Side Sill Reinforcement Structure for Controlled Side-Collision Compression
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle-body structures face issues where reinforcement members in the side sill, with a substantially M-shaped cross section, deviate from intended deformation during side collisions, leading to a loss in energy absorption.
Innovation Solution
A lower vehicle-body structure with a pair of side sills and reinforcement members, including a first reinforcement with a hat shape and a second reinforcement forming closed cross-sections, where the side sill outer portion has deformation promoting portions that pinch the second reinforcement during collisions, ensuring axial compression and increased energy absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a reinforcement member with a substantially M-shaped cross section is provided in a side sill to absorb energy in a side collision, then energy absorption capability is improved, but the reinforcement member may be deformed in an unintended manner (compressed while deviating in the up-down direction) causing loss in energy absorption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a deformation restricting member as an intermediary element between the reinforcement member and the side sill. This mediator component prevents unintended deformation of the reinforcement member by restricting its movement in the up-down direction, ensuring that the reinforcement member compresses axially along the vehicle width direction as intended during side collisions, thereby maintaining reliable energy absorption performance
Solution Approach 2:
The deformation restricting member is pre-installed in the side sill structure before collision occurs. It is positioned to contact the reinforcement member in advance, so that when a side collision happens, the restriction on unintended deformation is already in place, ensuring the reinforcement member deforms only in the intended axial direction from the outset of the collision event
2Loss of energy
If the reinforcement member is disposed in the side sill to form a hollow closed cross-section, then energy absorption is enhanced, but the structure complexity increases due to multiple components and assembly requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the deformation restricting function with the side sill structure itself. The deformation restricting member is integrated into the side sill assembly, forming a unified structure that simultaneously provides both structural support and deformation control. This merging approach maintains the hollow closed cross-section configuration for energy absorption while reducing overall structural complexity by eliminating separate independent restriction mechanisms
3Loss of energy
If the side sill outer portion includes a deformation promoting portion to be deformed inward of the side sill in a side collision, then energy absorption is increased through controlled deformation, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase to ensure proper deformation behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the geometric parameters of the deformation promoting portion, including its position, shape, and dimensions, to ensure predictable and controlled deformation behavior during side collisions. By carefully selecting and adjusting these parameters, the design achieves reliable energy absorption through controlled deformation without requiring excessively tight manufacturing tolerances, as the deformation characteristics are inherently determined by the optimized geometric parameters rather than precise assembly variations
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 effectively restricts unintended deformation, allowing for certain and significant energy absorption in side collisions by pinching the second reinforcement between the deformation promoting portions and the first reinforcement, enhancing collision energy management.
Implementation Method 1
the side sill outer portion includes a deformation promoting portion to be deformed inward of the side sill in a side collision of the vehicle in such a way as to be brought into contact with the second reinforcement from an outer side in the up-down direction
Implementation Method 2
the second reinforcement is pinched between the deformation promoting portion and the first wall of the first reinforcement, so that deformation of the second reinforcement in the up-down direction is restricted, which ensures axial compression of the first closed cross-sections formed by the first wall and the second reinforcement to take place
Implementation Method 3
the hollow closed cross-section formed by the two protruding portions of the reinforcement member, which has a substantially M-shaped cross section, is compressed in the vehicle width direction in a side collision, thus absorbing energy
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
[Problem] To provide a lower vehicle-body structure of a vehicle that can certainly increase an amount of energy absorption in a side collision. [Means for Solution] A vehicle body 1 includes a first reinforcement 5 and a second reinforcement 6 which are disposed in a closed cross-section 2a of a side sill 2. The first reinforcement 5 has a hat shape which includes an upper wall 5a (first wall), a lower wall 5b (second wall), and a vertical wall 5c extending in an up-down direction. The second reinforcement 6 forms a plurality of first closed cross-sections 8 in cooperation with the upper wall 5a. The second reinforcement 6 is disposed on an upper surface 5a1 of upper wall 5a which faces an outside of the first reinforcement 5. A side sill outer portion 21 includes a corner portion 21a3, which is a deformation promoting portion 23 to be deformed inward of the side sill 2 in a side collision of the vehicle in such a way as to be brought into contact with the second reinforcement 6 from an outer side in the up-down direction.