EV Front Floor Reinforcement Frame for Seat Mount Stiffness

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing designs for new-energy vehicle front floor reinforcement beams face challenges in achieving lightweight design while meeting performance requirements, particularly in stiffness at the center mounting point for front seats, which affects ride comfort and side-column impact safety, due to the absence of a central tunnel and limited space for beam formation.

Innovation Solution

A front floor reinforcement beam structure with a frame design comprising a front cross member, rear cross member, and multiple longitudinal beams, including L-shaped and rectangular beams, connected via side beams and mounting brackets, which enhances connection strength and stiffness, and incorporates rolled and stamped members for improved rigidity and weight reduction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a flat floor panel with three welded stamped cross members is used, then the structure is simple to manufacture, but the stiffness at the center mounting point is insufficient, affecting seat comfort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidstiffness at center mounting point
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from a flat 2D floor panel to a 3D spatial frame structure by adding longitudinal beams that extend in the vehicle's length direction and cross members that provide transverse support. This dimensional transformation creates a rigid spatial framework that significantly enhances center mounting point stiffness while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized beam components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs composite construction by combining multiple beam types (longitudinal beams, cross members, side beams) with different structural characteristics to form an integrated reinforcement system. This composite approach allows optimization of each component's function while achieving overall structural performance that satisfies both manufacturing and stiffness requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If two longitudinal beams are coupled with two cross members to reinforce the floor panel structure, then side-column impact safety is improved, but the weight increases and assembly complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveside-column impact safetyVSAvoidbeam structure weight
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple reinforcement functions into an integrated frame structure where longitudinal beams, cross members, and side beams work together as a unified system. This consolidation achieves side-column impact safety through the collective strength of the frame while reducing overall weight compared to separate, redundant reinforcement components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The reinforcement structure is segmented into distinct functional components (longitudinal beams for primary support, cross members for transverse reinforcement, side beams for lateral connection) that can be manufactured separately and assembled systematically. This segmentation enables weight optimization of each component and simplifies assembly processes through standardized connection interfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Volume of stationary object

If the front floor panel is designed without a central tunnel for pure electric vehicles, then battery space is increased, but the stiffness at the center mounting point for front seats becomes difficult to achieve

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery spaceVSAvoidstiffness at center mounting point
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of stationary objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent compensates for the removed central tunnel by transitioning to a 3D spatial frame structure with longitudinal beams that provide center mounting support. This dimensional transformation allows the reinforcement system to extend vertically and longitudinally, achieving center stiffness without requiring a traditional tunnel-based support structure, thereby preserving battery space while meeting seat mounting requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

4Strength

If more beams and mounting brackets are added to improve stiffness and connection strength, then seat comfort and safety are improved, but assembly time and manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection strength and stiffnessVSAvoidassembly time
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates mounting brackets and connection nodes as integral parts of the beam structure during manufacturing, rather than adding them as separate assembly steps. This preliminary integration of mounting functions into the beam fabrication process reduces assembly time while maintaining the necessary connection strength and stiffness for seat installation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4699909A1Reinforcing beam structure for front floor of new energy vehicle, and mounting method
Publication Date: 2026.02.25 CHERY AUTOMOBILE CO LTD
  • EP4699909A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4699909A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4699909A1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The present disclosure discloses a front floor reinforcement beam structure for a new-energy vehicle and a mounting method therefore, and relates to the field of vehicle technologies. The front floor reinforcement beam structure for the new-energy vehicle includes a front cross member and a rear cross member that are connected by a plurality of longitudinal beams, wherein both ends of the front cross member are respectively provided with a connecting side beam, the front cross member is provided with a plurality of mounting reinforcement brackets, and the front cross member is connected to a door sill of the vehicle via the connecting side beams; both ends of the rear cross member are respectively provided with a front seat rear cross member side beam, and a front seat middle mounting bracket is disposed at a middle position of the rear cross member; and the plurality of longitudinal beams include an L-shaped connecting longitudinal beam and a rectangular reinforcement longitudinal beam, wherein one end of the L-shaped connecting longitudinal beam is overlapped with the front cross member, one end of the rectangular reinforcement longitudinal beam is connected to the rear cross member, and another end of the rectangular reinforcement longitudinal beam is connected to the front cross member. The frame structure formed by the cross members and longitudinal beams meets the platform requirements of the vehicle, and the overlapped structure of the L-shaped connecting longitudinal beam and the front cross member improves the connection strength between the L-shaped connecting longitudinal beam and the front cross member.