Front Suspension Torque Rod Layout for Offset Crash Restraint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle front structures fail to effectively restrain the lateral displacement of drive units during offset and small overlap crashes, leading to potential deformation of the vehicle's front part.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle front structure featuring a suspension member with a hollow structure and a torque rod connected to the drive unit, where the torque rod has a first end coupled to the suspension member and a second end to the drive unit, with a specific opening in the suspension member's front wall allowing the rod to pass through, and a gap between the opening and the torque rod's corresponding portion limited to 3 mm or less, ensuring the torque rod remains intact during crashes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the torque rod is connected to the suspension member through a large opening, then the torque rod can pass through easily, but the drive unit can displace laterally during crashes
Solution Approach 1:
The opening in the suspension member is designed with specific dimensional constraints (width and height) to create different local qualities: the opening is large enough to allow torque rod passage during assembly, but small enough (with gap ≤3mm) to restrain lateral displacement during crashes. This local dimensional control resolves the contradiction between ease of installation and crash restraint reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the gap between the opening and torque rod is large, then the torque rod can move freely, but the drive unit displacement cannot be restrained during offset and small overlap crashes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise parameter ranges for the opening dimensions and the gap between the opening and torque rod (gap ≤3mm). By controlling these geometric parameters, the design allows sufficient movement freedom during normal operation while ensuring adequate restraint during crash conditions, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability.
3Reliability
If the torque rod is made with larger lateral dimension, then it can restrain displacement better, but the opening must be larger making assembly easier
Solution Approach 1:
The torque rod is designed with non-uniform cross-section, having a larger lateral dimension at the opening-corresponding portion to restrain displacement, while maintaining appropriate opening size for assembly. The local quality enhancement at the critical opening-corresponding portion provides the necessary restraint without requiring a proportionally larger opening throughout the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies that the torque rod's lateral dimension at the opening-corresponding portion should be equal to or longer than the left-right dimension of the first end, creating a dimensional relationship where the rod protrudes laterally beyond the suspension member's opening. This dimensional configuration provides effective displacement restraint while keeping the opening size reasonable for assembly purposes.
Data Source
AI summary
A torque rod connects a drive unit and a suspension member. The suspension member has a hollow structure and having a front wall opening formed in a front wall. A rear end of the torque rod is coupled to the suspension member in an interior space of the suspension member, and a front end of the torque rod is coupled to the drive unit via a bracket. A gap between the front wall opening and an opening-corresponding portion of the torque rod that corresponds to the front wall opening is 3 mm or less on a left side and/or a right side of the opening-corresponding portion.