A carbon fiber composite reinforced automotive B-pillar assembly and vehicle

Abstract

This utility model discloses a carbon fiber composite reinforced automotive B-pillar assembly and a vehicle thereof. The carbon fiber composite reinforced automotive B-pillar assembly includes an outer panel connecting to the vehicle's outer body panels, an inner panel connecting to the outer panel, an upper connector connecting to the inner panel, a middle connector connecting to the inner panel, and a carbon fiber reinforcing plate. The upper connector faces the interior of the vehicle body. One end of the middle connector is connected to the upper connector, and the other end of the middle connector is connected to the carbon fiber reinforcing plate. The end of the carbon fiber reinforcing plate away from the middle connector is connected to a lower connector. This utility model successfully solves the problem of unavoidable weight increase when increasing the thickness of traditional steel reinforcing plates to improve strength, achieving a balance between lightweight and high safety. This B-pillar structure design not only improves vehicle safety performance but also helps improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, meeting the stringent requirements of the modern automotive industry for vehicle performance, and has significant social benefits and market application prospects.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery technology, and in particular to a carbon fiber composite reinforced automobile B-pillar assembly and vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] In automotive body structures, the B-pillar, as a key load-bearing component connecting the roof, floor, and door sill beams, plays a crucial role in transmitting impact forces and maintaining the integrity of the passenger compartment during side impacts, roof crushing collisions, and frontal offset collisions. Its strength, stiffness, and energy absorption performance directly determine the overall vehicle safety performance. Currently, automotive B-pillars are generally made of high-strength or ultra-high-strength steel in a single piece, with some designs attempting to incorporate aluminum alloys to improve impact resistance. However, these traditional materials have significant shortcomings in achieving a balance between lightweight design and high safety.

[0003] Specifically, the main drawbacks of existing automotive B-pillar structures include: First, excessive weight. The high density of steel B-pillars increases the overall vehicle weight, negatively impacting fuel economy and carbon emission control. Second, a single energy absorption mode. Steel primarily relies on plastic deformation for energy absorption, making it prone to localized wrinkling or instability, resulting in limited energy absorption efficiency and an unstable process. Third, insufficient crashworthiness. Under high-speed collisions or extreme conditions, it is susceptible to buckling or fracture, reducing the passenger compartment's protective capabilities. Fourth, a balance between lightweighting and strength is difficult to achieve. Increasing thickness adds weight, while using higher-strength steel increases the risk of brittle fracture and manufacturing costs. Fifth, complex manufacturing processes. High-strength steel is prone to cracking and springback during stamping and welding, requiring high precision in mold and process control, increasing production difficulty and cost. While aluminum alloys reduce weight, their poor crashworthiness makes them prone to brittle fracture under high impact.

[0004] In summary, the existing B-pillar structure cannot simultaneously meet the comprehensive requirements of lightweight, efficient energy absorption, and structural stability, and innovative solutions are urgently needed to overcome this bottleneck. Utility Model Content

[0005] This utility model provides a carbon fiber composite reinforced automotive B-pillar assembly and vehicle, to solve the technical problem that the existing B-pillar structure cannot simultaneously meet the comprehensive requirements of lightweight, efficient energy absorption and structural stability.

[0006] In view of the above technical problems, this utility model provides a carbon fiber composite reinforced automotive B-pillar assembly, including an outer panel connecting to the vehicle's outer body panel, an inner panel connecting to the outer panel, an upper connector, a middle connector, and a carbon fiber reinforcing plate connecting to the inner panel. The upper connector faces the interior of the vehicle body. One end of the middle connector is connected to the upper connector, and the other end of the middle connector is connected to the carbon fiber reinforcing plate. The end of the carbon fiber reinforcing plate away from the middle connector is connected to a lower connector. The lower connector is connected to the outer panel.

[0007] Optionally, the upper connector connects to the vehicle crossbeam.

[0008] Optionally, the lower connector connects to the vehicle's door sill beam.

[0009] Optionally, the carbon fiber reinforced plate includes 3-5 layers of carbon fiber laying units, each carbon fiber laying unit including a first carbon fiber laying layer, a second carbon fiber laying layer, and a third carbon fiber laying layer.

[0010] Optionally, the fiber laying angle on the first carbon fiber layup layer is 0°, the fiber laying angle on the second carbon fiber layup layer is 45°, and the fiber laying angle on the third carbon fiber layup layer is 90°.

