Vehicle Upper Member Flange Layout for Component Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vehicle body designs face challenges in accommodating components below the lower wall portion of the upper member, as the space requirements differ significantly on either side of the front pillar, necessitating an adaptable configuration to optimize component placement.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle body incorporates an upper member with flanges that protrude in different directions in various sections, allowing for adjustable space allocation by switching the direction of the flanges, which secures additional space for components like the electrical cable and suspension, and includes a suspension tower that swings outward and inward, enabling flexible routing and accommodation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the upper member has a fixed flange configuration, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the space for components below the lower wall portion cannot be adaptively adjusted for different component placement requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The upper member is divided into a first section and a second section along the longitudinal direction, with each section having flanges that can protrude in different directions. This segmentation allows each section to be independently configured to meet different space requirements for component placement while maintaining overall structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flanges are designed to protrude in different directions (first direction in the first section, second direction in the second section) to dynamically adapt the available space for components. This directional variability enables the upper member to accommodate different component layouts without requiring complete redesign of the entire structure.
2Ease of manufacture
If the flanges protrude in the same direction throughout, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the space requirements for components on different sides of the front pillar cannot be satisfied
Solution Approach 1:
Different sections of the upper member are given different local characteristics: the first section has flanges protruding in a first direction while the second section has flanges protruding in a second direction. This local differentiation allows each section to be optimized for its specific component placement needs while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing processes for each individual section.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
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AI summary
A body (4) for a vehicle includes an upper member (14). The upper member (14) has an internal space (100a, 100b) between a first plate (102, 106) and a second plate (104, 108), and the internal space (100a, 100b) extends in a longitudinal direction of the upper member (14). The first plate (102, 106) includes an upper wall portion (102a, 106a), an inner wall portion (102b, 106b), and a first flange extending along a lower end of the inner wall portion (102b, 106b). The second plate (104, 108) includes a lower wall portion (104a, 108a), an outer wall portion (104b, 108b), and a second flange extending along an inner end of the lower wall portion (104a, 108a) and joined to the first flange. In a first section (50) in the longitudinal direction of the upper member (14), the first flange and the second flange protrude in a first direction. In a second section (52) in the longitudinal direction of the upper member (14), the first flange and the second flange protrude in a second direction different from the first direction.