Fiber-Reinforced Cross Car Beam for Lower Weight and CO2
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle cockpit cross car beams made from metal components are heavy, requiring numerous production steps and high CO2 usage, due to their high mechanical strength requirements.
Innovation Solution
A cross car beam manufactured entirely from fiber-reinforced polymer with a u-shaped cross section, incorporating aligned glass or carbon fibers for stiffness and reduced component count, allowing for automated injection molding and integration of additional components like glove box housing and steering column carriers to enhance structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If metal components are used for cross car beam, then mechanical strength is improved, but weight increases and CO2 usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by using fiber-reinforced polymer (combining polymer matrix with reinforcing fibers) to manufacture the cross car beam. This composite material provides high mechanical strength comparable to metal while significantly reducing weight, directly resolving the contradiction between strength and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters from traditional metal to fiber-reinforced polymer, altering the density and strength-to-weight ratio parameters. This material substitution enables achieving the required mechanical strength with lower weight, addressing the strength-weight contradiction.
2Strength
If metal components are used for cross car beam, then mechanical strength is improved, but device complexity increases due to numerous production steps and additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple components into a single integrally manufactured cross car beam made from fiber-reinforced polymer. This eliminates the need for assembling numerous metal components and additional parts, significantly reducing device complexity and production steps while maintaining structural integrity and mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The cross car beam is designed as a universal component that integrates multiple functions into a single part, replacing the traditional multi-component metal assembly. This multi-functional design reduces the number of production steps and simplifies the overall device complexity.
3Strength
If metal components are used for cross car beam, then mechanical strength is improved, but productivity decreases due to high installation effort
Solution Approach 1:
By combining multiple components into a single integrally manufactured cross car beam, the patent reduces the installation effort from assembling numerous metal parts to installing one pre-assembled component. This significantly improves productivity during vehicle assembly while maintaining the required mechanical strength.
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
This solution reduces weight and CO2 usage while maintaining mechanical strength, enabling efficient production and integration of components, thereby lowering production and usage-related CO2 emissions.
Implementation Method 1
The occurring forces are transferred from the vehicle body to the cross car beam via fixing points
Implementation Method 2
The fibers include glass fibers or carbon fibers whose orientation in the polymer is aligned with the force flow through the cross car beam
Implementation Method 3
The cross car beam is made from an injection molded fiber reinforced polymer
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a cross car beam for a vehicle including a first main body extending in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end. The first main body has a substantially u-shaped cross section following the longitudinal direction. The cross car beam is formed integrally by at least one fiber reinforced polymer.