Sheet Metal Interconnects for Composite Vehicle Bodies

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle body structures face challenges in achieving a balance between being lightweight, cost-effective, and meeting collision load demands while maintaining sufficient rigidity and occupant safety.

Innovation Solution

An interconnection-type vehicle body structure featuring profiled frame parts made of fiber-reinforced composite material connected by an interconnecting element constructed from at least two sheet metal shells, which allows for greater plastic deformability and reduced sudden failure risk during collisions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If interconnecting elements are made of cast metal or fiber-reinforced plastic material, then the vehicle body structure achieves sufficient rigidity for normal operation, but the production cost increases and the structure becomes heavier

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproverigidityVSAvoidproduction cost

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a hybrid construction combining fiber-reinforced plastic profiled frame parts with metallic sheet metal shell interconnecting elements. This composite approach leverages the high strength-to-weight ratio of fiber-reinforced plastics for the frame while using metallic shells for connections requiring plastic deformability and collision resistance, thereby optimizing both rigidity and cost-effectiveness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the material parameter of interconnecting elements from traditional cast metal or fiber-reinforced plastic to metallic sheet metal shells. This parameter change enables plastic deformability during collisions while maintaining production cost-effectiveness through simpler manufacturing processes compared to cast parts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Strength

If interconnecting elements are made of fiber-reinforced composite material, then the vehicle body structure achieves high rigidity, but the structure becomes more prone to sudden brittle failure under collision loads

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproverigidityVSAvoidresistance to sudden failure

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter of interconnecting elements to metallic sheet metal shells that exhibit plastic deformability. This allows the interconnecting elements to absorb collision energy through progressive deformation rather than sudden brittle failure, thereby improving reliability while maintaining the rigidity provided by fiber-reinforced plastic frame parts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If interconnecting elements are constructed as simple single-piece structures, then the production process is simplified, but the three-dimensional stability and strength are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction simplicityVSAvoidthree-dimensional stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the interconnecting elements into multiple sheet metal shell parts that are assembled together. This segmentation enables the creation of complex three-dimensional stable structures through the assembly of simpler individual shell components, maintaining production simplicity while achieving the required structural stability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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 structure achieves high rigidity and strength while being lighter and more cost-effective, with reduced probability of sudden failure under collision loads due to the use of sheet metal shells that can plastically deform, enhancing occupant safety and operational stability.

Implementation Method 1

interconnecting elements in a shell construction and of a metallic material can plastically deform in the case of overstraining

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPlastic deformation: Plasticity

Implementation Method 2

profiled frame parts made of a fiber-reinforced composite material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectComposite materials: Composite Materials

Data Source

PatentUS10081395B2Interconnection-type vehicle body structure

Publication Date: 2018.09.25 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG

AI summary

An interconnection-type vehicle body structure has at least two profiled frame parts made of fiber-reinforced composite material as well as an interconnecting element that joins the profiled frame parts to one another. The interconnecting element includes receptacles for the profiled frame parts. The interconnecting element is made from at least two sheet metal shells. The interconnecting element is not made of cast metal or of a fiber-reinforced composite material.