Vehicle Floor Frame Nesting for Collision and Aerodynamics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional vehicle body floor structures face inefficiencies in dispersing side collision impacts and struggle to achieve enhanced aerodynamic performance due to resistance from floor frames, while also increasing weight and reducing in-vehicle space when attempting to enhance frontal collision strength.

Innovation Solution

The vehicle body floor structure incorporates a floor panel with a recessed portion and front floor frames extending from a dashboard cross member to the middle region, bending to join with side sills, allowing for efficient impact dispersion and reduced airflow resistance, and features a downwardly concaved floor section to increase space without additional reinforcing members, thereby enhancing mechanical strength and aerodynamics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If floor frames are provided to disperse side collision impact, then side collision resistance is improved, but aerodynamic performance deteriorates due to resistance from floor frames

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveside collision resistanceVSAvoidaerodynamic resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The front floor frames are nested within the floor cross member structure, with the front floor frames positioned inside the hollow cross-sectional shape of the floor cross member. This nesting arrangement allows the floor frames to provide side collision resistance while remaining hidden within the floor cross member, thus not interfering with the airstream and maintaining aerodynamic performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention transitions the floor frames from a conventional horizontal arrangement to a vertically integrated structure where the front floor frames extend upward into the floor cross member. This dimensional change allows the frames to provide structural strength while minimizing their horizontal projection, thereby reducing aerodynamic resistance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Volume of moving object

If floor frames are extended to increase in-vehicle space, then space utilization is improved, but vehicle weight increases due to additional reinforcing members

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvein-vehicle spaceVSAvoidfloor structure weight

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The front floor frames serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide side collision resistance, contribute to frontal collision strength, and define the in-vehicle space. By making the floor frames multi-functional, the invention eliminates the need for separate reinforcing members, thereby increasing space utilization without significantly increasing weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the functions of floor frames and reinforcing members into a single integrated structure. The front floor frames are designed to extend from the dashboard cross member through the floor cross member to the side sills, combining the roles of lateral support and longitudinal reinforcement, thus reducing overall structure weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Strength

If floor frames are positioned to enhance frontal collision strength, then collision resistance is improved, but aerodynamic performance deteriorates due to interference with traveling air

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefrontal collision strengthVSAvoidaerodynamic resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The front floor frames are nested within the hollow cross-sectional structure of the floor cross member, allowing them to provide frontal collision strength while remaining hidden from the external airstream. This nesting ensures that the frames do not interfere with traveling air, maintaining aerodynamic performance while enhancing collision resistance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS7500714B2Vehicle body floor structure

Publication Date: 2009.03.10 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A vehicle body floor structure includes: a floor panel; a floor cross member provided on the floor panel and joined to left and side sills provided on left and right sides of the floor panel; and left and right front floor frames provided on the floor panel and extending from a dashboard cross member to a substantial middle region of the floor panel through a recessed portion of the floor cross member. The left and right front floor frames each have a rear section located rearwardly of the floor cross member, and these rear sections are bent outwardly to be joined to the left and right side sills, respectively. Each of the front floor frames may be provided on the upper surface of a downwardly concaved floor section of the floor panel and extend between the concaved floor section and the floor cross member.