Front Pillar Impact Absorption Structure for Vehicle Crash Energy Dispersion

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional car crash structures fail to effectively absorb and disperse collision energy to the front pillar, leading to direct force transfer to the driver and passenger, causing severe injuries due to door deformation and pillar bending.

Innovation Solution

A structure comprising a front impact absorption member, upper and lower impact absorption members, and an impact transition member, with bent surfaces and trapezoidal shapes, disperses collision energy to the front pillar and side sill, preventing intense force transfer to the vehicle doors during a front-side collision.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the front impact absorption member and lower impact absorption member are engaged through bent surfaces, then the collision energy is effectively dispersed to the front pillar and side sill, but the structural complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision energy dispersion effectivenessVSAvoidstructural complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The impact absorption structure is divided into multiple independent members: front impact absorption member, upper impact absorption member, lower impact absorption member, and impact transition member. Each segment handles specific portions of the collision energy, allowing effective dispersion while maintaining modular simplicity in the overall design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The bent surfaces create multi-dimensional engagement paths for force transmission. The collision energy is redirected from horizontal impact to vertical and diagonal force components through the bent surface geometry, dispersing energy across multiple spatial dimensions and structural elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If the lower impact absorption member is prolonged in vertical direction, then the collision energy is better dispersed to the side sill, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision energy dispersion effectivenessVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The lower impact absorption member is pre-formed with a prolonged vertical section and integrated bent surface during manufacturing. This preliminary shaping allows the complex geometry to be created in a single forming operation rather than requiring post-assembly fabrication, reducing overall manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The prolonged vertical section and bent surface are merged into a single integrated component structure. The lower impact absorption member combines multiple functional features (vertical support, energy dispersion path, and connection interface) in one piece, simplifying the assembly process while achieving effective energy dispersion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS8857896B2Structure for dispersing collision energy of front pillar during car crash

Publication Date: 2014.10.14 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A structure for dispersing the collision energy of a front pillar during a car crash, may include a front impact absorption member formed in the interior of a front frame of a vehicle and configured to receive a collision energy when a car crashes into on its front side; upper and lower impact absorption members configured to disperse the collision energy of the front impact absorption member to a front pillar and a lower side of the front pillar; and an impact transition member connected to a lower side of the lower impact absorption member and connected to a front end portion of the side sill.