Clamped Hollow Chamber Support Insert for Vehicle Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hollow chamber supports in vehicles are often oversized for lighter vehicles, leading to unnecessary weight and inefficiency, as they are designed to meet the highest requirements across different vehicle types.
Innovation Solution
A hollow chamber support assembly that includes a base hollow chamber support and an insert component designed as a hollow chamber profile, which is arranged and held within the base support using clamping means, allowing for reinforcement and adaptation to meet specific vehicle requirements without additional installation space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the same hollow chamber support is used for all vehicle types to simplify production, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the support becomes oversized for lighter vehicles leading to unnecessary weight
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into two segments: a base hollow chamber support and an insert component. The base support remains uniform across all vehicle types, while the insert component varies according to specific vehicle requirements. This segmentation allows the base support to be standardized for simplified production, while the insert component provides weight optimization for different vehicle applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert component is placed inside the hollow chamber support, creating a nested structure. The insert component fits within the cavity of the base support, allowing the smaller, optimized insert to be housed within the larger base structure. This nesting approach enables weight reduction for lighter vehicles without requiring complete redesign of the base support.
2Strength
If the hollow chamber support is designed to meet the highest requirements, then crash performance and load-bearing capacity are improved, but the support becomes oversized and heavier for vehicles with lower requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The insert component provides localized reinforcement only where higher strength requirements exist. Instead of making the entire base support heavier, the insert component adds strength locally within the hollow chamber, allowing the base support to maintain lower weight for vehicles with moderate requirements while still meeting high-performance needs when the insert is installed.
3Strength
If reinforcement elements are added to meet higher requirements, then strength is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insert component is placed inside the hollow chamber support, creating a nested structure that simplifies assembly. Rather than adding complex external reinforcements or modifying the base support structure, the insert component is simply inserted into the existing hollow chamber, maintaining structural simplicity while enhancing strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The base hollow chamber support serves multiple functions: it provides the structural framework, contains the insert component, and maintains the overall geometric shape. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate reinforcement structures, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A hollow chamber support assembly for a vehicle comprising a hollow chamber support, an insert component designed as a hollow chamber profile, which is arranged in the hollow chamber support with the outer sides of the walls of the insert component spaced apart from the inner wall of the hollow chamber support, and means for holding a first end section of the insert component on an end of the hollow chamber support in its arrangement provided in the hollow chamber support(. The means are designed as clamping means and comprise a clamping element and an abutment element, wherein to clamp the insert component, the clamping element is supported on the abutment element and, in this supported arrangement, acts against the outer side of at least one wall of the insert component.