Vehicle Front-End Heat Exchanger Mounting With Dual Position Guides
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for mounting a heat exchanger assembly in a motor vehicle require separate support structures for different longitudinal positions, leading to high production costs and low flexibility, as they necessitate designing and producing multiple components for various powertrain configurations.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle front-end design that includes a flexible frame with interchangeable brackets and positioning guides, allowing the heat exchanger assembly to be positioned forward or rearward without altering the frame's structure, using wedges and plugs to secure the assembly in two different configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional front-end with separate headlight units and grille is used, then the design flexibility is limited and production time is increased, but the manufacturing precision and assembly complexity remain manageable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the headlight units, grille, and bumper into a single integrated front-end assembly. The headlight units are positioned in recesses of the bumper, and the grille is integrated between them, creating a unified structure that reduces the number of separate components and simplifies assembly while enabling greater design flexibility
2Productivity
If a conventional front-end with multiple separate components is used, then the production time is increased due to sequential assembly, but the manufacturing precision can be maintained for each individual component
Solution Approach 1:
The front-end assembly is designed as an integrated unit where the bumper serves as the base structure, headlight units are pre-positioned in recesses, and the grille is integrated between them. This merging of components into a single assembly reduces the number of sequential assembly steps and improves production efficiency
3Reliability
If larger headlight units are used to improve safety visibility, then the safety performance is improved, but the available space in the front-end design is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The headlight units are positioned in recesses of the bumper, utilizing the depth dimension rather than only the surface area. This allows larger headlight units to be accommodated within the available space by exploiting the three-dimensional structure of the front-end assembly
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A motor vehicle front-end (1) is provided with a heat exchanger assembly (7), having two side posts (8), at least one radiator supported by the side posts (8), and two attachment appendages (11), outwardly projecting from the side posts (8) along a horizontal direction (12); the front-end is further provided with a frame (15) with two side portions (30) respectively supporting the appendages (11); these side portions (30) have respective guides (31), which are engaged by the appendages (11) in a longitudinally sliding manner and have a sufficiently wide length to be able to arrange the appendages (11) in two longitudinal positions, different from each other; for each guide (31), a wedge (40a,40b), which engages a space not engaged by the appendage (11), is provided.