Curved Hinge Reinforcement Beads to Prevent Press-Forming Wrinkles
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-strength materials used in vehicle structural members, such as center pillars, tend to form wrinkles during press forming, which are difficult to smooth and can lead to defects in the final product, especially in the curved sections of U-shaped hinge reinforcements, affecting the integrity of the welds and overall structural strength.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a bead between welding projections in the lateral walls of the hinge reinforcement, with the bead and projections arranged to prevent wrinkles, where the bead is raised from the base surface and has a smaller height than the projections, and extending from the open side edge toward the ridge line, effectively absorbing excess material and preventing wrinkle formation during press forming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If high-strength material is used for hinge reinforcement, then side impact resistance is improved, but wrinkle formation during press forming increases and becomes difficult to smooth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces preliminary creases (pre-formed fold lines) into the steel sheet before the final press forming process. These creases are created in advance to control the material flow and stress distribution during forming, preventing wrinkle formation in high-strength materials that cannot be smoothed after forming
2Strength
If high-strength material is used for hinge reinforcement, then structural strength is improved, but wrinkle removal after forming becomes troublesome and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary creasing to high-strength materials to prevent wrinkle formation during the forming process itself, eliminating the need for difficult post-forming wrinkle removal operations that would be required with conventional materials
3Productivity
If conventional press forming is used for high-strength material, then production efficiency is maintained, but wrinkle formation in curved sections increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates preliminary crease formation as an integrated step in the press forming process for high-strength materials, maintaining production efficiency while significantly improving surface quality by preventing wrinkle formation in curved sections through controlled material flow
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
The solution effectively prevents or suppresses wrinkles in high-strength materials during press forming, ensuring accurate formation and enhanced structural integrity by reducing compressive strain and springback, thereby improving the reliability of the reinforcement's welds and overall performance against side impacts.
Implementation Method 1
The bead is configured to prevent or suppress wrinkles from forming during a press forming process
Implementation Method 2
A single steel sheet is bent, by pressing, into a U-shaped cross section
Data Source
AI summary
A reinforcement, joined by welding to a vehicle structural member having a closed cross section, comprising a curved section at least in part of its length, a top wall having opposite edges, and a pair of lateral walls extending from the edges to form ridge lines, wherein the top wall and the lateral walls form a U-shaped cross section. The lateral wall includes a base surface and a plurality of welding projections at intervals along its length, each welding projection having a raised surface for welding. Each welding projection is raised from the base surface of the lateral wall toward the vehicle structural member. The lateral wall further includes a bead between the welding projections within a curved section to prevent or suppress wrinkles from forming during press forming. The bead is raised from the base surface of the lateral wall toward the vehicle structural member.