Profiled Brace End-Piece Structure for Stiffness-Preserving Clamping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing profile struts for motor vehicles face issues such as stiffness loss, increased weight, corrosion, and high production costs due to crimping and welding, as well as inefficient load transmission and clamping problems.
Innovation Solution
A profile strut design featuring an upper and lower chord with lateral walls, where an end piece is frictionally or integrally bonded to the inner walls, allowing force transmission without crimping and avoiding welding, thus maintaining cross-sectional integrity and enabling cost-effective, automated production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If profile ends are greatly crimped to secure end pieces, then connection reliability is improved, but clamping length is reduced and stiffness loss occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The end piece is divided into a first section and a second section with different cross-sectional areas. The first section has a larger cross-sectional area for bearing against the inner wall regions, while the second section has a smaller cross-sectional area for receiving the screw connection. This segmentation allows the end piece to provide both reliable force transmission and sufficient clamping length without requiring extreme crimping.
2Strength
If profile ends are crimped to fix end pieces, then connection strength is improved, but stiffness loss and weight increase occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the connection function from the profile end itself and transfers it to a separate end piece. The end piece is inserted into the profile end and fixed by a screw connection, while the bearing surface is provided by the end piece's first section bearing against the inner wall regions. This separation allows the profile end to maintain its original stiffness without crimping-induced stiffness loss.
3Stability of the object's composition
If welded end pieces are used to avoid crimping, then stiffness is maintained, but corrosion resistance decreases and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the welded mechanical connection with a frictional or integrally bonded connection between the end piece and the profile end. The end piece is fixed by a screw connection that creates clamping force, and the force transmission is achieved through bearing surfaces. This mechanical substitution avoids the harmful thermal effects of welding that cause corrosion and disbanding of cathodic electrocoat.
4Device complexity
If one-sided chord attachment is used to simplify construction, then device complexity is reduced, but load transmission efficiency decreases and weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The end piece is designed with a universal bearing surface that can transmit forces from both the upper chord and the lower chord. The first section of the end piece bears against the inner wall regions of both chords, enabling bidirectional force transmission. This multi-functionality allows a single end piece to replace what would otherwise require separate attachment mechanisms for each chord, maintaining simplicity while improving load transmission efficiency.
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 design minimizes stiffness loss, optimizes weight, enhances corrosion resistance, and allows for maximum clamping length, particularly with overelastic screw connections, while reducing production costs and enabling adaptable installation.
Implementation Method 1
fixed by means of a frictional connection or integrally bonded connection
Data Source
AI summary
A profile strut includes an upper chord, a lower chord, two spaced-apart lateral walls which, together with the upper chord and the lower chord, define an interior, and a first profile end and a second profile end. A first end piece is disposed in the first profile end and a second end piece is disposed in the second profile end. A connecting web connects the first end piece to the second end piece. Each of the first end piece and the second end piece bears via end faces thereof against adjacent inner wall regions of the upper chord and the lower chord; respectively. An intermediate region, which is configured as a tunnel incorporated into the lower chord, is disposed between the first profile end and the second profile end.