Instrument board tubular beam and vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses an instrument board tubular beam and a vehicle, and belongs to the technical field of design and manufacturing of vehicle parts. The instrument board tubular beam comprises a first hollow beam, a second hollow beam and a transition connecting plate fixedly connected between the first hollow beam and the second hollow beam. Wherein the end area of one side of the second hollow beam is inserted and fixed in the first hollow beam, at least part of the area of the transition connecting plate covers the outer wall of the second hollow beam and is fixedly connected with the second hollow beam, and part of the area of the transition connecting plate is inserted into the inner wall of the first hollow beam and is fixedly connected with the inner wall of the first hollow beam. According to the instrument board tubular beam, the lightweight design and rigidity requirements are both considered, and the manufacturing cost is low.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of vehicle parts, and in particular to an instrument panel tube beam and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] The instrument panel beam is installed in the front area of ​​the cabin. Its primary function is to support multiple components in the vehicle's front area, including the instrument panel, steering column, wiring harness, various electrical appliances, displays, and airbags. The instrument panel beam assembly also enhances vehicle body strength and provides occupant protection, such as preventing intrusion after a collision.

[0003] Currently, the instrument panel beam is typically connected directly to the vehicle body via two locating pins and multiple bolts. This beam bears the load of the instrument panel assembly, significantly impacting vehicle safety. Of course, to ensure the various instruments and components it supports function properly under high-speed driving and vibration conditions, the beam must possess sufficient rigidity. To mitigate the impact of external forces on the driver and front passenger seats in the event of an accident, the beam also requires good energy absorption. Furthermore, the beam must meet lightweight requirements.

[0004] Therefore, how to provide an automobile instrument panel tube beam that can better meet the design lightweight and rigidity requirements and reduce costs has become a technical problem to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To this end, the present invention proposes an instrument panel tube beam that meets both lightweight design and rigidity requirements and has low cost, as well as a vehicle having the instrument panel tube beam.

[0006] In view of the above technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] A dashboard tubular beam comprises: a first hollow beam, a second hollow beam, and a transition connecting plate fixedly connected therebetween; wherein, an end region of one side of the second hollow beam is inserted into and fixed in the first hollow beam, at least a portion of the transition connecting plate covers the outer wall of the second hollow beam and is fixedly connected thereto, and a portion of the transition connecting plate is inserted into and fixedly connected to the inner wall of the first hollow beam.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the transition connecting plate is fixedly connected to the first hollow beam along the circumferential direction, and the transition connecting plate is fixedly connected to the second hollow beam along the length direction thereof.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first hollow beam and the second hollow beam are aluminum extruded profiles, and the transition connecting plate is welded to the first hollow beam and the second hollow beam respectively.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first hollow beam and the second hollow beam are polygonal tubes respectively, the transition connecting plate and the first hollow beam have at least two welding areas, and the transition connecting plate and the second hollow beam have at least two welding areas.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the transition connecting plate is a bent plate, which includes at least two connecting support plates, the outer side surfaces of the connecting support plates cooperate with the inner wall of the first hollow beam, and the inner side surfaces of the connecting support plates cooperate with the outer wall of the second hollow beam.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the outer side surface of the transition connecting plate matches the shape of the inner wall of the first hollow beam to achieve surface contact, and the inner side surface of the transition connecting plate has at least three positioning protrusions for abutting the outer wall of the second hollow beam, and the positioning protrusions extend along the length direction thereof.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, the transition connecting plate is an L-shaped bent plate, which is welded to the second hollow beam along its length direction. After the L-shaped bent plate is connected to the second hollow beam, an outer side surface matching the inner wall of the first hollow beam is formed, and the L-shaped bent plate is welded to the end face of the first hollow beam along the circumferential direction.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the length of the transition connecting plate outside the first hollow beam is 3-4 times its length inside the first hollow beam; the length of the transition connecting plate is 3%-5% of the total length of the instrument panel tube beam.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, the present invention further includes mounting brackets fixedly connected to the free ends of the first hollow beam and the second hollow beam, respectively, and the mounting brackets are grid profiles.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, the mounting bracket is welded to the end face sides of the free ends of the first hollow beam and the second hollow beam respectively; or, the mounting bracket is connected to the free ends of the first hollow beam and the second hollow beam respectively through fasteners; or, the mounting bracket is respectively sleeved on the free ends of the first hollow beam and the second hollow beam and welded to them.

