Vehicle Subframe Mount Section Bent Geometry for Crash Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle subframes lack sufficient crash safety, particularly in scenarios where a vehicle collides with a rigid obstruction, leading to potential wheel penetration into the footwell and undesired rotation, which can cause damage.

Innovation Solution

A subframe design featuring a hollow tube element and shell elements with a mount section that includes a bent subsection and reinforcement elements, such as a holed disk or weld seam, to increase the tear-away force and mechanical stability, thereby minimizing wheel rotation during a crash.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional subframe design is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the crash safety and mechanical stability are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrash safetyVSAvoidsubframe structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The subframe is divided into multiple functional sections: a hollow tube element for structural support, shell elements for mounting, and a bent subsection for enhanced stability. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity in manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The hollow tube element provides localized reinforcement at critical mounting points without requiring the entire subframe to be more complex or heavier. The bent subsection specifically enhances mechanical stability at the mount section where it is most needed for crash safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Strength

If the tear-away force is increased through reinforcement elements, then the mechanical stability improves, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetear-away forceVSAvoidproduction process

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The bend in the subsection changes the geometric parameters of the mount section, creating inherent mechanical stability and increased tear-away force through the bent configuration itself, rather than requiring additional reinforcement elements that would complicate manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The bent subsection introduces curvature into the otherwise linear mount section. This curvature provides mechanical advantage by distributing forces more effectively and increasing the tear-away force required to detach the transverse link element, while the bend can be formed using standard sheet metal bending processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS10167018B2Auxiliary frame for a vehicle and method for producing an auxiliary frame

Publication Date: 2019.01.01 VOLKSWAGEN AG

AI summary

A subframe for a vehicle for supporting at least one wheel-controlling component, wherein the subframe has at least one shell element, wherein the subframe has or forms at least one mount section for the mounting of a transverse link element, wherein a first subsection of the mount section has or forms at least one first passage opening for receiving a fastening mechanism for the transverse link element, wherein a further subsection of the mount section is a section which is bent relative to the first subsection. Also disclosed is a method for producing a subframe.