Box-Shaped Shock Absorber Housing with Variable Thickness for Small Overlap Crash
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional front shock absorber housings in vehicles face performance issues during small overlap front collisions, either failing to absorb impact energy effectively due to insufficient deformation or experiencing structural weaknesses that lead to damage and reduced collision response.
Innovation Solution
A shock absorber housing with a box-shaped body featuring a low strength portion and a high strength portion, connected via an intermediate portion with variable thickness and an oblique inclination, allowing for controlled deformation and enhanced rigidity to manage impact energy and prevent continuous collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the front shock absorber housing is made thin to allow deformation and absorb impact energy, then impact energy absorption is improved, but the housing cannot induce width-directional movement of the vehicle after collision
Solution Approach 1:
The shock absorber housing employs different thicknesses in different regions: a thinner first thickness in the collision direction to allow deformation and energy absorption, and a thicker second thickness in the width direction to maintain structural strength and induce vehicle movement. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between energy absorption and post-collision stability.
2Strength
If the front shock absorber housing is made thick to maintain strength, then housing strength is improved, but the housing cannot sufficiently perform impact absorbing performance
Solution Approach 1:
The housing uses variable thickness design where the first thickness (collision direction) is optimized for deformation and energy absorption, while the second thickness (width direction) is optimized for strength. This local quality differentiation allows the housing to both absorb impact energy effectively and maintain sufficient strength.
3Ease of manufacture
If the shock absorber housing is made uniformly thick, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the coupling portion strength becomes lower than the housing strength
Solution Approach 1:
The housing employs different thicknesses in different regions, with the coupling portion having optimized thickness to ensure its strength is not lower than the housing strength. This local differentiation improves coupling portion strength while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized forming processes.
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 designed housing effectively absorbs impact energy, allowing the vehicle to move laterally and avoid further collisions, thereby improving small overlap front crash response and reducing damage to the vehicle and enhancing passenger safety.
Implementation Method 1
the low strength portion receives impact energy from the collision object and absorbs the impact energy by being properly deformed
Implementation Method 2
the high strength portion rigidly withstanding the collision while resisting the hit of the collision object
Data Source
AI summary
A shock absorber housing of a vehicle may include a shock absorber housing body formed in a shape of a box and in which an upper portion of a shock absorber is mounted by being inserted therein, and flanges formed along at least one of edges of the box-shaped shock absorber housing body and thus being coupled to a vehicle body, in which the shock absorber housing body includes a low strength portion and a high strength portion respectively having different strengths due to a thickness difference.