Elevated Center Frame Layout for EV Cabin Crash Load Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electric vehicles with a floor panel lacking a tunnel structure, it is challenging to suppress deformation of the vehicle cabin during a front collision due to the absence of a tunnel frame extending in the vehicle front-rear direction.
Innovation Solution
An electric-vehicle-body structure featuring a center frame with a bend portion that connects to the floor panel via a connecting member, allowing the impact load to be efficiently transferred to the rear side of the bend portion, thereby suppressing deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a tunnel frame extending in the vehicle front-rear direction is provided, then deformation of the vehicle cabin during front collision is suppressed, but the vehicle body structure becomes more complex and occupies more space
Solution Approach 1:
The center frame is divided into multiple segments including a front-side frame member, a rear-side frame member, and a connecting member, allowing each part to be optimized independently while collectively providing impact resistance without requiring a continuous tunnel frame structure
Solution Approach 2:
The center frame is positioned at a height above the floor panel rather than extending along the floor, transferring the structural reinforcement function from the horizontal floor plane to the vertical space above it, thereby avoiding interference with floor space while maintaining collision resistance
2Adaptability or versatility
If the center frame is positioned higher above the floor panel, then it can accommodate various devices and improve comfortability, but it becomes more susceptible to bending deformation under impact load
Solution Approach 1:
The center frame is segmented into front-side and rear-side frame members connected by a connecting member, allowing the bend portion to be positioned at the connection point where it can flexibly accommodate devices while the segmented structure distributes bending stresses across multiple connection points to the floor panel
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting member acts as an intermediary element that connects the elevated center frame to the floor panel, providing a controlled connection point that allows the center frame to maintain its elevated position for device accommodation while transferring loads to the floor panel through the connecting member
3Reliability
If the center frame is connected to the floor panel via a connecting member, then impact load is efficiently transferred to the rear side, but the structure requires additional components increasing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The center frame is integrated with the floor panel through the connecting member to form a combined structural system, merging the load-bearing functions of both components into a unified structure that efficiently transfers impact loads from the elevated center frame to the floor panel and vehicle rear side
Data Source
AI summary
An electric-vehicle-body structure includes a floor panel constituting a floor of an occupant space, a center frame disposed to be higher than and away from the floor panel at a vehicle-width-direction central portion of the occupant space, extending in a front-rear direction, and including a bend portion at an intermediate portion, and a connecting member connecting the bend portion to the floor panel.