Auxiliary Frame Spacer for Crash Energy Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle front structures do not effectively optimize the arrangement of auxiliary frames for improved crash characteristics and cost-effective manufacturing, particularly in head-on collisions, while allowing for versatility in body versions.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a spacer piece between the auxiliary frame and the body slope, which fills at least four-fifths of the spacing, providing high stiffness and enabling the auxiliary frame to slide off during a collision, and using a connecting part to facilitate dislodging, with surfaces designed for sliding and made from similar materials to enhance assembly and crash performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the auxiliary frame is arranged close to the body slope, then crash characteristics are improved, but the auxiliary frame cannot be used with various body versions
Solution Approach 1:
A spacer piece is introduced as an intermediary element between the auxiliary frame and the body slope. This spacer piece enables the auxiliary frame to be positioned at an optimized distance for crash performance while simultaneously allowing adaptation to different body versions by varying the spacer piece dimensions, thus resolving the contradiction between crash characteristics and versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacing arrangement is segmented into two independent components: the auxiliary frame and the spacer piece. This segmentation allows the spacer piece to be specifically designed and adjusted for different body versions, enabling the auxiliary frame itself to remain unchanged while adapting to various vehicle configurations, thereby maintaining both crash performance and versatility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the spacing between auxiliary frame and body is large, then versatility for body versions is improved, but crash characteristics deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer piece serves as a mediating element that fills the spacing between the auxiliary frame and body slope. By optimizing the spacer piece dimensions, the system achieves both adequate spacing for versatility and minimal free space for improved crash characteristics, preventing the auxiliary frame from digging into the body during collision.
Solution Approach 2:
The dimensions of the spacer piece are optimized to achieve at least four-fifths fill rate of the spacing. This parameter optimization ensures that the remaining free space is minimized for crash performance while still allowing the auxiliary frame to be adapted to different body versions through spacer piece variation.
3Reliability
If the spacer piece fills most of the spacing, then crash characteristics are improved, but assembly capability may be restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer piece is designed to fill at least four-fifths of the spacing, which is an optimized partial fill rate. This provides sufficient crash performance improvement while leaving enough space (at least one-fifth) to ensure adequate assembly capability and tolerance for manufacturing variations, thus balancing both requirements.
4Strength
If the auxiliary frame is rigid, then structural strength is improved, but the frame may dig into the spacer piece during collision
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer piece acts as a mediator between the rigid auxiliary frame and the body structure. During collision, the spacer piece deforms and absorbs energy, preventing the rigid auxiliary frame from directly contacting and digging into the body or spacer piece, thus maintaining structural strength while eliminating the harmful digging effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer piece is positioned beforehand between the auxiliary frame and the body slope to provide cushioning. This pre-positioned cushioning element prevents direct contact during collision, allowing the rigid auxiliary frame to maintain its structural strength without causing harm by digging into surrounding structures.
Data Source
AI summary
A motor vehicle (10) having a passenger compartment (12) and a front compartment (13) arranged in the direction of a longitudinal axis (X) in front of the passenger compartment (12) is provided. Here, the passenger compartment (12) is surrounded by a body (14) comprising a slope (16). In the front compartment (13), an auxiliary frame (17) is arranged. As claimed in the disclosure, a spacing (22) is formed between the auxiliary frame (17) and the slope (16) in the direction of the longitudinal axis (X) and a spacer piece (19) is arranged in this spacing.