Side Sill Cone Reinforcement for Battery Side-Impact Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle side sills do not adequately protect vehicle batteries from side impacts, and there is a need to enhance energy absorption features to safeguard both vehicle occupants and battery compartments.
Innovation Solution
A reinforcement assembly for a vehicle side sill featuring a first and second reinforcement structure with arrayed cones, each having a tray-shaped structure and legs to transfer impact loads away from the battery compartment to the vehicle frame, utilizing resin-based materials for enhanced energy absorption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If existing side sill structures are used, then vehicle occupants have some protection from side impacts, but vehicle batteries positioned at the underbody are not adequately protected from side impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement structure is nested within the existing side sill cavity, with cones arranged inside the space between the first and second plates. This allows the battery protection function to be added without significantly increasing overall structural complexity, as the reinforcement elements are integrated into the existing geometric envelope.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement structure is divided into multiple discrete cones arranged in a longitudinal array, with each cone providing localized energy absorption. This segmentation allows the protection function to be distributed along the side sill length, protecting the battery from impact forces while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular repetition of identical elements.
2Loss of energy
If reinforcement structures with cones are added to the side sill cavity, then energy absorption capability is enhanced to protect the battery, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cones provide curved, tapered surfaces that are effective at distributing impact forces and absorbing energy through deformation. The conical geometry naturally directs forces along sloped surfaces rather than perpendicular impacts, enhancing energy absorption efficiency while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing compared to complex angular or irregular shapes.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement structure utilizes resin-based materials that can be molded into the required conical shapes, allowing optimization of material properties such as density and strength. By controlling material parameters during injection molding, the cones achieve the necessary energy absorption characteristics without requiring complex assembly of multiple components.
3Force
If multiple cones are arrayed in the longitudinal direction to protect the battery, then impact load distribution is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement structure is pre-formed as complete cone assemblies with integrated mounting features before being installed in the side sill cavity. This preliminary formation allows for quality control and precision positioning to be achieved during manufacturing rather than during final assembly, reducing the precision requirements for installation while ensuring proper spacing and alignment of multiple cones in the longitudinal array.
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 reinforcement assembly effectively directs and absorbs impact energy, minimizing load transfer to the battery compartment and enhancing overall vehicle safety by isolating and distributing impact forces efficiently.
Implementation Method 1
resin-based materials for enhanced energy absorption
Implementation Method 2
impact loads
Implementation Method 3
transfer an impact load to the frame
Implementation Method 4
legs to transfer impact loads
Data Source
AI summary
A reinforcement assembly for a side sill includes a first reinforcement structure arranged inside a cavity of the side sill and including a plurality of first cones arrayed in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The reinforcement assembly also includes a second reinforcement structure coupled to the first reinforcement structure and includes a plurality of second cones arranged facing the first cones. Each second cone includes a tray shaped structure having a base and a wall extending in a lateral direction away from the first cone. The wall includes a top wall portion and a bottom wall portion. Further, each second cone includes a first leg extending in the lateral direction from an end of the wall towards the base and connected to the top wall portion, and a second leg connected to the bottom wall portion at a lateral offset from an end of the wall.