Vehicle Frame Cross-Beam Grooves for Side Impact Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
During a vehicle side impact, the deformation of the vehicle frame can intrude into the passenger cabin, and existing designs fail to effectively limit this intrusion, posing a challenge in crashworthiness tests.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle frame design featuring a cross-beam with strategically placed grooves along the cross-vehicle axis, which induces controlled buckling to restrict intrusion into the passenger cabin, with the grooves having lower flexural strength than the intermediate portion, allowing for predictable deformation and reduced intrusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the vehicle frame uses a conventional rigid cross-beam design, then the structural strength is maintained, but the intrusion into the passenger cabin during side impact cannot be effectively limited
Solution Approach 1:
The cross-beam is segmented by introducing grooves at specific locations, creating distinct deformation zones. These grooves divide the cross-beam into segments that can buckle independently during impact, controlling the deformation pattern to limit cabin intrusion while maintaining overall structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The cross-beam is designed with non-uniform properties through strategically placed grooves that create localized weak points. These grooves have different dimensions and orientations, creating specific deformation characteristics at particular locations while maintaining strength in other regions, allowing controlled buckling that protects the passenger cabin
2Object-affected harmful factors
If grooves are introduced in the cross-beam to induce buckling, then intrusion into the passenger cabin is reduced, but the flexural strength of the cross-beam is decreased at groove locations
Solution Approach 1:
Grooves are pre-formed in the cross-beam during manufacturing at specific locations and orientations. These pre-formed features prepare the structure to buckle in a predetermined manner during impact, ensuring that deformation occurs in controlled zones that protect the passenger cabin before the actual collision event
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves are designed with specific dimensional parameters (depth, width, spacing, orientation) that are optimized to create the desired balance between deformation control and structural strength. By carefully controlling these geometric parameters, the cross-beam achieves controlled buckling that limits intrusion while maintaining adequate flexural strength through the grooves
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 design effectively limits the deformation of the vehicle body during a side impact by inducing buckling at the grooves, thereby reducing the amount of intrusion into the passenger cabin and enhancing crashworthiness.
Implementation Method 1
The cross-beam includes a first groove and a second groove both proximate the first frame rail and spaced from each other along the cross-vehicle axis... inducing controlled buckling to restrict intrusion into the passenger cabin
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle frame includes a first frame rail and a second frame rail elongated along a vehicle-longitudinal axis and spaced from each other along a cross-vehicle axis. The vehicle frame includes a cross-beam elongated along the cross-vehicle axis between the first frame rail and the second frame rail. The cross-beam includes a first groove and a second groove both proximate the first frame rail and spaced from each other along the cross-vehicle axis.