[0017] The present invention also provides a vehicle, which includes a vehicle body support and the instrument panel tube beam, wherein the instrument panel tube beam is fixedly connected to the vehicle body support.

[0018] The technical solution of the present invention has the following technical effects compared with the prior art:

[0019] The instrument panel tube beam provided by the present invention is formed by connecting two hollow beams with a transition connecting plate. Compared with the existing solid support beams with an integrated structure, the overall weight is lighter. At the same time, the above-mentioned transition connection method can enable the two hollow beams to be processed and formed using a relatively low-cost molding process. For example, the two hollow beams can be hollow profiles formed using an extrusion process. In addition, part of the transition connecting plate is inserted into the first hollow beam with a larger diameter, and part of the transition connecting plate is located outside the first hollow beam. In the event of a side impact on the instrument panel tube beam, the side impact energy is transferred along the first hollow beam / second hollow beam through the transition connecting plate located outside the first hollow beam to the second hollow beam / first hollow beam. This allows the instrument panel tube beam to better transmit the side impact energy, avoid excessive deformation of the instrument panel tube beam in the middle area during a side impact, and meet the stiffness requirements of the instrument panel tube beam. The above-mentioned instrument panel tube beam has a low production cost and meets the lightweight and stiffness requirements of the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which will help to understand the objects and advantages of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a specific embodiment of the instrument panel tube beam of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of part A;

[0023] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Another enlarged view of part A in the middle;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of a specific embodiment of the instrument panel tube beam of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Cross-sectional view of the middle BB part;

[0026] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a first structure of a mounting bracket in an instrument panel tube beam of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a second structure of a mounting bracket in an instrument panel tube beam of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of a third structure of a mounting bracket in an instrument panel tube beam of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the stress and strain of the instrument panel tube beam with three different mounting brackets according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely to facilitate and simplify the description of the present invention. They are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limitations on the present 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.

[0032] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they may refer to direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediary, or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0033] In addition, the technical features involved in different embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0034] like Figure 1-5 The instrument panel tube beam of the present invention is a specific embodiment of the present invention. The instrument panel tube beam is installed on the vehicle body bracket at the front side of the vehicle and is used to support multiple functional components such as the instrument panel, steering column, wiring harness, display and airbag.

[0035] like Figure 1 、 Figure 2As shown, the instrument panel tube beam includes a first hollow beam 10, a second hollow beam 20, and a transition connecting plate 30 located between the two and fixedly connecting the two. The first hollow beam 10 and the second hollow beam 20 are beam bodies with a hollow structure inside. Generally, the first hollow beam 10 has more functional components installed on its side and is heavier. Therefore, the stiffness requirement on the first hollow beam 10 side is higher than that on the second hollow beam 20 side. Therefore, the cross-sectional dimension of the first hollow beam 10 is larger than that of the second hollow beam 20, that is, the cross-sectional area of ​​the inner side of the first hollow beam 10 is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the outer side of the second hollow beam 20, and the second hollow beam 20 can be inserted into the inner side of the first hollow beam 10; at least a portion of the area of ​​the transition connecting plate 30 is larger than that of the second hollow beam 20. The transition connecting plate 30 covers and is fixedly connected to the end area of ​​the outer wall of the second hollow beam 20, that is, the entire area of ​​the transition connecting plate 30 covers and is fixedly connected to the end area of ​​the outer wall of the second hollow beam 20, or a partial area of ​​the transition connecting plate 30 (for example, 80% of the area along the length direction of the transition connecting plate 30) covers and is fixedly connected to the end area of ​​the outer wall of the second hollow beam 20; a partial area of ​​the transition connecting plate 30 is inserted into the inner wall of the first hollow beam 10, that is, a partial area of ​​the transition connecting plate 30 is located on the outside of the first hollow beam 10 and is fixedly connected to the first hollow beam 10.

