Bottom-Mounted Spring Strut Support Structure for Vehicle Body
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current support structure components for connecting spring struts to vehicle bodies require the engine hood to be opened for top-mounted threaded connections, limiting design flexibility and increasing manufacturing and repair costs.
Innovation Solution
A support structure component with a connection section for the vehicle body and a flange section for attaching a spring strut mount, allowing the spring strut to be mounted and attached from the bottom, eliminating the need for external access and enabling flexible, durable attachment methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a threaded fastener attachment is used from the top to attach the spring strut to the dome-shaped support structure component, then the spring strut can be securely fastened, but the engine hood must be opened for access, limiting design flexibility and increasing manufacturing and repair costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional attachment approach by switching from top-side access to bottom-side access. The flange section with connection elements is positioned on the bottom surface of the dome-shaped support structure component, allowing the spring strut to be attached from below rather than requiring access from the top through the engine hood. This inversion resolves the contradiction by maintaining secure fastening while eliminating the need to open the engine hood, thereby improving design flexibility.
2Ease of operation
If the engine hood is opened to access the threaded portion for spring strut attachment, then the spring strut can be attached, but the separating joint between the engine hood and the fender must be configured with restrictions, increasing manufacturing complexity and costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies inversion by repositioning the attachment interface from the top (engine hood side) to the bottom of the support structure component. This allows spring strut attachment without opening the engine hood, eliminating the need for special configurations in the separating joint between the engine hood and fender, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the attachment function from the engine hood area and relocates it to the bottom of the support structure component. The flange section with connection elements is separated and positioned independently on the bottom surface, allowing the attachment operation to be performed separately from the engine hood assembly, thus simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
3Reliability
If top-side threaded connection is used for spring strut attachment, then secure fastening is achieved, but repair friendliness is negatively influenced due to limited access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent improves repair friendliness by inverting the attachment approach to bottom-side access. The flange section with connection elements is positioned on the bottom surface of the dome-shaped support structure component, allowing mechanics to attach or detach the spring strut from below without needing to open the engine hood. This maintains secure fastening while dramatically improving accessibility for maintenance and repair operations.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a support structure component for connecting a spring strut to a vehicle body. The support structure component includes a connection section for connecting to the vehicle body and at least one flange section having a spring strut mount configured to mount a spring strut. In this manner, the support structure component can be used for assembling the spring strut into the vehicle body without requiring significant access from above.