Asymmetric Front Pillar Design for Vehicular Visibility

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional vehicular body structures with front pillars obstruct the driver's field of vision, particularly during turns, and existing solutions either compromise vehicle strength or increase manufacturing complexity and cost.

Innovation Solution

The vehicular body structure features front pillars positioned closer to the longitudinal centerline, with strategically placed corner windows and pillars designed to minimize obstruction, ensuring sufficient strength and improved visibility without excessive manufacturing complexity or cost.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If front pillars are positioned closer to the longitudinal centerline, then the driver's field of vision is improved, but the structural strength of the front pillars may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedriver's field of visionVSAvoidstructural strength of front pillars

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies asymmetry by positioning the left and right front pillars at different distances from the longitudinal centerline. Specifically, the front pillar on the driver's side is positioned closer to the centerline than the front pillar on the passenger side, creating an asymmetric configuration that optimizes the driver's field of vision while maintaining structural integrity through differential placement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by making the front pillars have different horizontal widths depending on their position. The front pillar closer to the centerline has a smaller horizontal width to maximize visibility, while the front pillar farther from the centerline has a larger horizontal width to compensate for structural strength requirements. This localized variation in dimensions resolves the contradiction between visibility and strength

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If pillarless construction is used, then field-of-vision blocking areas are eliminated, but sufficient vehicular body strength cannot be secured

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefield of visionVSAvoidvehicular body strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making the front pillars have different horizontal widths depending on their position. The front pillar closer to the centerline has a smaller horizontal width to maximize visibility, while the front pillar farther from the centerline has a larger horizontal width to compensate for structural strength requirements. This localized variation in dimensions resolves the contradiction between visibility and strength

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of operation

If truss construction with multiple triangular gaps is used, then field-of-vision blocking areas are minimized, but construction complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefield of visionVSAvoidpillar construction complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the taking out principle by extracting the unnecessary complexity of truss constructions with multiple triangular gaps. Instead, it uses a simplified front pillar design with asymmetric positioning and varying horizontal widths that achieves the same field-of-vision benefit without the manufacturing complexity and cost of truss structures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the position and horizontal width parameters of the front pillars. By positioning the front pillars asymmetrically and assigning different horizontal widths to left and right front pillars, the patent achieves optimized field of vision with a simple construction that avoids the complexity of truss designs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS7641269B2Vehicular body structure

Publication Date: 2010.01.05 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

In a vehicular body structure, left and right front pillars are provided closer to the longitudinal centerline of a vehicle than left and right corner sections of a compartment of the vehicle. First corner window (26) provided adjacent to one of the left and right front pillars (13) which is more remote from a driver's seat (24) has a greater opening area than a second corner window (25) provided adjacent to the other of the left and right pillars (11) which is closer to the driver's seat.