Modular Bumper Beam Structure for Multi-Vehicle Collision Performance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bumper back beams are specific to certain vehicle types, making them non-replaceable and inflexible for various vehicle designs and sizes, leading to increased manufacturing costs due to the need for new molds for each mobility requirement.
Innovation Solution
A bumper back beam design featuring a center portion made of continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic and side portions made of glass fiber mat plastic, with a coupling and connecting end part structure that allows for flexible assembly and adjustment to different vehicle widths, enabling secure collision performance across various mobilities with minimal molds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional bumper back beam is designed for a specific vehicle type, then collision performance is optimized for that vehicle, but the beam cannot be flexibly applied to other vehicle types and requires new molds for each mobility
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper back beam is divided into a center portion and two side portions that can be separately manufactured and assembled. The center portion contains coupling end parts that interface with the side portions, allowing modular assembly. This segmentation enables the side portions to be replaced or adjusted for different vehicle types while reusing the standardized center portion, reducing mold requirements and manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The center portion of the bumper back beam is designed as a universal component with standardized coupling end parts that can interface with different side portions. This universal design allows the same center portion to be used across multiple vehicle types and mobilities, with only the side portions needing to be changed to accommodate different vehicle widths and designs, thereby reducing the need for new molds.
2Strength
If the bumper back beam is made of steel material, then strength and rigidity are improved, but the weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper back beam utilizes composite materials, specifically glass fiber mat plastic for the side portions and continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic for the center portion. These composite materials provide high strength and rigidity comparable to steel while significantly reducing the weight, achieving a favorable strength-to-weight ratio suitable for modern mobility requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
Different materials are used for different portions of the bumper back beam based on local requirements. The side portions use glass fiber mat plastic for adequate strength with lower weight, while the center portion uses continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic for enhanced strength and rigidity where needed. This localized material selection optimizes both weight and strength characteristics.
3Reliability
If the bumper back beam and crash box are integrated, then high energy absorption is achieved, but the bumper back beam becomes non-replaceable and mobility-specific
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper back beam is segmented into modular components (center portion and side portions) that can be separately assembled and disassembled from the crash box. The coupling end parts provide standardized interfaces that allow the bumper back beam to be removed and replaced while maintaining the integrated energy absorption function during use. This modularity enables replacement and adaptation to different vehicle types.
4Weight of moving object
If glass fiber mat plastic is used for the side portion, then weight is reduced compared to steel, but strength and rigidity are lower
Solution Approach 1:
The side portions are manufactured using glass fiber mat plastic, a composite material that provides adequate strength and rigidity for the side sections while maintaining low weight. The glass fiber reinforcement within the plastic matrix enhances the mechanical properties sufficiently for side portion requirements without the weight penalty of steel.
Solution Approach 2:
Glass fiber mat plastic is specifically used for the side portions where lower strength requirements can be met with this lighter material, while the center portion uses stronger continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic. This local quality approach optimizes weight distribution while maintaining overall structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure discloses a bumper beam for a motor vehicle including a center portion free of mobility-specificity and side portions that may be altered according to design and specification of the mobility to secure collision performance so that the bumper back beam of which collision performance is secured and which satisfies various mobilities may be flexibly applied. Accordingly, it is possible to configure the back beam satisfying various mobilities based on a standardized model to secure collision performance so that manufacturing cost is reduced by assembling and producing the back beams with minimum molds.