Selective Hood Frame Reinforcement for Vehicle Hood Deflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional vehicle hoods face challenges with deflection due to airflow and thermal expansion, and design constraints related to energy management in collisions, which existing metal frame components fail to adequately address while maintaining structural support and minimizing weight.
Innovation Solution
A unitary metallic hood frame with embossed surfaces and openings, reinforced with welded metallic materials, and a hood skin attached to the frame, which improves rigidity and energy management through strategic reinforcement and weight reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional metal frame components are used to provide structural support, then the hood maintains its shape, but deflection occurs due to airflow lift and thermal expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies reinforcement materials selectively at specific locations on the hood frame where deflection occurs most, rather than uniformly reinforcing the entire frame. This localized approach addresses the deflection problem while minimizing weight increase and maintaining energy management characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines traditional metal frame materials with additional reinforcement materials to create a composite structure. This composite approach provides enhanced rigidity and deflection resistance while allowing optimization of weight and energy absorption properties.
2Stability of the object's composition
If reinforcement materials are added to reduce deflection, then rigidity and natural frequency improve, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
Reinforcement materials are applied only at critical areas of the hood frame where structural support is most needed, rather than throughout the entire frame. This localized reinforcement achieves the required rigidity and natural frequency improvement with minimal weight increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies reinforcement materials to specific portions of the hood frame rather than the entire structure. This partial action provides sufficient structural improvement to meet performance requirements while avoiding excessive weight gain that would result from complete frame reinforcement.
3Loss of energy
If the hood frame is designed for energy management in collisions, then energy absorption is improved, but structural support during normal operation is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies reinforcement materials at specific locations that do not interfere with designated energy absorption zones. This allows the hood frame to maintain its energy management characteristics during collisions while providing enhanced structural support during normal operation through strategically placed reinforcements.
Solution Approach 2:
The hood frame is effectively segmented into different functional zones: reinforced areas for structural support during normal operation and unreinforced areas for energy absorption during collisions. This segmentation allows both contradictory requirements to be satisfied in different parts of the structure.
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 significantly reduces deflection and enhances the natural frequency of the hood frame, achieving improved rigidity and energy absorption while maintaining design constraints, with a minimal weight increase.
Implementation Method 1
a metallic reinforcement material welded to a subset of the respective curved surfaces of the metallic hood frame
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle hood includes a unitary metallic hood frame including a plurality of embosses having respective curved surfaces and a plurality of openings. The vehicle hood includes a metallic reinforcement material welded to a subset of the respective curved surfaces of the metallic hood frame. The vehicle hood includes a hood skin attached to the hood frame. The selective placement of metallic reinforcement material may reduce deflection of the vehicle hood while reducing weight compared to metal supports or a thicker metallic hood frame.