Bent Bridge Member for Vehicle Body Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle body structures require significant facility investments and have limited design freedom, leading to high production costs and difficulties in securing rigidity, especially when producing diverse types in small quantities, and existing methods to enhance rigidity by increasing connection portion thickness do not effectively address the issue.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle body structure incorporating a bridge member with an open cross-sectional pipe shape, featuring closed end portions and a bent intermediate portion, which is connected to weak rigidity portions between members, providing improved rigidity without increasing thickness, and manufactured through folding and bending of plate-shaped materials to simplify assembly and reduce costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the thickness of connection portions is increased to improve rigidity, then the rigidity of connection portions is improved, but the weight of the vehicle body is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge member incorporates a curved intermediate portion that bends toward the connection portion, creating a geometric arch structure. This curvature distributes mechanical loads more effectively across the connection region, enhancing rigidity through shape optimization rather than material thickness increase. The curved geometry acts as a structural reinforcement that maintains strength while keeping the member lightweight.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge member extends in multiple spatial dimensions with its curved intermediate portion creating a three-dimensional structural element. By adding vertical curvature and spatial complexity, the design achieves enhanced rigidity through geometric configuration in multiple dimensions rather than simply increasing thickness in one dimension, thereby avoiding proportional weight increase.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional press processing and welding methods are used to manufacture the vehicle body, then the body structure is completed, but large-scale facility investments are required and design freedom is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle body is divided into multiple modular members connected by bridge members. Each component can be manufactured separately using simpler processes and then assembled together. This segmentation eliminates the need for large-scale press facilities and complex welding operations, allowing manufacturing in smaller, more flexible facilities while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge member serves as an intermediary component that connects other body members together. Rather than using complex press-formed and welded joints, the bridge member acts as a modular connector that simplifies the joining process. This intermediary approach enables assembly through simpler connection methods, reducing facility requirements and increasing design flexibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If various design changes are made to produce diverse vehicle types in small quantities, then product diversity is achieved, but the number of molds is significantly increased causing high production cost
Solution Approach 1:
The modular architecture allows different vehicle types to be created by assembling different combinations of standardized bridge members and body components. Rather than creating entirely new molds for each variant, designers can mix and match modular elements, significantly reducing the number of molds needed while maintaining high design flexibility for producing diverse vehicle types.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge members are designed with universal connection interfaces that can accommodate multiple configuration options. A single bridge member design can serve multiple functions and be used across different vehicle types, eliminating the need for specialized molds for each variant. This universality enables cost-effective production of diverse vehicles through standardized components.
Data Source
AI summary
A body for a vehicle includes a bridge member having a pipe shape of an open cross-sectional structure in which one side thereof is opened, having end portions formed in a closed shape, and having an intermediate portion formed to be bent, and at least two members, wherein the bridge member is connected to a weak rigidity portion between the at least two members of the body.