Fiber-Reinforced Resin Floor Panel Ribs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Fiber-reinforced resin vehicle floor panels face issues with thermal characteristics variability and deformation due to thermal diffusivity and heat transfer coefficient variations during manufacturing, and are prone to deformation under external loads during vehicle collisions.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle floor panel design featuring a fiber-reinforced resin with a plurality of recesses and ribs, where the ribs connect adjacent recesses and are parallel to a straight line linking their centers, providing increased rigidity and distributing forces efficiently, while the recesses are circular in planar view and arc-shaped in longitudinal section to inhibit deformation and weight concentration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a fiber-reinforced resin is used to make the plate-like body, then strength and stiffness are improved, but thermal characteristics vary with position in the forming die causing deformation during cooling

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovestrengthVSAvoiddeformation during cooling
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention introduces ribs with different thicknesses at different locations to compensate for thermal characteristic variations. Specifically, ribs having a larger thickness are provided at positions where the heat transfer coefficient is smaller, while ribs with smaller thickness are provided where the heat transfer coefficient is larger, achieving uniform cooling and preventing warping deformation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the thickness parameter of ribs based on their position in the forming die. By adjusting the rib thickness according to the local heat transfer coefficient, the cooling rate is equalized across different positions, preventing thermal deformation during the forming process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Weight of moving object

If the plate thickness is reduced to decrease weight, then weight is reduced, but rigidity and resistance to deformation under collision loads deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveweightVSAvoidrigidity
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The invention divides the floor panel into multiple regions by introducing ribs that connect adjacent recesses. This segmentation creates a structured framework that enhances rigidity and load distribution, allowing the panel to maintain high strength even with reduced overall plate thickness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses fiber-reinforced resin as a composite material that provides high strength-to-weight ratio. Combined with the rib structure, this composite material enables the floor panel to achieve both weight reduction and maintained rigidity under collision loads

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentEP3354542B1Vehicle floor panel
Publication Date: 2020.08.05 SUZUKI MOTOR CORP
  • EP3354542B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3354542B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3354542B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

To provide a vehicle floor panel having a certain rigidity and being less prone to deformation during manufacturing and deformation when the vehicle floor panel installed in a vehicle is subjected to loads in various directions from outside the vehicle. A vehicle floor panel includes a floor panel main body made of a fiber-reinforced resin, a plurality of recesses 23-1 to 23-7 protruding on one of a lower surface 22 and upper surface of the floor panel main body and depressed on the other of the surfaces and arranged by being spaced apart from one another, and ribs 24-1 to 24-12 connecting two adjacent ones of the recesses on the one of the surfaces of the floor panel main body.