Scalloped vehicle structural member
The swept beam structure with a tubular profile and wave-edged flange addresses the challenge of balancing deformation resistance and weight in vehicle frameworks, enhancing safety and manufacturability by using ultra-high-strength steel to prevent buckling and manage impact loads.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHAPE CORP
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-22
AI Technical Summary
Existing vehicle structural framework components face challenges in balancing deformation resistance with weight and manufacturability, particularly in managing impact forces during collisions while minimizing material use.
A swept beam structure with a tubular profile and integrally extending flange, featuring a wave edge to prevent buckling, is used in vehicle body components, made from ultra-high-strength steel and roll-formed for minimal deformation.
The swept beam structure enhances deformation resistance with minimal material usage, ensuring passenger safety and efficient manufacturing by preventing buckling and maintaining structural integrity under impact loads.
Smart Images
Figure 2026513072000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] Cross - References to Related Applications This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 502,554, filed on March 16, 2023, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
[0002] This disclosure generally relates to structural members for vehicles, and more specifically to scallop - shaped structural members for a curved vehicle body structure.
Background Art
[0003] Automobiles and other vehicles typically include structural framework components that define a cabin space for enclosing and protecting vehicle occupants. In a collision, the framework components can be subjected to large impact forces. While being subjected to large forces, the ability of the framework components to resist deformation is extremely important for ensuring passenger safety. An increase in deformation resistance can be achieved by increasing the use of materials such as wall thickness, but this increases the component weight. Additional material use also increases the manufacturing burden. It would be beneficial to provide high - strength framework components with efficient manufacturability and material use.
Summary of the Invention
[0004] This disclosure provides a swept beam for a vehicle body structure that supports vehicle body components and functions to receive and absorb impact loads from a vehicle collision. The swept beam includes a structural portion, such as a tubular profile, and a flange extending integrally from the structural portion, the beam being at least partially curved along its length to define the swept shape. The flange has a wave edge on the opposite side of the structural portion, the wave edge functions to provide the flange with minimal buckling deformation. The swept beam may include an ultra-high-strength steel sheet material and may be roll-formed to provide the structural portion, such as a tubular profile. The wave edge of the flange may include a series of repeating curves, such as a sinusoidal shape.
[0005] In some embodiments, the swept beam may include a tubular profile having a longitudinal length, the tubular profile being curved along its longitudinal length, and the flange having minimal buckling deformation, such as a minimum buckling deformation of less than 2° or a minimum buckling deformation of less than 0.5 mm. In some embodiments, the flange does not undergo buckling deformation. The flange may have a flange length, and the wave edge may have a pitch of 1 to 4 times the flange length. The wave edge may have a depth of 50% to 80% of the flange length.
[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a vehicle body structure comprising an A-pillar, a roof rail, and a swept beam extending between the A-pillar and the roof rail. The swept beam includes a tubular profile and a flange extending from the tubular profile. The flange may extend at least partially along the compression side of the curved shape of the tubular profile. The flange has a wave edge on the opposite side of the tubular profile. The swept beam may include an ultra-high-strength steel sheet material. The tubular profile may be roll-formed. The wave edge may include a series of repeating curves. The wave edge may include a sinusoidal shape. The swept beam may include a tubular profile having a longitudinal length, the tubular profile being curved along its longitudinal length, and the flange having minimal buckling deformation. The flange may not have buckling deformation. The minimum buckling deformation may be less than 2°. The minimum buckling deformation may be less than 0.5 mm. The flange may have a flange length, and the wave edge may have a pitch of 1 to 4 times the flange length. The wave edge may have a depth of 50% to 80% of the flange length.
[0007] Each of the above-described independent aspects of this disclosure, and those aspects described in the following detailed description, may include any of the configurations, options, and possibilities described in this disclosure and drawings, including those based on other independent aspects, and may include any combination of any of the configurations, options, and possibilities described in this disclosure and drawings.
[0008] Details of one or more embodiments of this disclosure are described in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other embodiments, advantages, purposes, and configurations will become apparent when considered in conjunction with the drawings and the following specification. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle with a framework structure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the swept beam at the transition point from the A-pillar to the roof rail. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the swept beam in Figure 2, taken along line III-III. [Figure 4] Figures 1-3 are partial side views of the swept beam. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0010] Similar reference numbers indicate the same parts throughout the drawing.
