Automotive Understructure Intermediate Piece for Width Adaptation

Solution Overview

Problem

Car manufacturers face challenges in reducing manufacturing costs by adapting a common underbody to different vehicle widths and heights without incurring excessive expenses or weight penalties, as existing solutions are either expensive or complex.

Innovation Solution

A subframe modification using an intermediate piece with adjustable dimensions that can be welded to the outer and inner spars, allowing the base to be widened or raised without altering the inner beam or floor dimensions, enabling adaptation to various vehicle sizes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the width of the sill panel is modified to adapt to different vehicle widths, then the adaptability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases due to constraints on stamping depths and handling zones

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to different vehicle widthsVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The underbody is divided into modular components: a common floor and inner spar assembly, and variable outer spars that can be swapped. This segmentation allows the adaptable portion (outer spars) to be independent from the common portion, enabling width adaptation without complicating the manufacturing of the entire underbody structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The floor and inner spars are designed as universal components that can be used across multiple vehicle models with different widths. By making these core components universal and only varying the outer spars, the system achieves adaptability while maintaining manufacturing simplicity for the majority of the structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the width of the inner spar is modified to increase the base width, then the adaptability is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to different vehicle widthsVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The underbody is divided into modular components: a common floor and inner spar assembly, and variable outer spars that can be swapped. This segmentation allows the adaptable portion (outer spars) to be independent from the common portion, enabling width adaptation without complicating the manufacturing of the entire underbody structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of modifying the expensive inner spar design for each vehicle width, the solution uses outer spars that are essentially copied versions adapted to different widths. The core expensive components (floor and inner spars) remain unchanged copies across models, while only the outer spars are varied.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Adaptability or versatility

If additional parts are added to the lateral end of the floor to widen the base, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity and weight increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to different vehicle widthsVSAvoidstructural complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The underbody is divided into modular components: a common floor and inner spar assembly, and variable outer spars that can be swapped. This segmentation allows the adaptable portion (outer spars) to be independent from the common portion, enabling width adaptation without complicating the manufacturing of the entire underbody structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The outer spars are designed to merge with the existing floor and inner spar structure, creating an integrated assembly. Rather than adding separate additional parts, the outer spars combine with the common components to form a unified structure that adapts to different widths without increasing overall complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

This solution allows for cost-effective and straightforward adaptation of the subframe to different vehicle widths and heights, maintaining compatibility with existing manufacturing processes and handling mechanisms.

Implementation Method 1

the first part of the intermediate part located on one of the sides of the ply being applied and welded against an edge of the outer spar and the second part of the part located the other side of the ply being applied and welded to one face of the inner spar

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWelding: Welding

Data Source

PatentEP2181913B1Body understructure for an automobile and automobile comprising such a body understructure

Publication Date: 2011.12.07 PEUGEOT CITROEN AUTOMOBILES SA

Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6

AI summary

The understructure has an inner side rail (4) connected to an outer side rail (9A) by an intermediate piece (13A) made of sheet metal. The piece has a primary part (13a) that is located on a side of a longitudinal fold (14) of the piece, and is applied and welded against a folded edge (9a) of the outer side rail. The intermediate piece has a secondary part (13c) that is located on another side of the fold, and is applied and welded on an inner face of an upper wall (12) the inner side rail, where width of the secondary part is adapted according to desired total width of the understructure.