Vehicle Side Frame Low-Strength Sections for Collision Energy Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle body designs fail to effectively absorb collision energy due to the limited bending and crushing capabilities of front side frames, resulting in insufficient energy absorption during collisions.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle body incorporates low-strength sections with high-strength sections interposed between them, featuring a crushing section closest to the open end that weakens ridgelines and uses a softer metal plate material, along with a bumper beam and coupling member to restrict displacement and distribute collision loads, enhancing energy absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the front side frame is made with uniform high-strength structure, then the structural strength is improved, but the energy absorption capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The side frame is designed with non-uniform strength distribution along its length. Specifically, the crushing section has reduced thickness (e.g., 1.2mm) compared to other sections (e.g., 1.5mm), creating localized low-strength zones that facilitate controlled crushing and energy absorption during collisions, while maintaining high strength in other areas for overall structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The side frame is divided into multiple sections with different strength characteristics: high-strength sections for structural support and low-strength crushing sections for energy absorption. This segmentation allows the frame to perform different functions in different zones, resolving the contradiction between overall strength and localized energy absorption
2Ease of manufacture
If beads are disposed at equal pitches in the inner panel and outer panel, then the manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the crushing progression and energy absorption deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The bead patterns in the inner panel and outer panel are deliberately made asymmetric with different pitch distributions. The inner panel has beads at specific pitches while the outer panel has beads at different pitches, creating a coordinated crushing progression that enhances energy absorption while remaining manufacturable through standard 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
This design significantly increases the absorption of collision energy by allowing controlled crushing of low-strength sections and distributing loads effectively, minimizing deformation and enhancing impact absorption.
Implementation Method 1
The low-strength section closer to the open end has a lower strength in the forward-rearward direction... a crushing section which is disposed closest to the open end and weakens inner ridgelines and outer ridgelines to have a low strength
Implementation Method 2
a coupling member that is joined to open ends of the side frames and restricts displacement between the open ends in a direction in which the open ends are away from each other
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle body including side is provided. The vehicle body includes left and right side frames that extend in a vehicle body forward-rearward direction and support a collision load acting from the front or the rear, and a coupling member that is joined to open ends of the side frames and restricts displacement between the open ends in a direction in which the open ends are away from each other. The side frame has a plurality of low-strength sections disposed with high-strength sections interposed therebetween in the vehicle body forward-rearward direction and having a lower strength than the high-strength sections in the vehicle body forward-rearward direction. The low-strength section closer to the open end has a lower strength in the forward-rearward direction.