Vehicle Front Side Frame with Bulkhead for Collision Energy Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing front portion structures of vehicle bodies face limitations in design flexibility due to predetermined bending positions, which can lead to stress concentration and increased weight when trying to accommodate tire clearance and engine layout, making it difficult to smoothly bend the front side frame during collisions.
Innovation Solution
A front portion structure with a hat-shaped front side frame main unit, including a flange and back plate forming a closed cross-section, a curved tire clearance portion, and a bulkhead positioned within the closed cross-section, allowing for delayed bending and reduced stress concentration, eliminating the need for additional reinforcing members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the front side frame is bent at predetermined positions to absorb shock, then shock absorption is improved, but the design flexibility is reduced and weight increases due to additional reinforcing members
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a bulkhead structure at a specific location within the front side frame. This bulkhead is positioned to work in conjunction with the flange bending, providing localized reinforcement exactly where needed during collision, rather than adding reinforcing members throughout the entire structure. This targeted approach maintains design flexibility while ensuring reliable shock absorption.
Solution Approach 2:
The bulkhead is pre-positioned within the front side frame during manufacturing, before the vehicle enters service. This preliminary placement ensures that when collision occurs and the flange bends, the bulkhead is already in position to provide the necessary structural support and energy absorption, eliminating the need for additional reinforcing members to be added later or designed into the overall structure.
2Reliability
If reinforcing members are added near bending positions to set difference in strength, then shock absorption is improved, but weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding reinforcing members throughout the entire front side frame, the patent applies local quality by placing a bulkhead at a specific strategic location. This bulkhead provides the necessary reinforcement and strength difference exactly where the flange bending occurs during collision, without adding unnecessary weight to other portions of the structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential function of reinforcement from distributed reinforcing members and concentrates it into a single bulkhead structure. By taking out the reinforcement function and placing it at the critical location where the flange bends, the design achieves the necessary strength without the weight penalty of multiple distributed reinforcing members.
3Ease of operation
If the flange is formed as a curved shape within the tire clearance portion, then steering angle is improved, but stress concentration occurs at the tire clearance portion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a bulkhead at a specific location that works in conjunction with the curved flange shape. The bulkhead provides localized reinforcement that counteracts stress concentration in the curved tire clearance portion, allowing the flange to maintain its curved shape for steering while preventing excessive stress buildup during collision.
Solution Approach 2:
The bulkhead acts as an intermediary element between the curved flange and the rest of the front side frame. It mediates the stress distribution by providing a structured support point that prevents direct stress concentration at the curved tire clearance portion, while still allowing the curved shape to function for steering purposes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables smooth bending of the front side frame during collisions, improving shock absorption while reducing weight and cost by distributing load effectively and avoiding stress concentration at the tire clearance portion.
Implementation Method 1
the front side frame is bent at three positions, thereby absorbing the shock
Implementation Method 2
energy absorption at the time of collision can be improved
Implementation Method 3
a bulkhead is provided within the front side frame at a position matching a joint with a cross member, whereby the front side frame behind the position where the bulkhead has been provided can be allowed to compress and deform in a stable manner
Implementation Method 4
a flange which is an edge of an inner panel with a groove shape is layered with a flange of an outer panel, these are joined together to form a closed cross-section shape
Implementation Method 5
the tip flanges where the load is input are bent in a crank shape, so the tip flanges do not peel away from each other but rather deform in a wave-like shape
Data Source
AI summary
With a structure for a front portion of a vehicle body, a front side frame has a front side frame main unit of which a cross-sectional shape is generally hat-shaped and of which an opening faces the outer direction where a front wheel is placed, a back plate forming a closed cross-section with the inner face of the front side frame main unit being layered with and joined with a flange facing toward the outer direction, and a tire clearance portion formed in a curved shape to correspond to steering range of the front wheels. A sidewall is formed into a sidewall straight portion in an approximately straight line from the tip of the front side frame to the middle including the tire clearance portion. The flange has a flange straight portion formed to the tire clearance portion, approximately parallel with the sidewall straight portion of the sidewall.