Cast Vehicle-Body Structure for Bidirectional Impact Load Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle-body structures face challenges in reducing the number of components and ensuring sufficient rigidity against impact loads from both front and rear directions, particularly with the rear seat cross member being unable to adequately receive impact loads during collisions.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-body structure that integrates left and right suspension tower parts through a front frame and rear frame, coupled by a tunnel frame, which transmits impact loads efficiently and enhances rigidity by molding components like the front and rear frames and tunnel frame as a single unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the left and right suspension tower parts are molded individually and then integrated, then the manufacturing flexibility is maintained, but the number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the left and right suspension tower parts into a single integrally molded front frame component. This eliminates the need for separate manufacturing and assembly of individual tower parts, thereby reducing the total number of components while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through integral molding technology.
2Strength
If the rear seat cross member is used to receive impact loads, then the vehicle body rigidity during frontal collision is improved, but the rear seat cross member may not be able to sufficiently receive the load when the impact load from the front is transmitted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the load receiving function by introducing a dedicated tunnel frame structure that is specifically designed to receive and transmit impact loads from the front. This separates the load receiving function from the rear seat cross member, allowing the tunnel frame to handle frontal collision loads while the rear seat cross member maintains its original function, thereby improving both rigidity and reliability.
3Strength
If the front frame and rear frame are coupled by a tunnel frame, then the impact load transmission from front to rear is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tunnel frame is designed as a multi-functional component that serves both as a structural element for impact load transmission and as a coupling mechanism between the front frame and rear frame. This universal design approach improves impact load transmission capability while minimizing the increase in structural complexity by combining multiple functions into a single component.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle-body structure includes: a front frame including a right front suspension tower part and a left front suspension tower part integrally molded by casting; a rear frame including a right rear suspension tower part and a left rear suspension tower part integrally molded by casting; and a tunnel frame that couples the front frame and the rear frame.