Vehicle Front Pillar Ridge Structure for Small Overlap Collision Load Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In small overlap collisions, existing vehicle front pillar structures may deform due to the backward motion of the front wheel, which can be exacerbated by the suspension member colliding with the pillar, leading to potential deformation and increased collision loads.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle lower portion structure featuring a pillar inner and outer panel configuration with specific ridge portions and flange arrangements that extend in the up-down direction, with the second ridge portion protruding towards the front side to receive and inhibit the backward motion of the front wheel, and additional ridge portions to enhance strength and rigidity, allowing collision loads to be transmitted effectively to the rocker and pillar reinforcement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a guide apparatus is provided inside the front pillar to guide the backward-moving front wheel outwards and towards the rear, then the front pillar deformation is inhibited, but the suspension member and the like supporting the front wheel will be pushed backwards and collide with the front pillar, inputting collision load into the front pillar
Solution Approach 1:
The front pillar is segmented into multiple functional zones: the guide apparatus (first ridge portion) at the outer side to guide the wheel, and the second ridge portion at the inner side to receive the wheel and transmit loads to the rocker. This segmentation allows different parts of the pillar to handle different aspects of the collision force, preventing suspension members from directly impacting the main pillar structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The second ridge portion acts as an intermediary structure between the front wheel and the main front pillar body. It receives the backward-moving wheel and transmits the collision loads to the rocker, preventing direct impact on the front pillar and avoiding deformation towards the vehicle cabin side.
2Reliability
If the second ridge portion protrudes towards the vehicle front side beyond the first ridge portion, then the backward-moving front wheel is received and backward motion is inhibited, but the structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first and second ridge portions are merged into a single integrated front pillar structure rather than being separate components. This combining approach provides the dual functionality of guiding and receiving the front wheel while maintaining structural simplicity and avoiding additional parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The ridge portions are formed by creating convex portions that protrude in the vehicle width direction from the front wall of the pillar outer panel. This dimensional approach allows the pillar to provide guidance and reception functions through its cross-sectional geometry rather than requiring separate longitudinal structures.
3Ease of operation
If the first ridge portion is formed at the front wall of the pillar outer panel extending in the vehicle up-down direction, then the structure provides guidance for the front wheel, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ridge portions are formed as convex portions during the stamping process of the pillar outer panel, before assembly. This preliminary formation of the guiding and receiving structures during panel manufacturing avoids the need for separate forming operations or assembly steps, simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a vehicle lower portion structure including: a pillar inner panel; a pillar outer panel having a hat-shaped cross-section, and at whose vehicle front-side end portion and vehicle rear-side end portion are formed outer flange portions that are joined to the inner flange portions; a first ridge portion that extends in a vehicle up-down direction at a front wall of the pillar outer panel and at an end portion on the outer side in the vehicle width direction within an area facing a front wheel in a vehicle front-rear direction; and a second ridge portion that extends in the vehicle up-down direction on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the first ridge portion within the area, and so as to protrude towards the vehicle front side beyond the first ridge portion when viewed in a cross-sectional plan view.