Rock-Based Reinforcing Element for Vehicle Door Crash Stability

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional motor vehicle doors exhibit instability at door hinges and locks during crashes, requiring improved materials for enhanced crash behavior, thermal insulation, and acoustic performance, while also seeking energy and emission optimization.

Innovation Solution

A reinforced motor vehicle door with a rock-based reinforcement element, comprising a stone layer and a metal or coating layer, preferably fastened to the door using an adhesive or ultrasonic joining process, providing improved mechanical and thermal properties, and potentially incorporating additional layers like metal foam or fabric for enhanced performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If conventional materials are used in motor vehicle doors, then manufacturing cost is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but crash behavior and mechanical stability are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecrash behaviorVSAvoidease of manufacture
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by combining a rock layer (70-80% of the reinforcement element) with a matrix material (20-30%) to create a layered composite structure. This composite reinforcement element provides superior crash behavior and mechanical stability compared to conventional single materials, while the rock material remains relatively easy to work with and integrate into existing door structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If heavier materials are used to improve crash behavior, then strength is improved, but weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecrash behaviorVSAvoidweight
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The composite rock-matrix material provides high strength-to-weight ratio. The rock layer contributes to compressive strength and crash behavior, while the matrix material binds the rock fragments together, creating a lightweight yet strong reinforcement element that improves crash behavior without proportionally increasing weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The reinforcement element with rock layer is applied locally at specific high-stress areas of the door (hinge regions, lock areas) rather than throughout the entire door structure. This localized reinforcement provides necessary strength improvements while minimizing overall weight increase.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Temperature

If conventional door structures are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but thermal insulation and acoustic performance are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethermal insulationVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The rock-based reinforcement element serves multiple functions simultaneously: it reinforces the door structure for crash behavior, provides thermal insulation due to the rock material's properties, and delivers acoustic damping. This multi-functional element improves thermal and acoustic performance without requiring separate additional components, thereby limiting complexity increase.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Strength

If reinforcement elements are added to improve crash behavior, then strength is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecrash behaviorVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The composite rock-matrix structure integrates multiple materials into a single reinforcement element that can be applied as one component to the door. This unified composite element provides necessary strength improvements while avoiding the complexity of assembling multiple separate reinforcement components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The reinforcement element combines structural reinforcement function with thermal insulation and acoustic damping functions in a single integrated component. The rock layer and matrix material are merged into one composite structure that addresses multiple performance requirements simultaneously, limiting the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2504162B1Vehicle door with reinforcing element
Publication Date: 2017.04.26 ASMAG-HOLDING GMBH
  • EP2504162B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2504162B1 patent drawingFigure 4~7

AI summary

The invention relates to a motor vehicle door, especially a motor vehicle side door for a passenger vehicle, comprising a flat reinforcing element (1), said reinforcing element (1) having a material layer (100) which comprises rock, and the reinforcing element (1) being connected flush to the motor vehicle door (10). The invention further relates to a reinforcing element or an insulating element, especially for shell parts in the construction of motor vehicles or aircraft, comprising at least two material layers (100; 200, 210), the first material layer (100) comprising rock and the second material layer (200, 210) comprising a metal (200) or a coating (210). The invention further relates to an adhesive element or an adhesive tape, especially for the construction of motor vehicles or aircraft, the adhesive element or the adhesive tape comprising a reinforcing element (1) according to the invention or an insulating element (1) according to the invention.