Bumper Reinforcement With Variable Wall Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bumper reinforcements for vehicles fracture at their end parts during the initial deformation stage due to a difference in rigidity between the center and end parts, leading to inefficient impact absorption.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a body part with varying wall parts and terminal parts that have lower rigidity at the end sections compared to the center, reducing the overall difference in rigidity and preventing early fracture during impact, allowing for efficient impact absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the body part is formed by extruding an aluminum alloy material with a constant sectional shape, then the manufacturing process is simple and efficient, but the rigidity distribution becomes non-uniform when terminal parts are superimposed on end parts, causing fracture at end parts during impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the wall thickness of the body part non-uniform along its longitudinal direction. Specifically, the wall thickness at the end parts is designed to be smaller than at the center part, creating a gradient distribution. This local variation in geometric properties adjusts the rigidity distribution to match the stress distribution during impact, preventing concentration of stress at the superimposed end parts where terminal parts are attached.
2Device complexity
If the terminal parts are superimposed on the end parts of the body part, then the assembly structure is simple, but the rigidity at the superimposed portions becomes excessively high, causing initial stage fracture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses local quality by varying the wall thickness of the body part along its longitudinal direction. The end parts have smaller wall thickness compared to the center part, creating a rigidity gradient. This design compensates for the increased rigidity caused by superimposition of terminal parts, ensuring that the overall rigidity distribution remains balanced and prevents fracture at the superimposed end parts during impact.
Data Source
AI summary
A bumper reinforcement includes a body part extending in a vehicle width direction, and a terminal part, which extends in the vehicle width direction, is attached to an end part of the body part in a longitudinal direction, and is joined to the body part in a state of being superimposed on the end part of the body part. Rigidity of the end part of the body part in the longitudinal direction is lower than rigidity of a center part of the body part in the longitudinal direction.