Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Lateral Sill Panel for Crash Energy Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle bodies with metal lateral sill panels have inefficiencies in energy absorption during side-impact crashes, leading to increased weight and intrusion into the vehicle interior, as metallic materials require large deformation to absorb energy effectively.
Innovation Solution
The use of fiber-reinforced plastic, particularly carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, for the lateral sill panel device and transverse seat support, which extends to the external wall element, allowing for direct energy absorption and reducing the need for the lateral sill panel to function as a bending beam, thereby minimizing intrusion and weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If metal lateral sill panels are used for impact protection, then structural strength is ensured, but energy absorption efficiency is limited and weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by replacing conventional metal lateral sill panels with fiber-reinforced plastic components. The transverse seat support and lateral sill panel are constructed as composite structures that combine high strength with superior energy absorption characteristics, resolving the contradiction between structural strength and energy absorption efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters from metal to fiber-reinforced plastic, fundamentally altering the energy absorption mechanism. The composite materials enable controlled crushing and progressive failure modes that significantly improve energy absorption efficiency while maintaining structural integrity
2Force
If metal lateral sill panels with wide support region are used, then crash load is distributed, but intrusion is greater and weight is higher
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber-reinforced plastic components maintain the wide support region geometry for crash load distribution but achieve higher specific strength (strength-to-weight ratio). This allows the structure to distribute crash loads effectively while significantly reducing the overall weight compared to metal constructions
Solution Approach 2:
By changing from metal to composite materials, the patent achieves the same load distribution function with reduced mass. The composite materials provide equivalent or superior mechanical performance at lower weight, resolving the contradiction between force distribution capability and vehicle weight
3Strength
If metal lateral sill panels are used, then structural support is provided, but production cost and weight are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs fiber-reinforced plastic components that can be manufactured using efficient composite forming processes. The lateral sill panel and transverse seat support are produced as integrated or semi-integrated composite parts, reducing assembly complexity and production costs while maintaining structural support capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the lateral sill panel and transverse seat support into an integrated composite structure or closely coupled system. This integration reduces the number of separate components, simplifies assembly operations, and lowers production costs while enhancing overall structural performance
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 solution results in a lighter vehicle body with reduced intrusion during crashes, as fiber-reinforced plastic components absorb energy efficiently, achieving up to half to one-third the weight of metal parts while enhancing energy absorption and enabling cost-effective production with diverse design possibilities.
Implementation Method 1
The use of fiber-reinforced plastic, particularly carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, for the lateral sill panel device and transverse seat support, which absorbs crash energy through axial crushing
Implementation Method 2
The lateral sill panel device in the crash is destroyed in a localized manner at the point of impact and is not bent inward like a support across the entire vehicle length
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle body is disclosed. The vehicle body includes a lateral sill panel device made of fiber-reinforced plastic, which is formed as a hollow profile with an external wall element as an impact face, and a floorpan structure including a transverse seat support made of fiber-reinforced plastic, which extends in the Y-direction of the vehicle body substantially to the external wall element.