Vehicle Door Impact Beam Bracket Load Dispersion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle doors face challenges in absorbing side impact loads effectively due to load concentration at the contact area between the reinforcing element and the bracket, leading to potential deformation and instability in load absorption.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle door design incorporates a reinforcing element with a first bracket and a second bracket, where the second bracket has joint portions connecting to the first bracket and features a close proximity section with a shorter distance from the reinforcing element, dispersing the load and inhibiting deformation and contact between the brackets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the bracket supports the reinforcing element directly, then the reinforcing element is securely held, but the load concentrates in the contact area causing deformation and instability
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is divided into multiple sections: a first bracket portion that contacts the reinforcing element, a second bracket portion that connects to the door, and an intermediate portion with varying thickness. This segmentation allows different regions to handle different aspects of the load, distributing stress more evenly and preventing concentration at a single point.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate portion of the bracket features variable thickness, being thicker near the reinforcing element contact area and gradually thinner towards the door connection. This local quality variation allows the bracket to provide maximum strength where the load is applied while reducing material and weight in less critical areas, optimizing both load absorption and preventing deformation.
2Reliability
If the bracket is made thicker to prevent deformation, then the load absorption stability improves, but the weight and complexity of the door structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket's intermediate portion uses variable thickness design, being thicker only in the critical area where load transfer occurs and gradually thinner towards the door connection. This allows the bracket to provide necessary strength and stability for load absorption while minimizing overall material usage and door weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket's cross-sectional dimensions are varied along its length, with the thickness parameter changing from the contact area with the reinforcing element to the connection area with the door. This parameter optimization ensures adequate strength for load stability while reducing unnecessary material and weight.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle side door internally includes an impact beam which extends along a longitudinal axis of a door. The impact beam is attached to a door inner panel via an outer extension. An inner extension is attached inside the outer extension. A distance along thickness of the door between the inner extension and the impact beam is shorter in a close proximity section than in a longitudinally neighboring area. Because the load received by the inner extension via the close proximity section is transferred to joint portions connecting to the outer extension, the load received by the outer extension from the impact beam is dispersed.