Vehicle Crossmember Half-Shell Attachment Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle driving position crossmembers are heavy and complex, making them difficult to lighten without compromising strength or simplifying installation.
Innovation Solution
A crossmember design featuring a main transverse metal element and a central leg with half-shells that securely attach to the floor and metal element, using a unitary leg with perpendicular sections and connecting bars, and indexing elements for precise positioning and assembly, made from lightweight materials like polymer and magnesium alloys.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional metal profiles and welding are used to construct the crossmember, then structural strength is ensured, but the overall weight of the vehicle increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite construction by combining polymer material for the jamb elements with metal inserts for critical load-bearing connections. The central leg is made of polymer with metal inserts at the fixing means, creating a hybrid structure that reduces weight while maintaining strength through strategic material placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The crossmember is divided into distinct functional segments: the main transverse metal element, the central leg with two perpendicular sections, and the half-shell fixing means. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, with the polymer central leg providing lightweight support and metal elements providing structural integrity at connection points.
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate components are used to form the jamb and connecting elements, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but the number of parts and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functional elements into the unitary central leg structure. The two perpendicular sections, connecting bars, and fixing means are integrated into a single molded polymer component with embedded metal inserts, reducing the total part count while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through modular design of the integrated components.
Solution Approach 2:
The central leg combines polymer material for the main body with metal inserts embedded during molding, creating a composite component that achieves both structural requirements and part reduction. This integrated composite construction eliminates the need for separate metal brackets and fasteners that would otherwise be required.
3Reliability
If conventional fixing methods are used to attach the leg to the main transverse metal element, then structural integrity is maintained, but the assembly process becomes time-consuming and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The metal inserts are pre-positioned and embedded within the polymer central leg during the molding process, rather than being attached separately during assembly. This preliminary action ensures precise positioning and immediate structural integrity upon installation, eliminating the need for separate fastening operations and reducing assembly time while maintaining reliable connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing means are integrated directly into the central leg structure through the molded-in metal inserts, merging the connection function with the support function. This integration allows the leg to be directly attached to the main transverse metal element without requiring separate brackets, bolts, or welding operations, significantly simplifying assembly while ensuring structural integrity.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a driver's compartment crossmember of a vehicle, comprising a main transverse metal element (2) and a central support (3) for attachment to the vehicle floor. The support (3) is a unit comprising two legs (5) substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the main transverse metal element (2) and at least one connecting bar between the two legs (5). Upper attachment means (8) of the support (3) to the main metal element (2) comprise a pair of half-shells (9, 10) associated with each leg (5), at least one half-shell of each pair forming part of the leg. Two half-shells are joined together by completely enclosing the main transverse metal element (2) in a plane perpendicular to its longitudinal direction and conforming to the contour of the main transverse metal element (2).