Bumper Cross Member Sleeve Layout for Tow Lug Force Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bumper assemblies for vehicles lack a cost-effective and structurally sound method for attaching a towing eye, which is crucial for towing and securing vehicles, especially during breakdowns or transport, while ensuring efficient force transmission.
Innovation Solution
A bumper assembly with a curved cross member made of hot-formed and press-hardened carbon steel, featuring a hat profile with a striking plate and embossed receiving planes for a sleeve, allowing precise and durable attachment of a towing eye through a sleeve with a stepped shoulder for enhanced force transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a towing eye is stored in the trunk of the vehicle, then it is available for use during breakdowns or transport, but it requires additional storage space and manual installation time
Solution Approach 1:
The towing eye is pre-integrated into the bumper assembly during manufacturing, specifically mounted on the cross member in a ready-to-use position. This preliminary action eliminates the need for manual installation during breakdowns or transport operations, allowing users to directly attach towing straps without any setup time.
2Reliability
If a sleeve is attached to the bumper cross member, then the towing eye can be securely mounted, but the attachment method must be cost-effective and suitable for large-scale production
Solution Approach 1:
The sleeve and towing eye are integrated as a single assembly unit that is pre-mounted on the cross member during bumper manufacturing. This merging of components eliminates the need for separate attachment operations, reducing manufacturing steps and costs while ensuring reliable integration through factory-level precision assembly.
3Strength
If the cross member is made of hot-formed and press-hardened carbon steel, then it has high tensile strength greater than 1350 MPa, but the manufacturing process is complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The cross member is pre-formed using hot-forming and press-hardening processes during the bumper manufacturing stage. This preliminary action creates the high-strength structural component in advance, allowing the towing eye assembly to be simply mounted onto the already-strengthened cross member without requiring additional strengthening operations.
4Force
If the sleeve is welded to the cross member, then the attachment is durable and suitable for force transmission, but the welding process adds manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The sleeve is integrated with the cross member through welding as a single structural unit during bumper assembly. This merging ensures direct force transmission from the towing eye through the sleeve to the high-strength cross member, creating a unified load-bearing structure that eliminates the need for additional reinforcement elements or complex connection mechanisms.
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 provides a structurally robust and cost-effective means for attaching a towing eye, ensuring improved force transmission and assembly precision, reducing the risk of buckling or tearing during towing and securing operations.
Implementation Method 1
The cross member or a profile, in particular the hat profile of the cross member, can be made, for example, of a hot-formed and press-hardened carbon steel. In particular, this has a tensile strength Rm greater than 1350 MPa.
Implementation Method 2
The area in the front wall and optionally also the area in the rear wall are then preferably designed as a receiving plane. This means that this receiving plane is flat in itself. The flat plane is furthermore particularly preferably designed such that when the sleeve is inserted, a distance of at least 3 mm, preferably up to 20 mm, very particularly preferably between 4 mm and 10 mm is formed all around the outer surface. This means that the outer surface of the sleeve can be welded all around to the receiving plane.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 2~5
Figure 6
AI summary
The invention relates to a bumper arrangement (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising a cross member (2) which is coupled to the motor vehicle via crash boxes (3), wherein the cross member (2) is designed as a closed hollow profile in cross section, and a sleeve (5) for receiving a towing eye is arranged passing through the cross member (2), characterized in that a front side (7) of the cross member (2) and a rear side (10) of the cross member (2) are embossed in the region of the sleeve (5) in such a way that a front receiving plane is formed in the front side (7) and a rear receiving plane is formed in the rear side (10), wherein the planes are arranged offset parallel to one another and in particular run oriented in a plane parallel to the vertical direction (Z) and the transverse direction (Y) of the motor vehicle.