Cellular Support for Vehicle Structural Reinforcement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Structural elements with cavities in vehicles face challenges in sealing, reinforcement, and damping due to irregular shapes and limited surface area for attachment, leading to inadequate connection and mechanical stability.
Innovation Solution
A support device with multiple cells surrounding cavities, providing a large attachment area for adhesives, allowing for better connection and reinforcement, sealing, or damping of structural elements, and adaptable to various applications through modular design and material selection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a support element with limited surface area is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the connection strength to the structural element deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support element is divided into multiple cells (e.g., hexagonal, pentagonal, or quadrangular cells) that are arranged in a honeycomb-like pattern. This segmentation increases the total surface area available for adhesive connection while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure. Each cell acts as an independent load-bearing unit, distributing stresses throughout the structure and enhancing the connection strength to the structural element without requiring a complex monolithic design.
2Strength
If the support element is made larger to increase connection surface area, then the connection strength improves, but the weight of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support element utilizes a cellular structure with thin-walled cells that provide high surface area for adhesive bonding relative to the overall mass. The cell walls act as thin films that distribute loads efficiently across the structure. This allows achieving high connection strength through increased surface area while keeping the material用量 (and thus weight) low, as the cellular geometry provides structural efficiency without requiring thick or massive components.
3Area of stationary object
If a cellular structure with multiple cells is used, then the surface area for adhesive connection increases, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cellular support element is designed with standardized cell geometries (such as hexagonal, pentagonal, or quadrangular cells) that can be manufactured using common fabrication processes. The same basic cell pattern can be replicated multiple times to create supports of different sizes and configurations, making the design universal and easy to manufacture. This standardized cellular approach allows achieving high surface area for adhesive connection while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through repetition of basic geometric units.
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 device achieves a stronger, more stable connection and improved mechanical load-bearing capacity while maintaining lightweight construction, effectively sealing, reinforcing, and damping cavities in structural elements.
Implementation Method 1
an outer surface of the support can be connected to the structural element by an adhesive
Data Source
AI summary
A device for reinforcing, sealing, or damping a structural element in a motor vehicle including a support which has multiple cells, wherein each cell surrounds a cavity. Each cavity is at least partially delimited by walls in each direction, wherein each cell has an extension in length, height, and width between 5 mm and 100 mm. An outer surface of the support can be connected to the structural element by an adhesive.