Roll Formed Bumper Beam With Pressed Cross Section
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bumper beams lack adaptability to different vehicle designs without significant investment in manufacturing, and their properties are not easily customizable for optimal crash performance.
Innovation Solution
A roll-formed bumper beam with a constant width and cross section featuring inward and outward curved portions, where the cross section is modified by pressing to enhance properties like bending rigidity and energy absorption, allowing for adaptation to various vehicle designs using a single manufacturing unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the bumper beam is manufactured with a constant cross section along the entire length, then the manufacturing process is simple and economical, but the beam cannot be adapted to different vehicle designs without significant investment in manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the cross-sectional properties only in specific portions of the beam (first and second portions) while maintaining a constant cross section in the middle portion. This allows customization for different vehicle designs without changing the entire manufacturing process, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The beam is segmented into three distinct portions (first, middle, and second portions) with different cross-sectional characteristics. The first and second portions have different cross-sectional areas than the middle portion, allowing localized adaptation while maintaining overall manufacturing efficiency through a single continuous process.
2Strength
If the cross section is varied along the length of the beam, then the beam properties can be optimized for different crash scenarios, but the manufacturing complexity and investment increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of varying the cross section along the entire length, the patent applies local quality by modifying only the first and second portions while keeping the middle portion constant. This localized approach optimizes crash performance in specific areas without requiring complex manufacturing changes throughout the entire beam.
Solution Approach 2:
The cross-sectional variations are incorporated into the roll forming process itself through pre-configured rolls, allowing the beam to be manufactured in a single continuous operation without subsequent complex processing steps, thus reducing overall manufacturing complexity.
3Productivity
If the bumper beam is designed with constant width and profile, then production is efficient and cost-effective, but the beam properties are not easily customizable for optimal crash performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains constant width and profile for the middle portion of the beam to ensure production efficiency, while introducing cross-sectional variations only in the first and second portions. This allows easy customization of beam properties for different crash scenarios without compromising overall production efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The beam design incorporates multiple cross-sectional configurations within a single manufacturing setup, allowing the same production line to manufacture beams with different properties by simply changing the roll forming parameters, thus achieving multi-functionality without reducing productivity.
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 solution enables cost-effective customization of bumper beams to improve crash performance and reduce the risk of local collapse during impacts, while maintaining a constant material width and profile, allowing for efficient production and adaptation to different vehicle models.
Implementation Method 1
a profile is roll formed in a continuous process, the profile having a constant cross section along the length
Implementation Method 2
A portion 32, in the example shown as a central portion, of the length of the bumper has been pressed together vertically so that it has got the cross section shown in figure 4
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5a~5h
AI summary
A bumper beam is roll formed so that it gets a closed cross section with, along the length, constant cross section having at least two closed chambers (15, 16) separated by an essentially horizontal partition wall (14). Each chamber has a side (19), which is turned away from the vehicle, with at least one longitudinal concave portion (20, 21; 22, 23) extending along the entire length and one side (24), which is facing the vehicle, with at least one longitudinal convex portion (25, 26; 27, 28) extending along the entire length. After the roll forming, some portions (32) of the cross section are pressed together vertically or horizontally in order to adapt the deformation properties.