Front Pillar Inner Gusset for Dashboard Displacement Restraint

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle front structures fail to effectively restrain the backward displacement of the dashboard panel and inner panel reinforcing member during a frontal collision, leading to potential hazards for the driver.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle front structure that includes a tubular front pillar, a dashboard cross-member, an inner panel reinforcing member, and a front pillar inner gusset, where the ends of these components are connected and fastened to a front pillar reinforcing member, allowing collision loads to be transmitted and dispersed, thereby restraining backward displacement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a brittle portion is provided between the front pillar front part and front pillar rear part to absorb impact through buckling, then the backward displacement of the inner panel reinforcing member is restrained, but the dashboard panel may undergo undue backward displacement during frontal collision

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverestraint of inner panel reinforcing member displacementVSAvoidbackward displacement of dashboard panel

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The front pillar is divided into multiple functional segments: a rigid front pillar front part that directly supports the dashboard panel, a brittle portion for impact absorption, and a rear pillar part. This segmentation allows each segment to perform its specific function - the front part prevents dashboard displacement while the brittle portion absorbs impact energy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A dashboard cross-member is introduced as an intermediary component connecting the dashboard panel to the front pillar front part. This intermediary structure provides an additional load path that prevents undue dashboard panel displacement while allowing the brittle portion to perform its impact absorption function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If the dashboard panel is directly connected to the front pillar without additional reinforcing structures, then the structure is simpler, but the backward displacement of the dashboard panel and inner panel reinforcing member cannot be effectively restrained during collision

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidrestraint of backward displacement

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The front pillar inner gusset merges multiple functions into a single component: it connects the dashboard cross-member to the front pillar, provides additional structural reinforcement, and works with the brittle portion to restrain backward displacement of both the dashboard panel and inner panel reinforcing member during collision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The front pillar inner gusset and dashboard cross-member are pre-installed to create a rigid connection structure before collision occurs. This preliminary structural preparation ensures that when impact occurs, the backward displacement of critical components is restrained from the outset

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10618561B2Vehicle front structure

Publication Date: 2020.04.14 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

Provided is a vehicle front structure including: a tubular front pillar; a front pillar reinforcing member mounted inside the front pillar; a dashboard cross-member that is mounted on a dashboard panel disposed on the front side of the front pillar in a vehicle front-rear direction and extends in a vehicle width direction; an inner panel reinforcing member that is disposed on the rear side of the front pillar in the vehicle front-rear direction and extends in the vehicle width direction; and a front pillar inner gusset to which an end of the dashboard cross-member in the vehicle width direction and an end of the inner panel reinforcing member in the vehicle width direction are connected, wherein the front pillar inner gusset is fastened to the front pillar reinforcing member.