Hook Bracket Mounting Structure for Bumper Reinforce Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mount structures for hook brackets on automobile bumpers are heavy, limiting vehicle body weight reduction while maintaining towing performance.
Innovation Solution
The hook bracket is formed with a cut in its extrusion cross-section, extending from the rear end into the hollow of the bumper reinforce, allowing for weight reduction without compromising towing performance by reducing the effective length of the internally threaded hole and altering the welding pattern.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hook bracket and bumper reinforce are both formed of aluminum alloy extrusion with high rigidity and welded together, then towing performance is improved, but vehicle body weight is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The hook bracket is divided into three main segments: the shaft portion that penetrates the bumper reinforce, the hook portion for attaching the towing hook, and the cut portion that removes material to reduce weight. This segmentation allows the bracket to maintain structural integrity where needed while removing unnecessary material for weight reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The cut is strategically positioned and shaped (U-shaped, V-shaped, or semicircular) to remove material from non-critical areas of the hook bracket while preserving material in areas that require strength for towing performance. This local modification approach reduces overall weight while maintaining functional requirements.
2Weight of moving object
If the cut is extended deeper into the hollow of the bumper reinforce, then weight reduction is increased, but structural strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The cut extends partially into the hollow section of the bumper reinforce, but not completely through it. This partial penetration achieves sufficient weight reduction while leaving enough material in the bumper reinforce to maintain its structural strength and integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The depth, shape, and position of the cut are carefully controlled parameters. By adjusting these parameters (U-shaped, V-shaped, or semicircular cuts at specific depths), the design optimizes the balance between weight reduction and maintaining the structural strength of both the hook bracket and bumper reinforce.
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 design achieves significant weight reduction without deteriorating towing performance, as the cut and modified welding pattern distribute stress effectively, maintaining required performance metrics.
Implementation Method 1
The shaft portion of the hook bracket is penetrated through a hole formed in the front and rear walls of a bumper reinforce having a hollow cross-section and welded to the front and rear walls
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a structure for mounting a hook bracket formed of an aluminum alloy extrusion to a bumper reinforce having a hollow cross-section, and further reduces the weight of the hook bracket and the weight of the mount structure without deteriorating towing performance. The hook bracket has a cut that is formed in an extrusion cross-section (a cross-section perpendicular to the direction of extrusion) and extended from the rear end of a shaft portion into the hollow in the bumper reinforce. Further, an internally threaded hole is formed. The shaft portion of the hook bracket is penetrated through a hole formed in front and rear walls of the bumper reinforce and fillet-welded to the front and rear walls. The shaft portion is not fillet-welded to the rear wall at a position where the cut is formed.