[0011] Swept beams for vehicles, as structural components and impact energy absorption and management devices, are disclosed herein in various embodiments, for use in conjunction with other vehicle components to absorb and manage impact loads and impact energy in order to minimize damage and intrusion to the vehicle in the event of an impact. For example, swept beams may be used as part of the A-pillars, roof rails, and / or hinge pillars on each side of the passenger cabin of a vehicle, or in the transitions between them. Swept beams may also be used in other areas of the vehicle body structure, for example, as part of or between the B-pillar rails and roof rails, hinge pillars, beams, bulkheads, rails, sills, rockers, cross members, and any other suitable locations or combinations thereof.
[0012] Referring to Figure 1, a vehicle 2 having a partially shown frame structure 4 is illustrated. The frame structure 4 includes an A-pillar extending between the main frame member 5 and the roof rail 8. The A-pillar 6 extending vertically or upward, the horizontal roof rail 8, or a portion thereof may be formed as a swept beam 10. The swept beam 10 of this disclosure includes a tubular profile 12 and a flange 14 extending integrally from the tubular profile 12. The tubular profile 12 may comprise a single hollow, elongated tube structure roll-formed from a sheet material such as ultra-high-strength steel. Ultra-high-strength steel is steel having a tensile strength of more than 780 MPa, or more than 1,000 MPa in some embodiments. The swept beam 10 may be roll-formed into a straight tube and then processed, for example, through a sweeping process to impart curves, bends, or arcs along its length. The specific properties or shape of the curve may be determined by the intended use of the swept beam 10, such as forming a transition between the A-pillar 6 and the roof rail 8 of the vehicle body structure 4. The curve applied to the swept beam 10 may be a complex curve in one or more dimensions, having multiple radii of curvature along the length of the swept beam 10 in the longitudinal direction.
[0013] The flange 14 extending from the tubular profile 12 of the swept beam 10 may provide a mounting surface for attachment to body panels, frame members 5, or A-pillars 6, roof rails 8, windshield headers (not shown), other components, or combinations thereof, by welding, adhesive, threaded fasteners, or similar means. Depending on the nature of the curvature imparted to the swept beam, the planar flange may be subject to compression buckling, resulting in dimensional instability, residual stress, and mounting problems to mating components. To overcome the possibility of buckling during the bending process, the flange 14 of the swept beam 10 is shaped to have a corrugated edge 16 on the opposite side of the tubular profile 12, as shown in Figure 2. The corrugated edge 16 creates a material discontinuity that prevents the flange from buckling during the bending process. The flange 14 may be cut or trimmed to include the corrugated edge 16 before a forming process, such as a roll forming process, in which the tubular profile 12 is formed. The flange 14 may be cut or trimmed to include a wave edge 16 after the tubular profile 12 formation process and before the sweep process in which the beam 10 is bent or curved. The wave edge 16 allows the flange 14 to conform to the curvature of the tubular profile 12 with minimal buckling deformation. For example, minimal buckling may have an amplitude of less than 0.5 millimeters for the deviation δ from the planar extension of the tubular profile at the proximity point where the flange 14 extends integrally from the tubular profile 12.
[0014] The wave edge 16 may include a series of repeating curves along its edge. The wave edge 16 may also have a sinusoidal shape. The wave edge 16 may be constant, or its shape may vary along the length of the swept beam 10 depending on the radius of curvature adjacent to a particular point along the swept beam 10. For example, if the radius of curvature is smaller, such as a steeper curve, the wave edge 16 may have a shape that contains more higher frequencies, i.e., narrower waveforms. Conversely, if the radius of curvature is larger, such as a gentler curve, the wave edge 16 may have lower frequencies, with fewer wider waveforms. The depth D or amplitude of the waveform may also vary along the length of the swept beam 10 and may depend on the local radius of curvature of the swept beam 10. The wave edge 16 may extend over all or part of the length of the swept beam 10. The flange 14 may include a straight edge in the portion of the swept beam 10 that is not bent or curved. The flange 14 may not be present in any portion of the swept beam 10 that is not bent or curved.
