Vehicle Center Pillar Stiffener Trough Design for Side Impact
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vehicle body side structure is prone to deformation and separation from the roof side rail during a side collision due to its weight and design, which compromises its rigidity and ability to withstand collision loads effectively.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle body side structure featuring a center pillar with a stiffener that has a recessed trough design, where the trough is deepest at the central part to enhance three-point bending resistance, reducing the overall weight and increasing rigidity while preventing deformation and separation from the roof side rail, by transmitting stress as a compression load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the center pillar uses a thin cross section above the belt line to reduce weight, then the weight is reduced and visibility is improved, but the rigidity is insufficient and deformation occurs during side collision
Solution Approach 1:
The stiffener is designed with varying cross-sectional shape along its length, with the widest portion positioned at the belt line upper part where rigidity is most needed to resist three-point bending during side collision. The stiffener tapers toward the upper and lower ends, providing local reinforcement exactly where the thin center pillar cross-section creates weakness, while maintaining overall weight reduction.
2Weight of moving object
If the center pillar has a thin cross section above the belt line, then visibility and weight are improved, but separation from the roof side rail occurs during side collision
Solution Approach 1:
The stiffener's cross-sectional width varies along its length, being widest at the belt line upper part where it effectively braces the center pillar against lateral deformation and prevents separation from the roof side rail. The localized reinforcement at this critical position maintains connection reliability without adding unnecessary weight throughout the entire stiffener length.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a vehicle body side structure to reduce a center pillar in weight and suitably prevent deformation of the center pillar and separation of a stiffener from a roof side rail due to a side collision load. The vehicle body side structure includes a stiffener having a stiffener upper part provided above a central part in a height direction of a center pillar. The upper end of the stiffener upper part is joined to a roof side rail from an outer side in the vehicle width direction. The stiffener upper part has a trough extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle and recessed inward in the vehicle width direction. The trough 81d is recessed deeper as coming closer to a central part in the vertical direction of the stiffener upper part from the upper end and a lower end of the stiffener upper part.