Cross-Car Beam With Open Wiring Channel for Space-Saving Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cross-car beams occupy significant space within vehicles, necessitating a design that minimizes spatial intrusion while maintaining structural support and functionality.
Innovation Solution
A stamped U-shaped cross-car beam with an open channel and brackets that allows for wiring looms to be housed and secured within the beam, providing structural support and easy access for installation and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a traditional cross-car beam design is used, then structural support is provided, but the beam occupies significant space within the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent nests the wiring loom inside the open channel of the beam, utilizing the existing beam structure to house electrical components. This nesting approach allows the beam to serve dual purposes: providing structural support while accommodating wiring, thereby reducing the need for separate wiring spaces and minimizing overall vehicle interior volume occupation.
Solution Approach 2:
The beam is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a structural support element and as a housing for electrical wiring systems. The open channel in the beam simultaneously provides structural integrity and acts as a conduit for wiring looms, eliminating the need for separate dedicated spaces for each function and thus reducing the volume occupied by the beam assembly.
2Strength
If the beam cross-section is enlarged to increase structural rigidity, then structural support is improved, but the beam occupies more space
Solution Approach 1:
The beam employs variable cross-section design where the cross-sectional area changes along the length of the beam. The beam has a larger cross-section at locations requiring enhanced structural rigidity (such as near the steering column) and a smaller cross-section at locations where less structural support is needed. This local variation in quality allows the beam to achieve necessary structural strength while minimizing overall volume occupation.
Solution Approach 2:
The beam's cross-sectional parameters are varied along its length to optimize the balance between structural rigidity and space occupation. By changing the cross-sectional area parameter dynamically rather than maintaining a uniform size, the beam achieves high rigidity where needed while reducing material usage and volume elsewhere in the structure.
3Ease of operation
If wiring looms are routed externally along the beam, then electrical systems are accessible, but the wiring is exposed and vulnerable
Solution Approach 1:
The wiring loom is nested inside the open channel of the beam, protecting the electrical wiring from external damage, moisture, and interference. This nested configuration maintains the wiring's reliability by shielding it within the beam's structural envelope while still allowing for accessible connection points and maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The open channel acts as an intermediary structure that houses the wiring loom. It provides a protected pathway that isolates the wiring from harmful external environments while maintaining accessibility for installation and maintenance operations. The channel serves as a mediator between the need for wiring protection and the need for operational accessibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A structural support apparatus is configured to extend laterally through a vehicle. The apparatus includes a beam defining an open channel. The open channel is configured to receive a loom of wiring. The beam includes a first extremity wall, and a second extremity wall spaced from the first extremity wall by the open channel. The structural support apparatus also includes at least one bracket bridging the first extremity wall and the second extremity wall.