[0015] Referring to Figures 2-4, the swept beam 10 is illustrated. The swept beam 10 is bent into a complex curve, and as a result, once installed, it curves in the vertical dimension to transition from the A-pillar to the roof rail, and in the horizontal dimension to position the A-pillar further from the vehicle centerline than the roof rail. Thus, the curved shape of the swept beam 10 includes a compression side along the concave curves in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions, and similarly, the swept beam 10 includes a tension side along the convex curves in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions. The swept beam 10 is formed of ultra-high-strength steel having a tensile strength exceeding 780 MPa with a substantially constant sheet thickness. In this case, and elsewhere herein, “substantially constant” refers to common engineering dimensions having common tolerances for the intended application. For example, the sheet material may have a nominal thickness dimension of 1.21 mm with a tolerance of +0.11 / -0.10 mm in order to have a substantially constant thickness. The sheet may have a nominal thickness of 1.2 mm with a tolerance of ±0.06 mm. The sheet may have a thickness of 1.2 mm to 2.1 mm, which may be selected depending on the size or shape of the intended vehicle application. Furthermore, in some embodiments of the sheet material, ultra-high-strength steel may have a tensile strength exceeding 1,000 MPa, and in additional embodiments, the sheet material forming the tubular beam may be advanced high-strength steel with a tensile strength exceeding 550 MPa.
[0016] The swept beam 10 includes a single hollow tubular profile 12 and a flange 14 extending integrally from the tubular profile 12. The tubular profile 12 may have a circular, polygonal, rounded polygonal or other suitable cross-sectional shape. The tubular profile 12 is shown having a rounded triangular cross-sectional shape, with a first end 18 located inside the single hollow tubular profile 12 and a second end terminating at the distal end of the flange 14. In other alternatives, the tubular profile 12 may comprise a multi-hollow tube including one or more inner walls that divide the internal space of the tubular profile 12. The tubular profile 12 may have a perimeter length of 100 to 200 millimeters, excluding the flange 14. In additional embodiments, the perimeter length of the tubular profile may be less than 100 millimeters, e.g., more than 70 millimeters, or more than 200 millimeters, e.g., less than 300 millimeters.
[0017] The flange 14 extends integrally outward from the tubular profile 12 such that the flange length FL is 15 mm to 200 mm, or in some embodiments 20 mm to 60 mm, or in some embodiments 30 mm to 80 mm. In passenger cars for personal use, the flange length may be less than 35 mm. The flange length FL may be substantially constant or may vary along the longitudinal length of the swept beam 10. The flange length FL may vary depending on its position along the length of the swept beam 10, depending on the local radius of curvature along the length of the swept beam 10, or both. The corrugated edge 16 of the flange 14 may be defined by a waveform having pitch and amplitude. The pitch P of the waveform may be 1 to 4 times the flange length FL. The depth D of the waveform may extend to 50% to 80% of the flange length FL. The corrugated edge 16 allows the flange 14 to extend linearly and integrally from the tubular profile 12 without buckling or with minimal buckling. The magnitude of buckling can be assessed as a measure of the deviation δ from linearity with respect to the tubular profile at any point along the length of the swept beam 10. The deviation δ can be expressed as either an angular displacement or a linear displacement at the distal end. Minimal buckling means that the deviation δ from linearity is less than 2°, or the displacement at the edge is less than 0.5 millimeters.
[0018] For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “join” (all its forms, joined, joined, etc.) generally means a direct or indirect joining of two components to one another. Such joinings may be essentially fixed or essentially movable, achieved by two components and any additional intermediate members, or by two components, forming an integral whole with each other as a single entity, and may be essentially permanent or essentially detachable or removable, unless otherwise stated.
[0019] The articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to indicate that the preceding description contains one or more elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be comprehensive and mean that additional elements other than those listed may exist. Furthermore, it should be understood that any reference in this disclosure to “one embodiment” or “embodiment” is not intended to be construed as excluding the existence of other implementations that also incorporate the described configuration. In addition, as used in this disclosure, terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., are used to distinguish one element from another without indicating any order, quantity, or importance.
[0020] Any number, percentage, ratio, or other value described herein is intended to encompass not only that value but also other values that are “about” or “approximately” that value, as understood by a person skilled in the art who is included by the implementation of this disclosure. Accordingly, the described values should be interpreted broadly to include values that are at least sufficiently close to the described value in order to perform the desired function or achieve the desired result. For example, the terms “approximately,” “about,” and “substantially” may refer to quantities that are less than 5%, less than 1%, less than 0.1%, and less than 0.01% of the described quantity.
