Vehicle Rocker Assembly With Nested Tubular Impact Insert
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle frames face challenges in redirecting side impact forces away from battery trays in electric and hybrid electric vehicles, necessitating improved structural reinforcement to meet regulatory impact requirements while minimizing weight and space.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle rocker assembly incorporating a tubular insert within the hollow interior of the rocker assembly, comprising a sill inner and outer panels with a multi-tubular structure, including an inboard and outboard wall, upper and lower walls, and a center wall, designed to absorb and redirect impact forces effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a tubular insert is added to the vehicle sill assembly to increase stiffness and redirect impact forces, then the ability to absorb impact forces and protect battery trays is improved, but the weight and complexity of the assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tubular insert is nested within the hollow interior of the rocker assembly, placing one structural element inside another. This allows the insert to provide additional impact force absorption and stiffness without requiring a completely separate external structure, thereby adding strength while minimizing additional weight and space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The rocker assembly combines two different structural elements - the original sill assembly and the inserted tubular structure - creating a composite construction. This allows the system to achieve superior impact resistance and stiffness characteristics that would be difficult to obtain with a single structural element, while optimizing the weight-strength ratio.
2Reliability
If the sill assembly is reinforced to redirect side impact forces away from the battery tray, then the protection of the battery tray and compliance with regulatory requirements is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By nesting the tubular insert within the existing hollow interior of the rocker assembly, the design leverages the pre-existing structural space rather than adding external components. This approach provides reliable battery tray protection through force redirection while minimizing the increase in overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement structure is segmented into distinct components - the inboard wall, outboard wall, upper wall, lower wall, and center wall - that can be manufactured and assembled separately. This segmentation allows for easier manufacturing and assembly processes while achieving the complex function of redirecting impact forces away from the battery tray.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle rocker assembly includes a tubular insert disposed between a sill inner and a sill outer. The tubular insert may include an inboard wall disposed adjacent the sill inner, an outboard wall disposed adjacent the sill outer, an upper wall extending between upper ends of the inboard and outboard walls, a lower wall extending between lower ends of the inboard and outboard walls, and a center wall disposed between the upper and lower walls. The center wall may extend between the inboard and outboard walls with a length less than the upper and lower walls.