Motor Vehicle Rear Structure Continuous Plastic Joining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle structural parts, formed by welding steel sheets, suffer from reduced stiffness due to discontinuous welding points, stress concentrations, high weight, and complex assembly processes, which contradict the goal of lightweight solutions.
Innovation Solution
A rear structural part of a motor vehicle comprising plastic components assembled with continuous joining segments, where each segment is at least 10 cm long and has minimal discontinuities, providing uninterrupted connections and increased stiffness, with the plastic material comprising a resin matrix and reinforcing fibers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If discontinuous welding points are used to join steel sheets, then the assembly process is simpler, but the stiffness and resistance of the structure are reduced and stress concentrations occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies continuous joining segments (adhesive bonds or welded seams) instead of discontinuous welding points to join the steel sheets. This continuous connection eliminates the gaps between welding points, providing uninterrupted structural support that increases stiffness and resistance while distributing stresses evenly across the entire joint area, preventing stress concentrations.
2Strength
If the density of metal and number of sheets are increased to improve strength, then the structural resistance is enhanced, but the total weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite construction consisting of multiple steel sheets with different mechanical properties (specifically mentioning sheets with different yield strengths). By combining sheets of varying strengths and optimizing their arrangement, the structure achieves high structural resistance while minimizing the total amount of metal required, thereby reducing overall weight compared to using uniform high-density metal throughout.
3Strength
If the number of sheets forming a structural part is increased to improve design flexibility, then the structural performance is enhanced, but the assembly line complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the structural part into multiple steel sheet segments that can be manufactured separately and then assembled together. This segmentation allows each sheet to be optimized for specific structural requirements while enabling modular assembly processes. The use of continuous joining segments simplifies the assembly operation, making it suitable for automated assembly lines despite the increased number of components.
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 the stiffness and resistance of the structural part, reduces stress concentrations, and simplifies assembly while aiming for a lightweight solution by using plastic components with continuous joining segments.
Implementation Method 1
the plastic material comprising a resin matrix and reinforcing fibers
Implementation Method 2
the continuous joining segments each have a minimum length of 10 cm and leave between them discontinuities of at most 10 mm
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
A rear portion of a motor vehicle superstructure comprises at least one rear side post formed by a plurality of components (19, 21) assembled together and characterised in that the components (19, 21) are mostly made of plastics and in that all the components (19, 21) are firmly joined along continuous interconnection segments.