[0021] Furthermore, it will be understood that any direction or reference frame in the above description is merely a relative direction or movement. For example, the terms “top,” “bottom,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “inside,” and “outside,” and their derivatives, are based on the orientation shown in Figure 1. However, it will be understood that various alternative orientations may be provided unless otherwise expressly stated. It will also be understood that the specific apparatus and processes illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described herein are merely exemplary embodiments of the concept of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims. Therefore, unless otherwise expressly stated in the claims, the specific dimensions and other physical configurations relating to the embodiments disclosed herein should not be considered limiting.
[0022] Modifications and variations in the embodiments described herein can be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is intended to be limited only by the appended claims, which shall be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law. It will be understood that this disclosure is described in an exemplary manner, and the terms used are intended to be descriptive and not restrictive. Many modifications and variations of this disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings, and this disclosure may be carried out in manners other than those specifically described herein.
Claims
1. A swept beam (10) configured for the vehicle body structure (4), A tubular profile (12) having a curved shape along its long axis, A swept beam comprising a flange (14) integrally extending from the tubular profile along the compression side of the curved shape, the flange having a wave edge (16) on the opposite side of the tubular profile.
2. The swept beam according to claim 1, comprising the tubular profile and a metal sheet forming the flange.
3. The swept beam according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the metal sheet includes an ultra-high-strength steel plate.
4. The swept beam according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the metal sheet is roll-formed to form the tubular profile.
5. The swept beam according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the wave edge is defined by a series of repeating curves formed along the edge of the metal sheet.
6. The swept beam according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the wave edge includes a sinusoidal shape.
7. The swept beam according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the flange has a minimum buckling deformation of less than 2°.
8. The swept beam according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the flange has a minimum buckling deformation of less than 0.5 mm.
9. The swept beam according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the flange has a flange length and the wave edge has a pitch of 1 to 4 times the flange length.
10. The swept beam according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the flange has a flange length and the wave edge has a depth of 50% to 80% of the flange length.
11. The swept beam according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the tubular profile includes a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall that are integrally connected to enclose the hollow region of the tubular profile along the length of the longitudinal axis.
12. The swept beam according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the tubular profile includes a weld along the length of the longitudinal axis so as to enclose the tubular profile.
13. The swept beam according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the flange extends from the weld so as to separate from the tubular profile, thereby defining the flange length.
14. A swept beam (10) configured for the vehicle body structure, A structural part (12) having at least a first wall and a second wall angled toward each other along the length of the long axis of the structural part, and having a shape that is at least partially curved along the length of the long axis, A swept beam comprising a flange (14) integrally extending from the structural portion along the compression side of the curved shape, the flange having a wave edge (16) on the opposite side of the structural portion.
15. The swept beam according to claim 14, comprising an ultra-high-strength steel plate material.
16. The swept beam according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the structural portion includes a tubular profile along the length of the longitudinal axis.
17. The swept beam according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the wave edge is defined by a series of repeating curves.
18. The swept beam according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the flange has a minimum buckling deformation of less than 2°.
19. The swept beam according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the flange has a minimum buckling deformation of less than 0.5 mm.
20. The swept beam according to any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein the flange has a flange length and the wave edge has a pitch of 1 to 4 times the flange length.
21. The swept beam according to any one of claims 14 to 20, wherein the wave edge has a depth of 50% to 80% of the flange length.
22. Vehicle body structure (4), A-pillar (6) and, Roof rails (8) and A swept beam (10) extending between the A-pillar and the roof rail, Tubular profile (12) and A vehicle body structure comprising a swept beam, the flange (14) being integrally extended from the tubular profile, having a wave edge on the opposite side of the tubular profile and exhibiting minimal buckling.
23. The vehicle body structure according to claim 22, wherein the flange has a minimum buckling deformation of less than 2°.
24. The vehicle body structure according to claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the swept beam includes a metal sheet forming the tubular profile and the flange, and the metal sheet includes an ultra-high-strength steel sheet roll-formed to form the tubular profile.
25. The vehicle body structure according to any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein the swept beam includes any one of the features described in claims 2 to 21 or a combination thereof.