Steel Side Sill Reinforcement Structure for Lower-Cost Crash Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional side sill reinforcement members made of aluminum require complex fastening processes and increase manufacturing costs due to the use of aluminum material, leading to inefficiencies in manufacturing and increased weight.
Innovation Solution
A side sill reinforcement member fabricated using multiple steel panels that are coupled together through welding, forming an internal space with external and internal panels, eliminating the need for separate bonding members and reducing thickness, weight, and manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If aluminum extruded material is used for reinforcement member, then deformation strength is improved, but fastening complexity increases due to necessity of multiple bonding members
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement member is constructed using multiple steel panels of the same material type, eliminating the need for bonding members between dissimilar materials. The steel panels are coupled together through welding or mechanical fasteners, creating a homogeneous material structure that simplifies the fastening process while maintaining high deformation strength.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple steel panels are merged to form the reinforcement member structure, combining their strength while using simple coupling methods. The external panels and internal panels are integrated through straightforward fastening mechanisms, reducing overall fastening complexity compared to bonding aluminum to steel.
2Strength
If aluminum material is used for reinforcement member, then deformation strength is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces expensive aluminum material with cheaper steel panels that can be easily manufactured and assembled. The steel panels are cost-effective while providing sufficient deformation strength, reducing manufacturing costs without sacrificing structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The material parameter is changed from aluminum to steel, fundamentally altering the cost structure. Steel is more abundant and less expensive than aluminum, and the panels can be manufactured using standard steel fabrication processes, significantly reducing material and manufacturing costs.
3Strength
If multiple bonding members are used to fasten aluminum reinforcement, then deformation strength is maintained, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Using steel panels throughout the reinforcement member creates material homogeneity, allowing simple mechanical fastening or welding methods instead of complex bonding processes. This reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining the deformation strength needed for structural integrity.
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 steel panel construction reduces manufacturing complexity, lowers costs, and enhances rigidity by maintaining the cross-section during side collisions, while providing effective impact absorption and weight reduction compared to aluminum-based designs.
Implementation Method 1
combining the exterior and internal panels made of a steel material through welding
Data Source
AI summary
A side sill reinforcement member for a vehicle, includes an external member including a plurality of external panels extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and forming an internal space by coupling the external panels to each other and an internal reinforcement member mounted in the internal space of the external member and including a plurality of internal panels extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the internal panels being each fixed on a first side thereof to an internal surface of the external panel and fixed on a second side thereof in contact with each other in the internal space.