[0036] The aforementioned instrument panel tube beam is formed by connecting two hollow beams of different sizes. Compared to existing solid support beams with a one-piece structure, its overall weight is lighter. Furthermore, the aforementioned transition plate 30 is used to achieve the transition connection between the two hollow beams, allowing the two hollow beams to be separately formed using a relatively low-cost molding process. For example, the two hollow beams can be formed using aluminum extrusion profiles. Furthermore, a portion of the transition plate 30 is located outside the first hollow beam 10, which has a larger diameter. In the event of a side impact on the instrument panel tube beam, the impact energy is transferred along the first / second hollow beam via the transition plate located outside the first hollow beam to the second / first hollow beam. This allows the instrument panel tube beam to better transmit the impact energy, preventing excessive deformation in the central region of the instrument panel tube beam during a side impact, and thus meeting the instrument panel tube beam's stiffness requirements. This demonstrates that the aforementioned instrument panel tube beam is relatively low-cost and meets the vehicle's lightweight and stiffness requirements.

[0037] In order to further optimize the stiffness of the instrument panel tube beam under lateral load, Figure 2As shown, the transition plate 30 is fixedly connected to the first hollow beam 10 along the circumferential direction. For example, the two are welded along the circumference of the tube wall of the first hollow beam 10, that is, the first weld h1 between the two extends along the circumference. The transition plate 30 is fixedly connected to the second hollow beam 20 along its length. For example, the two are welded along the length of the second hollow beam 20, and the second weld h2 between the transition plate 30 and the second hollow beam 20 extends along the length. This provides a higher connection strength in the middle position. When the instrument panel tube beam is hit from the side, the maximum deformation of the instrument panel tube beam occurs on the side of the second hollow beam 20 away from the first hollow beam 10, avoiding excessive deformation in the middle region close to the first hollow beam 10, which could cause damage to functional components on the first hollow beam 10, especially the steering column.

[0038] Specifically, in an optional embodiment, the length of the second hollow beam 20 inserted into the first hollow beam 10 is between 10mm and 20mm, and the two are welded together along the circumferential direction. Figure 3 As shown, the third weld h3 between the outer wall of the second hollow beam 20 and the end surface of the first hollow beam 10 extends along the circumference thereof.

[0039] Specifically, the first hollow beam 10 and the second hollow beam 20 are extruded aluminum profiles. Aluminum extrusion requires simple molds, a short processing cycle, and low costs. Furthermore, aluminum extrusion profiles can absorb impact energy, maintain strength and flexibility under load, and rebound from impact. The transition plate 30 is also made of aluminum to ensure a good connection with the first hollow beam 10 and the second hollow beam 20.

[0040] Specifically, in an optional embodiment, the first hollow beam 10 and the second hollow beam 20 are polygonal tubes, such as rectangular tubes, square tubes or Figure 5 In the special-shaped pentagonal tube shown, the transition connecting plate 30 and the first hollow beam 10 have at least two welding areas, and the transition connecting plate 30 and the second hollow beam 20 have at least two welding areas; by setting multiple welding areas, a reliable connection between the transition connecting plate 30 and the first hollow beam 10 and the second hollow beam 20 is achieved, further improving the stiffness of the entire instrument panel tube beam.

[0041] Specifically, in one optional embodiment, the transition connecting plate 30 is a bent plate, such as an L-shaped bent plate including two connecting support plates 31, or a U-shaped bent plate including three connecting support plates 31. The outer side surfaces of the connecting support plates 31 mate with the inner wall of the first hollow beam 10, and the inner side surfaces of the connecting support plates 31 mate with the outer wall of the second hollow beam 20. After the transition connecting plate 30 is connected to the second hollow beam 20, an outer side surface matches the inner wall of the first hollow beam 10. The transition connecting plate 30 is inserted into the first hollow beam 10 and mates with its inner wall.

