Instrument Panel Beam Welding Rib Structure for Airtight Joints
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vehicle beam design, as described in JP2004-345396A, suffers from decreased sealing performance at joint portions due to the weakening of bolt fastening forces with increasing distance, leading to air leakage through the joints.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle beam is designed with a tubular duct body portion and a resin-made beam shell portion divided into multiple bodies, where adjacent connection portions are joined by welding ribs that intersect the facing direction, enhancing the sealing performance of the joint portions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If bolt fastening is used to join adjacent beam divided bodies, then the assembly is easy to manufacture, but the sealing performance of joint portions decreases as distance from the bolt increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical fastening system (bolts) with a welding system that uses heating elements to melt and fuse the beam divided bodies together. This substitution eliminates the distance-dependent sealing performance issue of bolt fastening, as the welding creates a continuous sealed joint throughout the entire contact surface between adjacent beam divided bodies.
2Device complexity
If multiple bolts are disposed at regular intervals to fasten beam connection portions, then the structure is simple, but the fastening force becomes weaker as distance from the bolt increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical fastening system (multiple bolts at regular intervals) with a welding system that uses heating elements to create a continuous bond. This substitution eliminates the need for multiple discrete fastening points and provides uniform strength distribution across the entire joint area, as the welding process fuses the materials continuously rather than at discrete intervals.
3Reliability
If welding is used to join adjacent beam connection portions, then the sealing performance of joint portions is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the beam divided bodies by heating them to their melting point, transforming them from solid state to molten state, and then allowing them to cool and fuse. This parameter change (temperature) enables the welding process to create strong, sealed joints without requiring complex mechanical fastening systems, as the material itself becomes the bonding agent when melted and cooled.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The welding of intersecting ribs improves the sealing performance of the joint portions, reducing air leakage and increasing the welding strength of the vehicle beam, while also allowing for efficient temperature control during welding.
Implementation Method 1
the beam connection portions adjacent to each other are joined together by welding the adjacent beam connection portions at the beam welding rib
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle beam extends in a vehicle width direction within an instrument panel of a vehicle to support the instrument panel. The vehicle beam includes a tubular duct body portion, a peripheral portion connected to the duct body portion, and a beam shell portion made of a resin material. The beam shell portion is divided into a plurality of beam divided bodies in a circumferential direction of the beam shell portion. Each of the beam divided bodies has a beam connection portion at a boundary with an adjacent beam divided body. The adjacent beam divided bodies are coupled by joining the adjacent beam connection portions. The adjacent beam connection portions have a pair of beam facing surfaces. One of the beam facing surfaces is formed with a beam welding rib extending along the beam facing surface. The adjacent beam connection portions are joined by welding at the beam welding rib.