[0011] Optionally, the inner panel is made of carbon fiber composite material, and the inner panel is composed of multiple layers of unidirectional lay-ups and woven lay-ups at different angles.

[0012] Optionally, the thickness of the inner plate is 2.0-3.0 mm.

[0013] This utility model also provides a vehicle including the above-mentioned carbon fiber composite material reinforced automobile B-pillar assembly.

[0014] In this invention, the innovative use of carbon fiber composite materials to reinforce the B-pillar of a car achieves a dual improvement in vehicle lightweighting and safety. The lightweight properties of carbon fiber significantly reduce the overall weight of the B-pillar, while also meeting the automotive industry's urgent need for energy conservation and emission reduction. Furthermore, the superior energy absorption capacity exhibited by carbon fiber composite materials during collisions, through various energy dissipation mechanisms such as plastic deformation, fiber breakage, interlaminar delamination, and matrix damage, effectively disperses and absorbs impact forces, significantly enhancing the vehicle's crashworthiness and structural stability under collision conditions, thereby improving occupant safety.

[0015] Furthermore, this application integrates 3-5 layers of carbon fiber layup units into the B-pillar of the vehicle. Each layup unit consists of a first carbon fiber layup layer, a second carbon fiber layup layer, and a third carbon fiber layup layer at different angles. This multi-layered layup design not only enhances the strength and stiffness of the B-pillar in all directions but also improves the energy absorption efficiency of the structure through the interlacing of fibers. In the event of a collision, it can absorb and disperse impact forces in multiple ways, effectively reducing the peak impact force and protecting the integrity of the passenger compartment. Since the density of carbon fiber composite materials is much lower than that of steel (only 1 / 4–1 / 5 of that of steel), this design significantly reduces the mass of the B-pillar without sacrificing strength, helping to reduce the overall vehicle weight and thus improving fuel economy and driving range.

[0016] In summary, the structural design of this application successfully solves the unavoidable weight increase problem associated with increasing the thickness of traditional steel reinforcing plates to improve strength, achieving a balance between lightweighting and high safety. This innovative B-pillar structure design not only enhances vehicle safety performance but also helps improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, meeting the stringent performance requirements of the modern automotive industry and demonstrating significant social benefits and market application prospects. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments of this utility model will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the outer and inner panels of a carbon fiber composite reinforced automotive B-pillar assembly in one embodiment of this utility model.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the upper connector and the carbon fiber reinforcing plate of the carbon fiber composite material reinforced automobile B-pillar assembly in one embodiment of this utility model.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the carbon fiber reinforced plate in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the inner plate in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] The reference numerals in the accompanying drawings are as follows:

[0023] 1-Outer panel, 2-Inner panel, 21-Unidirectional layup, 22-Woven layup, 3-Upper connector, 4-Middle connector, 5-Carbon fiber reinforcing plate, 51-Carbon fiber layup unit, 511-First carbon fiber layup layer, 512-Second carbon fiber layup layer, 513-Third carbon fiber layup layer, 6-Lower connector. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the technical problems solved, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model.

[0025] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal," "radial," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0026] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" 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 utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0027] like Figures 1 to 2As shown, one embodiment of this utility model provides a carbon fiber composite reinforced automotive B-pillar assembly, including an outer panel 1 connected to the vehicle's outer body panel, an inner panel 2 connected to the outer panel 1, an upper connector 3 connected to the inner panel 2, a middle connector 4, and a carbon fiber reinforcing plate 5. The upper connector 3 faces the interior of the vehicle body; one end of the middle connector 4 is connected to the upper connector 3, and the other end of the middle connector 4 is connected to the carbon fiber reinforcing plate 5. The end of the carbon fiber reinforcing plate 5 away from the middle connector 4 is connected to a lower connector 6; the lower connector 6 is connected to the outer panel 1. Understandably, by integrating the carbon fiber reinforcing plate 5 into the B-pillar structure, the safety and energy absorption capacity during a side collision are significantly improved. The outer panel 1, as the external body panel of the B-pillar, connects to the vehicle's outer body panel, providing basic aesthetics and support; the inner panel 2 cooperates with the outer panel 1 to form the basic frame structure of the B-pillar, which is an important part for transmitting impact loads; the upper connector 3 and the lower connector 6 are welded to the roof crossbeam and the bottom crossbeam of the vehicle body, respectively, to ensure effective transmission of impact force in the event of roof crushing or collision. The central connector 4 enhances the connection between the upper connector 3 and the carbon fiber reinforcing plate 5, improving the overall structural stability. As the core reinforcing element, the carbon fiber reinforcing plate 5, through its superior mechanical properties, absorbs a large amount of impact energy during a collision through multiple energy dissipation mechanisms such as fiber breakage, matrix damage, and interlaminar separation, effectively dispersing the impact force while maintaining the overall stability of the B-pillar under high-energy impacts, preventing local buckling or premature failure. This design not only achieves lightweighting of the B-pillar but also significantly improves crashworthiness and structural stability, thus achieving a balance between lightweighting and high safety without significantly increasing weight, meeting the dual demands of the modern automotive industry for safety and lightweighting.

