Hollow Vehicle Frame Reinforced with Thermoplastic Polymer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle frame manufacturers face a challenge in enhancing structural integrity while minimizing weight, as adding weight to improve crash performance can compromise the lightweight design of vehicle frames.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle frame construction method involving an elongated hollow frame member reinforced with a thermoplastic polymer reinforcement member, featuring recesses and contact portions, and overmolded with structural foam to provide orthogonal reinforcement without significantly increasing weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional reinforcement methods are used to improve structural integrity, then crash performance is improved, but vehicle frame weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement member is nested inside the hollow frame member, with the reinforcement member's outer surface positioned within the interior space of the frame member. This allows the reinforcement to be contained within the existing frame structure without adding external bulk, thereby improving structural integrity while minimizing weight addition.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement member features contact portions with higher material density or structural complexity at specific locations where reinforcement is needed, while other portions have reduced material density. This localized reinforcement approach provides targeted structural support where required while maintaining overall weight efficiency.
2Strength
If reinforcement members are added to all interior sides of the frame, then structural integrity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement member is designed with a standardized configuration featuring contact portions that can engage with multiple interior sides of the frame member. This universal design allows a single reinforcement member type to provide reinforcement across different frame locations and orientations, simplifying the overall construction process while maintaining structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle frame construction and method includes an elongated hollow frame member having a plurality of interior sides and a reinforcement member. The reinforcement member is formed from a thermoplastic polymer and is installed so as to be arranged within the elongated hollow frame member to reinforce each interior side of the elongated hollow frame member in a plane orthogonally oriented relative to a longitudinal axis of the elongated hollow frame member.