Vehicle Side Pillar Rigidity Control for Collision Intrusion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vehicle side body structures face challenges in reducing the intrusion of the center pillar into the vehicle interior during a side collision while maintaining structural integrity and avoiding weight increase, as the inclined vertical wall parts of the lower member lead to a larger width and increased size of the center pillar.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle side body structure with a pillar member comprising an upper member, a lower member with lower rigidity, and a reinforcing member integrated into the upper member, where the lower half of the reinforcing member has reduced bending rigidity, allowing for controlled deformation and weight reduction by adjusting the bending rigidity across the pillar member.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the pair of vertical wall parts of the lower member is inclined so that the interval is larger toward the inside, then the bending rigidity against bending toward the vehicle interior is reduced, but the width in the vehicle front-rear direction becomes large, thereby increasing the size of the center pillar
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the cross-sectional shapes of the upper member and lower member different, with the lower member having a larger interval between vertical wall parts. This localized structural variation reduces bending rigidity specifically in the lower portion where it is needed for deformation control, while maintaining the overall pillar structure compact.
Solution Approach 2:
The pillar reinforcement is segmented into an upper member and a lower member joined together, with each having different cross-sectional shapes and rigidity characteristics. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each portion - the upper member maintains higher rigidity while the lower member has reduced rigidity for controlled deformation during side collision.
2Manufacturing precision
If plate members having different thicknesses or high-tensile material are joined to improve the accuracy of deformation, then the bending rigidity can be adjusted, but the structural complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the upper and lower members by making their cross-sectional shapes different, particularly the interval between vertical wall parts. This parameter variation achieves the desired deformation accuracy without requiring complex multi-layer plate constructions or high-tensile material joins, simplifying the overall 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
This configuration reduces the intrusion of the pillar member into the vehicle interior during a side collision by promoting bending deformation in the upper member and crushing in the lower member, achieving stable behavior and weight reduction.
Implementation Method 1
the bending rigidity of the lower member is set lower than the bending rigidity of the upper member and the reinforcing member while ensuring the continuity of the bending rigidity across the whole length of the upper member
Implementation Method 2
at the time of a side collision, the upper member undergoes bending deformation and mainly the lower member is crushed
Data Source
AI summary
To reduce the amount of intrusion into the vehicle interior at the time of a side collision and achieve weight reduction, a vehicle side body structure includes a pillar member that partitions a side part opening of a body into a front part and a rear part, and the pillar member includes an upper member made of high-tensile steel and a lower member joined to the upper member, made of high-tensile steel, and having a rigidity lower than the upper member. The upper member has a reinforcing member made of high-tensile steel with a tensile strength higher than the upper member and the lower member and the lower half of the reinforcing member are shaped to have a lower bending rigidity against bending toward the inside in the vehicle width direction, toward the lower end of the reinforcing member.