[0028] In one embodiment, such as Figures 1 to 2 As shown, the upper connector 3 connects to the vehicle crossbeam.

[0029] In one embodiment, such as Figures 1 to 2 As shown, the lower connector 6 connects to the vehicle's door sill beam.

[0030] In one embodiment, such as Figures 1 to 3As shown, the carbon fiber reinforcing plate 5 includes 3-5 layers of carbon fiber layup units 51, each comprising a first carbon fiber layup layer 511, a second carbon fiber layup layer 512, and a third carbon fiber layup layer 513. Understandably, integrating 3-5 layers of carbon fiber layup units 51 into the B-pillar of a vehicle significantly improves vehicle safety and lightweighting. Each carbon fiber layup unit 51 consists of a first fiber layup layer 511, a second fiber layup layer 512, and a third carbon fiber layup layer 513 at different angles. This multi-layered design not only enhances the strength and stiffness of the B-pillar in all directions but also improves the energy absorption efficiency of the structure through the interlacing of fibers. In the event of a collision, the carbon fiber composite material can absorb and disperse impact forces through various mechanisms such as plastic deformation, fiber breakage, interlaminar delamination, and matrix damage, thereby effectively reducing the peak impact force and protecting the integrity of the passenger compartment. Furthermore, since carbon fiber composites have a much lower density than steel (only 1 / 4–1 / 5 the density of steel), this design significantly reduces the weight of the B-pillar without sacrificing strength, which helps to reduce the overall vehicle weight and thus improve fuel economy and driving range. This structural design successfully solves the problem of unavoidable weight increase when increasing the thickness of traditional steel reinforcement plates to improve strength, achieving a balance between lightweight and high safety, and meeting the stringent requirements of the modern automotive industry for vehicle performance.

[0031] In one embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the fibers in the first carbon fiber layup layer 511 are laid at an angle of 0°, the fibers in the second carbon fiber layup layer 512 are laid at an angle of 45°, and the fibers in the third carbon fiber layup layer 513 are laid at an angle of 90°. Understandably, when the fiber layup angle in the first carbon fiber layup layer 511 is 0°, that is, the fibers are laid along the width direction of the sheet, this provides maximum transverse strength and stiffness. When the fiber layup angle in the second carbon fiber layup layer 512 is 45°, that is, the angle between the fibers and the width direction of the sheet is 45°, it provides balanced longitudinal and transverse strength, helping to improve the shear performance of the sheet. When the fiber layup angle in the third carbon fiber layup layer 513 is 90°, that is, the fibers are laid along the length direction of the sheet, it provides maximum longitudinal strength and stiffness. By layering fibers at different angles, an interlaced layup structure can be formed, which can have high strength and stiffness in the longitudinal, transverse, and shear directions. This multi-layer laying method allows the carbon fiber reinforced plate to exhibit good mechanical properties when subjected to forces in different directions, thereby improving the overall structural performance.

[0032] In one embodiment, such as Figure 4As shown, the inner plate 2 is made of carbon fiber composite material and is composed of multiple layers of unidirectional lay-up 21 at different angles and woven lay-up 22 at different angles.

[0033] In one embodiment, the thickness of the inner plate 2 is 2.0-3.0 mm.

[0034] Understandably, the inner panel 2 is made of carbon fiber composite material and is constructed through the superposition of multiple layers of unidirectional lay-ups 21 and woven lay-ups 22 at different angles, fully utilizing the high strength, lightweight, and excellent energy absorption characteristics of carbon fiber. The thickness of the inner panel 2 is controlled between 2.0-3.0 mm, ensuring sufficient structural strength while achieving lightweighting, which helps reduce the overall vehicle weight. In the event of a collision, the lay-up design at different angles allows the inner panel 2 to disperse and absorb impact forces in multiple directions, improving the crashworthiness and structural stability of the B-pillar. Furthermore, the introduction of the woven lay-ups 22 increases the strength and stiffness of the material in different directions, enabling the inner panel 2 to exhibit better performance when subjected to complex loads. This structural design not only improves the vehicle's safety protection level but also achieves an effective balance between lightweighting and high safety by optimizing material use and lay-up angles.

