Polygonal Front Rails with Reinforcement Members for Impact Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle front structures fail to effectively balance load distribution, weight, and maneuverability during front impact collisions, while also ensuring occupant safety and minimizing vehicle damage.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle front structure comprising a pair of front rails with polygonal-shaped channels, reinforcement members, and a battery pack enclosure, designed to absorb and distribute impact loads through a combination of crush cans and torque boxes, which are offset and angled to facilitate controlled collapse and bending, thereby managing energy absorption and distribution efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional bumper structures with shock absorbing blocks are used, then crash energy absorption is improved, but vehicle weight increases and maneuverability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the shock-absorbing function from traditional bulky bumper blocks and relocates it to compact crush cans positioned at strategic points along the front rails. This allows energy absorption to be achieved with minimal weight addition to the vehicle structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the entire bumper structure heavy and complex, the patent applies local reinforcement only where needed - specifically at the crush can locations and front rail mounting points. The majority of the front end structure remains lightweight to preserve maneuverability.
2Reliability
If reinforced front rails are used to improve load distribution, then occupant safety is improved, but vehicle frame rigidity may be compromised and maneuverability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The front rail reinforcement is segmented into discrete sections rather than being continuous throughout. Reinforcement members are placed specifically at high-stress zones where load distribution is critical for occupant safety, while other sections maintain original flexibility for frame rigidity and maneuverability.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement strategy applies different levels of strengthening to different parts of the front structure based on their specific functional requirements. Critical load-bearing areas receive enhanced reinforcement while non-critical areas remain lighter, creating an asymmetric reinforcement pattern that balances safety and maneuverability.
3Strength
If multiple reinforcing members are added to front rails, then front impact load distribution is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple reinforcement functions into integrated front rail assemblies. The rails incorporate embedded reinforcement members, integrated mounting brackets, and built-in load-path optimization features, reducing the need for separate reinforcing components and simplifying the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The front rail design incorporates multi-functional elements that simultaneously provide structural strength, load distribution, and crash energy absorption. The rails serve both as structural support members and as integrated crash management components, eliminating the need for separate dedicated reinforcing members.
4Reliability
If heavy-duty crash structures are used to minimize vehicle damage, then reliability is improved, but ease of repair deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The front end structure is segmented into replaceable modular components including crush cans, front rails, and mounting brackets. In the event of damage, only the affected modular section needs to be replaced rather than the entire front structure, significantly simplifying repair procedures while maintaining overall structural integrity.
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
The solution enhances load distribution, maintains structural rigidity, and improves vehicle maneuverability while ensuring occupant safety by effectively managing impact forces through controlled axial collapse and bending of the front rail sections, thus reducing damage and injury risk.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of features may cause the forward section of each front rail to axially collapse in reaction to a front impact load
Implementation Method 2
The plurality of features may cause the mid-section of each front rail to bend (e.g., away from the vehicle centerline) in reaction to a front impact load
Data Source
AI summary
A front structure for a vehicle is provided, the structure including (i) a pair of front rails (i.e., front left hand rail and front right hand rail) spaced apart in a widthwise direction with each rail extending lengthwise, where one end portion of each rail is mechanically coupled to the vehicle's bumper and the other end portion of each rail is mechanically coupled to a torque box, and where each rail is comprised of a polygonal-shaped upper hollow channel and a polygonal-shaped lower hollow channel, and where the upper and lower channels share a common wall; and (ii) a pair of rail reinforcement members, where one rail reinforcement member is mechanically mounted within each front rail, and where a plurality of features corresponding to each reinforcement member determines how the rails react to front impact loads.