Vehicle Rocker Panel Crush Cans for Impact Energy Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle safety structures fail to effectively absorb and distribute impact energy to protect both passengers and batteries in electrified vehicles during collisions, leading to potential damage and safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle body design featuring a reinforcement structure within a cavity defined by a floor side panel and a rocker panel, which includes longitudinally aligned crush cans linked by webs, designed to absorb and transfer energy during impacts by extending laterally from the floor side panel to the rocker panel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a reinforcement structure with crush cans is added within the cavity, then impact energy absorption is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement structure is divided into multiple discrete crush cans arranged in series within the cavity. Each crush can is a separate energy-absorbing unit that can deform independently during impact, allowing the system to absorb energy through sequential crushing of multiple units rather than requiring a single complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The crush cans are nested within the existing cavity space defined by the floor side panel and rocker panel, utilizing the available volume without requiring additional external space. The reinforcement structure fits inside the pre-existing structural envelope of the vehicle body.
2Reliability
If crush cans extend laterally from floor side panel to rocker panel, then energy distribution is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lateral extension is achieved through multiple discrete crush cans rather than a single continuous lateral beam. Each crush can is a manageable component that can be manufactured and positioned separately, simplifying the manufacturing process while still achieving comprehensive energy distribution across the cavity width.
Solution Approach 2:
The crush cans are positioned at specific locations within the cavity to provide targeted energy absorption at critical points. The reinforcement structure provides localized strengthening where impact forces are most likely to occur, rather than uniformly reinforcing the entire cavity.
3Strength
If multiple crush cans are linked by webs, then structural integrity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple crush cans and connecting webs are combined into a single integrated reinforcement structure assembly. The crush cans are laterally connected by webs to form a unified structure that acts together during impact, improving structural integrity while reducing the number of separate components that would need to be assembled.
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 reinforcement structure effectively absorbs and distributes impact energy, enhancing the safety of both passengers and batteries by managing the force of collisions and reducing the risk of damage across the vehicle body.
Implementation Method 1
The reinforcement structure is disposed within the cavity and forms a plurality of longitudinally aligned crush cans... designed to absorb and transfer energy during impacts
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle body includes a floor side panel, a rocker panel, and a reinforcement structure. The floor side panel is secured to the rocker panel. The floor side panel and the rocker panel each extend longitudinally from a front to a rear of the vehicle body and define a cavity therebetween. The reinforcement structure is disposed within the cavity and forms a plurality of longitudinally aligned crush cans. Each crush can extends laterally from the floor side panel to the rocker panel.