Rear Side Member Layout for Flat-Floor Suspension Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle structures face challenges in securing a flat passenger or cargo space while ensuring sufficient space for rear suspension mounting and adequate rigidity, particularly in the event of rear collisions, which can compromise the safety of components like the battery in electric vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle structure design incorporating a rear side member with a mounting hole and a rotatable trailing arm support, enhanced by multiple reinforcing members, including a mounting bracket, rear cross member, outer reinforcing member, and side sill connection, to maintain rigidity and protect the battery during rear collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the floor of the passenger compartment or cargo carrying space is made flat, then the passenger compartment or cargo space is maximized, but the space for mounting the rear suspension and the rigidity of the mounting part are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle body is divided into distinct functional modules: a drive module containing driving components and a life module containing the passenger compartment or cargo space. This segmentation allows the floor of the life module to be made flat for maximum space utilization, while the drive module separately houses the rear suspension mounting structures, resolving the conflict between floor flatness and suspension mounting space.
2Volume of moving object
If the floor of the passenger compartment or cargo carrying space is made flat, then the passenger compartment or cargo space is maximized, but the space for mounting the rear suspension is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The rear suspension mounting structure is positioned in the forward-backward direction (longitudinal dimension) of the vehicle rather than occupying lateral space that would compromise floor flatness. The drive module is arranged longitudinally at the rear, allowing the trailing arm and suspension components to be mounted in the longitudinal dimension, thus resolving the space conflict.
3Reliability
If the rigidity of the mounting part is increased, then the protection of the battery in rear collision is improved, but the space for mounting the rear suspension is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle structure separates the suspension mounting function from the collision protection function into different spatial zones. The drive module houses the trailing arm and suspension components, while the reinforced side members and cross members form a separate protective framework. This segmentation allows both suspension mounting space and collision protection rigidity to be optimized independently.
4Reliability
If the rigidity of the mounting part is increased, then the protection of the battery in rear collision is improved, but the overall vehicle structure complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The drive module serves multiple functions: it houses the rear suspension components (trailing arm, mounting bracket), provides structural reinforcement for collision protection (through reinforced side members and cross members), and defines the longitudinal space distribution. This multi-functionality reduces overall structure complexity compared to having separate dedicated structures for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle structure can include a rear side member coupled to a rear side of a center side member, a mounting hole formed in a kick-up portion of the rear side member so as to be open backward and downward, and a mounting bracket inserted into and coupled to the mounting hole and configured to rotatably support a front end portion of a trailing arm.