the composite material on the core material in a preset direction includes starting to lay from one of the arm portions (101), and after passing through the joint portion (102), sequentially laying the other arm portions (101); When the laid ply uses the wound fiber bundle, laying each layer of the composite material on the core material in a preset direction includes starting to wind from one of the arm portions (101), and at the joint portion (102), dividing the composite material into multiple strands according to the number of the remaining arm portions (101), and after respectively winding the joint portion (102) with the multiple strands of the composite material, then respectively winding the remaining arm portions (101).

10. A vehicle, wherein: The vehicle is provided with the vehicle body member according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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