Bolt-on Shock Tower Cap for Common Vehicle Body

Solution Overview

Problem

Current vehicle suspension systems require different shock towers for rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles, leading to increased manufacturing costs and complexity due to variations in vehicle body design, which complicates the use of a single vehicle body for multiple options.

Innovation Solution

A modular bolt-on shock tower cap system with interchangeable designs, including low-profile and tall-profile caps, that can be attached to a common vehicle body using a standard set of bolt holes, allowing for adaptation to different drive types without altering the vehicle body's geometry, and featuring reinforcement ribs for structural efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If different shock towers are used for rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles, then structural requirements are met, but manufacturing complexity and costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The shock tower is divided into two separable parts: a common base structure that remains the same across all vehicle variants, and interchangeable shock tower caps (low-profile for rear-wheel drive, tall-profile for all-wheel drive) that are bolted onto the base. This segmentation allows the common base to be manufactured once, reducing manufacturing complexity while the interchangeable caps provide the necessary structural variations for different drive types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The common shock tower base structure serves multiple functions and is compatible with both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicle configurations. By designing a universal base that can accommodate different cap types, the system reduces the number of unique parts needed, thereby lowering manufacturing complexity and costs while maintaining the required structural integrity for each specific application.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Strength

If different shock towers are used for rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles, then structural requirements are met, but manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The shock tower is divided into two separable parts: a common base structure that remains the same across all vehicle variants, and interchangeable shock tower caps (low-profile for rear-wheel drive, tall-profile for all-wheel drive) that are bolted onto the base. This segmentation allows the common base to be manufactured once, reducing manufacturing complexity while the interchangeable caps provide the necessary structural variations for different drive types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The common shock tower base structure serves multiple functions and is compatible with both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicle configurations. By designing a universal base that can accommodate different cap types, the system reduces the number of unique parts needed, thereby lowering manufacturing complexity and costs while maintaining the required structural integrity for each specific application.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Device complexity

If a common vehicle body is used across multiple drive options, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but structural requirements for different drive types must be met

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing complexityVSAvoidstructural integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The shock tower is divided into two separable parts: a common base structure that remains the same across all vehicle variants, and interchangeable shock tower caps (low-profile for rear-wheel drive, tall-profile for all-wheel drive) that are bolted onto the base. This segmentation allows the common base to be manufactured once, reducing manufacturing complexity while the interchangeable caps provide the necessary structural variations for different drive types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system allows for dynamic configuration where the shock tower cap can be changed based on the drive type requirements. The bolt-on design enables easy interchangeability of caps, allowing the same common body to adapt to different structural requirements for rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations without requiring a completely different body structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10953924B2Bolted casting to casting flexible body variant shock tower system

Publication Date: 2021.03.23 GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

AI summary

A system for providing multiple variations of shock tower assemblies with a common vehicle body is provided. The system includes the common vehicle body including a vehicle body member comprising a plurality of bolt holes and a shock tower assembly. The shock tower assembly includes a bolt-on shock tower cap comprising a shock receiving cavity, a plurality of bolt fasteners attaching the bolt-on shock tower cap to the vehicle body member at the plurality of bolt holes, and shock tower components including a shock device. The shock tower components are configured to matingly engage with the shock receiving cavity.