[0042] Specifically, the outer surface of the transition plate 30 matches the shape of the inner wall of the first hollow beam 10 to achieve surface contact. The inner surface of the transition plate 30 has at least three positioning protrusions 30a extending along its length for abutting the outer wall of the second hollow beam 20. The at least three-point positioning structure between the transition plate 30 and the second hollow beam 20 enhances the stability of the connection between the transition plate 30 and the second hollow beam 20. More specifically, two of the positioning protrusions 30a are located at the end regions of the transition plate 30 along the bend direction and extend along the length of the transition plate 30 into long strip-shaped protrusions. Another positioning protrusion 30a or multiple positioning protrusions 30a are located in the middle region, such as at the bend, further enhancing connection stability. Furthermore, the positioning protrusions 30a at the end regions achieve line contact with the second hollow beam 20, facilitating the welded connection between the transition plate 30 and the second hollow beam 20.

[0043] like Figure 5 The transition connecting plate 30 shown is an L-shaped bent plate, which is provided with four positioning protrusions 30a that cooperate with the second hollow beam 20; two positioning protrusions 30a are located in the end areas of the bending direction, and the other two positioning protrusions 30a are located in the bending area near the L-shaped bent plate. After the L-shaped bent plate is welded to the second hollow beam 20 along the length direction, it forms an outer side surface that matches the inner wall of the first hollow beam 10, and is welded to the first hollow beam 10 along its circumference. Figure 2 、 Figure 3 As shown, welds extending in four directions are formed.

[0044] Specifically, the length of the transition plate 30 outside the first hollow beam 10 is 3-4 times its length inside the first hollow beam 10, ensuring side impact crumple and vehicle modal performance. The transition plate 30 is 3-5% of the total length of the instrument panel tube beam, ensuring no failure in side impacts and no breakage in minor side collisions.

[0045] The instrument panel tube beam also includes a mounting bracket 40 fixedly connected to the free ends of the first hollow beam 10 and the second hollow beam 20, respectively. The mounting bracket 40 is provided with at least one connection hole 40a for removably attaching the instrument panel tube beam to the vehicle body bracket. The structural strength of the mounting bracket 40 also affects the overall structural performance of the instrument panel tube beam. The mounting bracket 40 is a grid profile, which is lightweight and has high structural strength. Using a grid profile for the mounting bracket 40 ensures that the instrument panel tube beam is securely fixed to the vehicle body bracket, while also improving energy transfer.

[0046] The structure of the mounting bracket 40 is not unique; Figure 6 The figure shows a first structural form of the mounting bracket 40 , wherein the mounting brackets 40 located on both sides of the instrument panel tube beam are welded to the end face sides of the free ends of the first hollow beam 10 and the second hollow beam 20 respectively.

[0047] Figure 7 A second structural form of the mounting bracket 40 is shown, wherein the mounting brackets 40 located on both sides of the instrument panel tube beam are respectively connected to the free ends of the first hollow beam 10 and the second hollow beam 20 through fasteners; more specifically, the mounting bracket 40 includes a mounting bracket 40 body and two connecting parts arranged parallel to each other extending along one side of the mounting bracket 40 body, the ends of the first hollow beam 10 / second hollow beam 20 are inserted between the connecting parts, and the connection is achieved by means of bolt fasteners 50 passing through the connecting parts and the hollow beams.

[0048] Figure 8 A third structural form of the mounting bracket 40 is shown, wherein the mounting bracket 40 is respectively sleeved onto the free ends of the first hollow beam 10 and the second hollow beam 20 and welded thereto. More specifically, the mounting bracket 40 is formed with a sleeve hole that matches the outer surface shape of the first hollow beam 10 / second hollow beam 20. The ends of the first hollow beam 10 / second hollow beam 20 are inserted into the sleeve hole of the mounting bracket 40 and welded to the mounting bracket 40 along the circumference of the sleeve hole. This sleeve structure of the mounting bracket 40 increases the mating area with the first hollow beam 10 / second hollow beam 20, and the welded connection between the two achieves excellent connection reliability. This structure enables better energy transfer and is more suitable for vehicles with body connection points far from the center of the main beam.