[0035] This utility model also provides a vehicle including the carbon fiber composite reinforced B-pillar assembly of the above embodiments. The carbon fiber composite reinforced B-pillar assembly includes an outer panel 1 connected to the vehicle's outer body panel, an inner panel 2 connected to the outer panel 1, an upper connector 3 connected to the inner panel 2, a middle connector 4, and a carbon fiber reinforcing plate 5. The upper connector 3 faces the interior of the vehicle body. One end of the middle connector 4 is connected to the upper connector 3, and the other end of the middle connector 4 is connected to the carbon fiber reinforcing plate 5. The end of the carbon fiber reinforcing plate 5 away from the middle connector 4 is connected to a lower connector 6. The lower connector 6 is connected to the outer panel 1.

[0036] In the vehicle described in the above embodiments of this invention, the integration of 3-5 layers of carbon fiber layup units 51 into the B-pillar significantly improves vehicle safety and lightweighting. Each carbon fiber layup unit 51 consists of a first fiber layup layer 511, a second fiber layup layer 512, and a third carbon fiber layup layer 513 at different angles. This multi-layered design not only enhances the strength and stiffness of the B-pillar in all directions but also improves the energy absorption efficiency of the structure through the interlacing of fibers. In the event of a collision, the carbon fiber composite material can absorb and disperse impact forces through various means such as plastic deformation, fiber breakage, interlaminar delamination, and matrix damage, thereby effectively reducing the peak impact force and protecting the integrity of the passenger compartment. Furthermore, since carbon fiber composites have a much lower density than steel (only 1 / 4–1 / 5 the density of steel), this design significantly reduces the weight of the B-pillar without sacrificing strength, which helps to reduce the overall vehicle weight and thus improve fuel economy and driving range. This structural design successfully solves the problem of unavoidable weight increase when increasing the thickness of traditional steel reinforcement plates to improve strength, achieving a balance between lightweight and high safety, and meeting the stringent requirements of the modern automotive industry for vehicle performance.

[0037] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and are not intended to limit it. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, and should all be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A carbon fiber composite reinforced automotive B-pillar assembly, characterized in that, The device includes an outer panel (1) connected to the vehicle's outer body panel, an inner panel (2) connected to the outer panel (1), an upper connector (3) connected to the inner panel (2), a middle connector (4) connected to the inner panel (2), and a carbon fiber reinforcing plate (5). The upper connector (3) faces the interior of the vehicle body. One end of the middle connector (4) is connected to the upper connector (3), and the other end of the middle connector (4) is connected to the carbon fiber reinforcing plate (5). The end of the carbon fiber reinforcing plate (5) away from the middle connector (4) is connected to a lower connector (6). The lower connector (6) is connected to the outer panel (1).

2. The carbon fiber composite reinforced automotive B-pillar assembly of claim 1, wherein, The upper connector (3) connects to the vehicle crossbeam.

3. The carbon fiber composite reinforced automotive B-pillar assembly of claim 2, wherein, The lower connector (6) connects to the vehicle's door sill beam.

4. The carbon fiber composite reinforced automotive B-pillar assembly of claim 3, wherein, The carbon fiber reinforced plate (5) includes 3-5 layers of carbon fiber laying units (51), and the carbon fiber laying unit (51) includes a first carbon fiber laying layer (511), a second carbon fiber laying layer (512) and a third carbon fiber laying layer (513).

5. The carbon fiber composite reinforced automotive B-pillar assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, The fiber laying angle on the first carbon fiber lay-up layer (511) is 0°, the fiber laying angle on the second carbon fiber lay-up layer (512) is 45°, and the fiber laying angle on the third carbon fiber lay-up layer (513) is 90°.

6. The carbon fiber composite reinforced automotive B-pillar assembly of claim 5, wherein, The inner plate (2) is made of carbon fiber composite material and is composed of multiple layers of unidirectional lay-up (21) at different angles and woven lay-up (22) at different angles.

7. The carbon fiber composite reinforced automotive B-pillar assembly of claim 6, wherein, The thickness of the inner plate (2) is 2.0-3.0 mm.

8. A vehicle characterized by comprising: Including the carbon fiber composite reinforced automotive B-pillar assembly as described in any one of claims 1-7.

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