Commercial Vehicle Chassis with Integrated Sheet Metal Side Walls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chassis designs for commercial vehicles face challenges in achieving high rigidity and low weight while minimizing manufacturing and assembly costs, with a need for modular construction that is flexible for different vehicle variants and drive systems.
Innovation Solution
The chassis is designed with formed sheet metal parts that act as continuous side walls along the longitudinal axis, using C-profiles in the front and rear axle areas and L-profiles in the central area, allowing for high rigidity and weight reduction through welding and integrated mounts, with optional multifunctional elements and hat profiles for additional support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a modular support frame is used with separate upper chord, lower chord and connecting webs, then flexibility for different vehicle variants is improved, but production and assembly costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the upper chord, lower chord and connecting webs into a single integrated sheet metal part that is formed in one piece. This eliminates the need for separate components and assembly operations, thereby reducing production and assembly costs while maintaining the modular structure's flexibility for different vehicle variants.
Solution Approach 2:
The chassis is divided into separate modular assemblies along the longitudinal axis, each with its own integrated sheet metal supporting components. This segmentation allows different vehicle variants to be configured by assembling different modules while using the same standardized integrated components, reducing overall complexity and cost.
2Strength
If traditional ladder frame construction is used with separate upper chord and lower chord, then structural strength is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The upper chord and lower chord are merged into a single integrated sheet metal part that provides both structural support and torsional rigidity. This integration eliminates redundant material and reduces weight while maintaining or improving structural strength through optimized sheet metal forming.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses sheet metal construction that combines the strengths of metal materials with optimized geometric forms to achieve high strength-to-weight ratio. The integrated forming process creates complex cross-sections that provide structural strength while minimizing material usage and weight.
3Ease of manufacture
If separate upper chord and lower chord are assembled, then ease of manufacture is improved, but assembly effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The upper chord and lower chord are manufactured as a single integrated sheet metal part, eliminating the assembly step between separate components. This reduces assembly effort and complexity while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized sheet metal forming processes.
4Stability of the object's composition
If integral side walls are used throughout the chassis, then flexural and torsional rigidity is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The chassis is segmented into modular assemblies, each with its own integral side walls. This allows the complex integral side wall structure to be manufactured and assembled in manageable sections, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining the rigidity benefits of integral construction throughout the chassis.
Data Source
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AI summary
A chassis for commercial vehicles, in particular for articulated lorries, is divided along the longitudinal axis (A) of the vehicle into two or three separate subassemblies (17, 19, 21). Each subassembly has respective supporting components (31, 61, 91) on both longitudinal sides of the chassis, wherein the two supporting components of each subassembly are spaced apart from each other transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and are connected to each other by connecting elements. Each supporting component of each subassembly has a sheet-metal formed part (33, 63, 93) which forms a side wall (33, 65, 95) of the chassis on each longitudinal side of the chassis, wherein the sheet-metal formed part is formed integrally along the height of each side wall.