Hinge Pillar Reinforcement Member for Collision Load Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles with large side door openings, such as those without a center pillar, the hinge pillar tends to bend and deform during collisions, leading to increased weight when reinforced to prevent deformation, and there is a need for a solution that suppresses bending deformation without adding weight.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-body structure with a reinforcement member inside the hinge pillar, featuring a body extending in the up-down direction, front and lateral flange portions, and continuous ridge portions, which improves rigidity and proof stress, allowing the hinge pillar to withstand collision loads without significant weight increase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the front pillar and hinge pillar are sufficiently reinforced to suppress bending deformation, then the structural strength is improved, but the vehicle-body weight increases disadvantageously
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement member is positioned specifically at the mounting portion of the apron reinforcement where bending deformation occurs most severely. The continuous ridge portions are located precisely at the front and rear of the mounting portion to provide localized rigidity enhancement only where needed, rather than reinforcing the entire pillar structure uniformly.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement member is divided into functional segments: a body portion for structural integration, flange portions for mounting attachment, and continuous ridge portions for rigidity enhancement. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while minimizing overall material usage.
2Reliability
If a reinforcement member with higher strength is provided inside the hinge pillar to suppress bending deformation, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement member integrates multiple functions into a single component: it provides structural rigidity through continuous ridge portions, enables mounting attachment through flange portions, and maintains structural integrity through its body portion. This merging eliminates the need for multiple separate reinforcement components.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement member is nested inside the closed cross-section of the hinge pillar, utilizing the existing structural space. The reinforcement member fits within the pillar's internal cavity, maximizing the use of available space without adding external complexity to the overall vehicle structure.
Data Source
AI summary
In a vehicle having a large side door opening, a vehicle-body structure suppresses, during a collision in which an apron reinforcement recedes, bending deformation of a hinge pillar at a mounting portion of the apron reinforcement. Embodiments include a reinforcement member inside a closed cross-section of a hinge pillar overlapping a mounting portion of an apron reinforcement in the up-down direction. The reinforcement member includes a body extending in the up-down direction spaced apart from the hinge pillar, a front flange portion at a front portion of the body, a lateral flange portion at a rear portion of the body, a front ridge portion between the body and the front flange portion, and a rear ridge portion between the body and the lateral flange portion. Each of the front ridge portion and the rear ridge portion is continuously provided over the reinforcement member in the vehicle up-down direction.