Vehicle Rear Structure Resin Panel Barrier Wall Integration

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Vehicle side panels made of metal act as barriers, making it difficult to reduce vehicle weight and improve stiffness, especially around the rear wheel house, where framework portions are vulnerable to twisting and deformations due to their separation.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle rear portion structure where the side panel is replaced with a resin member, integrated with a barrier wall that is watertight and load-bearing, eliminating the need for additional watertight sealing and allowing for improved stiffness and reduced weight.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a metal side panel is used to constitute the design surface of the vehicle, then watertightness can be assured through sealing, but vehicle weight cannot be reduced and the structure becomes complex

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovewatertightnessVSAvoidvehicle weight
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by combining a resin side panel with a separate barrier wall structure. The barrier wall, made of metal or other watertight material, is integrated with the resin panel to create a hybrid structure that achieves watertightness without requiring the entire side panel to be metal, thus reducing weight while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If a metal side panel is used as a barrier wall, then structural integrity is maintained, but vehicle weight reduction becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidvehicle weight
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the side panel structure into two functional parts: a resin panel for the design surface and a separate barrier wall for structural integrity and watertightness. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the resin panel for weight reduction and aesthetics, and the barrier wall for strength and sealing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite materials by combining resin and metal (or other watertight materials) in a hybrid side panel structure. The resin provides weight reduction and design flexibility, while the integrated barrier wall provides the necessary structural integrity and watertightness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Ease of manufacture

If framework portions around the rear wheel house are kept separate, then manufacturing is simplified, but stiffness and resistance to twisting deformations deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidstiffness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges separate framework portions around the rear wheel house by introducing a connecting structure that integrally joins the left and right framework members. This merging enhances stiffness and resistance to twisting deformations while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through modular assembly of the integrated structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3395654B1Vehicle rear portion structure
Publication Date: 2020.01.01 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP3395654B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3395654B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3395654B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vehicle rear portion structure (S) includes a rear pillar (10), a framework member (12, 13), a barrier wall (14) and a side panel (16). The rear pillar extends in the vehicle vertical direction. The framework member (13, 14) is joined to an upper portion of the rear pillar (10) and extends in the vehicle front-and-rear direction. The barrier wall (14) is at the vehicle inner side of the rear pillar (10), and is joined to the rear pillar and the framework member to be watertight. The barrier wall (14) divides the vehicle inner side from the vehicle outer side thereof. The side panel (16) is provided at the vehicle outer side of the rear pillar, the framework member and the barrier wall. The side panel structures a design surface of a vehicle side portion.