[0049] Figure 9 The test curves of the instrument panel tube beam with the three structural mounting brackets 40 are shown, when the mounting bracket 40 is connected to the vehicle body bracket and subjected to a side impact. The horizontal axis is the travel of the instrument panel tube beam under the side impact force, and the vertical axis is the impact force value of the instrument panel tube beam. Since the impact energy = impact force × object travel, according to Figure 9 It can be seen that the use of Figure 6 、 Figure 7 and Figure 8 The instrument panel tube beams of the three structural forms of mounting brackets 40 can all withstand an impact force exceeding 34kN when the stroke is less than 50mm, meeting the basic performance requirements of the vehicle; at the same time, within the stroke of 70mm, Figure 8 The instrument panel tube beam with the structural mounting bracket 40 has the highest impact energy resistance, that is, the best energy absorption effect.

[0050] The present invention also provides an embodiment of a vehicle using the above-mentioned instrument panel tube beam, which includes a body bracket, and the instrument panel tube beam is detachably connected to the body bracket. The instrument panel tube beam adopts the structure described above and will not be repeated here. By adopting the structure of the above-mentioned instrument panel tube beam, the production cost of the instrument panel tube beam can be reduced while meeting the requirements of lightweight and rigidity.

[0051] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely examples for clarity of explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation methods. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that other variations or modifications based on the above descriptions are possible. It is not necessary and impossible to enumerate all implementation methods here. Obvious variations or modifications arising therefrom remain within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An instrument panel tube beam, characterized in that: include: A first hollow beam, a second hollow beam and a transition connecting plate fixedly connected therebetween; wherein, an end area of ​​one side of the second hollow beam is inserted into and fixed in the first hollow beam, at least a portion of the transition connecting plate covers the outer wall of the second hollow beam and is fixedly connected thereto, and a portion of the transition connecting plate is inserted into and fixedly connected to the inner wall of the first hollow beam.

2. The instrument panel tube beam according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transition connecting plate is fixedly connected to the first hollow beam along the circumferential direction, and the transition connecting plate is fixedly connected to the second hollow beam along the length direction thereof.

3. The instrument panel tube beam according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first hollow beam and the second hollow beam are polygonal tubes respectively. The transition connecting plate and the first hollow beam have at least two welding areas, and the transition connecting plate and the second hollow beam have at least two welding areas.

4. The instrument panel tube beam according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transition connecting plate is a bent plate, which includes at least two connecting support plates. The outer side surfaces of the connecting support plates cooperate with the inner walls of the first hollow beam, and the inner side surfaces of the connecting support plates cooperate with the outer walls of the second hollow beam.

5. The instrument panel tube beam according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer side surface of the transition connecting plate matches the shape of the inner wall of the first hollow beam to achieve surface contact. The inner side surface of the transition connecting plate has at least three positioning protrusions for abutting the outer wall of the second hollow beam, and the positioning protrusions extend along the length direction thereof.

6. The instrument panel tube beam according to claim 5, characterized in that: The transition connecting plate is an L-shaped bent plate, which is welded to the second hollow beam along its length direction. After the L-shaped bent plate is connected to the second hollow beam, an outer side surface matching the inner wall of the first hollow beam is formed, and the L-shaped bent plate is welded to the end face of the first hollow beam along the circumferential direction.

7. The instrument panel tube beam according to claim 1, characterized in that: The length of the transition connecting plate outside the first hollow beam is 3-4 times the length of the transition connecting plate inside the first hollow beam; the length of the transition connecting plate is 3%-5% of the total length of the instrument panel tube beam.

8. The instrument panel tube beam according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes mounting brackets fixedly connected to the free ends of the first hollow beam and the second hollow beam respectively, and the mounting brackets are grid profiles.

9. The instrument panel tube beam according to claim 8, characterized in that: The mounting bracket is respectively welded to the end face sides of the free ends of the first hollow beam and the second hollow beam; or, the mounting bracket is respectively connected to the free ends of the first hollow beam and the second hollow beam through fasteners; or, the mounting bracket is respectively sleeved on the free ends of the first hollow beam and the second hollow beam and welded thereto.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that: include: A vehicle body bracket and the instrument panel tube beam according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the instrument panel tube beam is fixedly connected to the vehicle body bracket.

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