B-Pillar Corner Patch Structure for Lightweight Hinge Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current reinforcement methods for vehicle pillars, such as B-pillars, face challenges in reducing weight while maintaining collision performance and are inefficient in mass production due to the need for multiple fixtures and loose reinforcement members.
Innovation Solution
A reinforcement element comprising two interconnected elongated strips attached to a hat-shaped profile at transition areas between the central flange and sides, with bridging components at door hinge attachment areas, allowing for easier handling and enhanced force distribution, and can be manufactured through press hardening or prepreg fibre reinforced polymer methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If reinforcement members are formed to cover only ridge portions of pillars, then weight is reduced, but multiple loose reinforcement members must be handled and placed on base member requiring multiple fixtures or clamping members
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate reinforcement members into a single integrated reinforcement element that covers multiple ridge portions simultaneously. This eliminates the need for multiple loose reinforcement members and their corresponding fixtures, reducing both weight and device complexity while maintaining structural reinforcement effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement element is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously by covering different ridge portions of the pillar with a single component. This multi-functional design allows one reinforcement element to perform the work of multiple separate members, simplifying the attachment process and reducing the number of fixtures needed.
2Strength
If reinforcement plate has full width throughout its entire length, then collision performance is maintained, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement element is designed with varying width along its length, providing full width reinforcement only at critical areas such as ridge portions that require maximum strength for collision performance. In non-critical areas, the width is reduced to minimize weight, achieving optimal balance between strength and weight through localized quality variation.
Data Source
AI summary
The present application relates to a reinforcement element (30) arranged to be attached to a profile (10) for forming a B-pillar for a vehicle, which profile (10) is arranged with attachment areas (22, 24) for door hinges, characterised in that the reinforcement element (30) is designed with two elongated strips (32, 34) of material, wherein the strips (32, 34) are inter-connected at least at one attachment area (22) for door hinges when the reinforcement element (30) is attached to profile (10), wherein the profile (10) is hat-shaped with a central flange (12) and two sides (14, 6), and wherein each strip (32, 34) is attached to the transition area (36, 38) between the central flange (12) and a side (14, 16). The present application also 10 relates to a B-pillar provided with the reinforcement element as well as a method of manufacturing a B-pillar with the reinforcement element.