Composite Rear Floor Panel with Weldable Metal Edge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rear load floors in motor vehicles face challenges with high mass in sheet steel floors and labor-intensive assembly requirements for composite material floors, which hinder efficient manufacturing and increase costs.
Innovation Solution
A rear load floor made of composite material with a molded metal edge that can be welded to the underbody, forming a frame with stamped and profiled parts, allowing for robotic assembly similar to steel floors, eliminating the need for additional fixing means and reducing mass.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a rear load floor is made entirely of sheet steel, then it can be easily welded to the underbody at the fitting station, but it has high mass
Solution Approach 1:
The rear load floor is constructed as a composite structure with a composite material core (providing low mass) and a metal border (enabling welding). This allows the floor to benefit from both the weight reduction of composite materials and the ease of welding provided by metal, resolving the contradiction between mass reduction and manufacturing ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor is divided into distinct functional zones: a composite material area for weight reduction and a metal border for welding and structural support. This segmentation allows each material to be used where it provides the most benefit, achieving both mass reduction and ease of assembly.
2Weight of moving object
If a rear load floor is made of composite material, then it has significantly lower mass, but it requires labor-intensive bonding and screwing operations for assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The floor is segmented into a composite core and a metal border, where the metal border specifically handles the welding and assembly functions. This allows the composite material to provide weight reduction while the metal segment provides ease of manufacturing and assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The hybrid construction combines composite material (for mass reduction) with metal border (for simplified assembly). The metal border enables standard welding operations at the fitting station, eliminating the need for labor-intensive bonding and screwing of pure composite floors.
3Extent of automation
If a metal border is added to a composite floor to enable welding, then it can be assembled at the fitting station like steel floors, but it increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The floor is divided into a composite material area and a metal border, with each segment serving a specific function. The metal border is specifically designed to interface with welding robots, while the composite area provides weight reduction. This functional segmentation simplifies the overall system by assigning specific tasks to specific materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal border serves multiple functions: it provides a welding surface for robotic assembly, acts as a structural reinforcement, and enables the composite floor to be handled and assembled using existing steel floor infrastructure at the fitting station. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components.
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
Enables efficient robotic assembly and significant mass reduction, reducing manufacturing costs and improving ergonomics while maintaining structural integrity and compatibility with various vehicle designs.
Implementation Method 1
said metal border is bonded by molding to said composite material
Implementation Method 2
said metal edge is made of steel sheet weldable by electric spot welding or by laser to the steel sheet constituting the rear part of the underbody
Implementation Method 3
said metal edge is made of steel sheet weldable by electric spot welding or by laser to the steel sheet constituting the rear part of the underbody
Implementation Method 4
said composite material being overmolded on this layer
Data Source
Figure 1~5
Figure 6~7
Figure 8~12
AI summary
The invention concerns a rear loading floor panel (1) made of composite material (7) for a motor vehicle, consisting of a fibre-charged plastic material resin. The invention is characterized in that the periphery of the floor panel (1) has a metal edge (2) designed to be welded to the metal rear part of the under-body of a motor vehicle.