Upper Truss Vehicle Body Structure for In-Wheel Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle body designs are complex and inefficient in accommodating in-wheel systems, requiring significant space and complicating manufacturing and assembly, while lacking sufficient rigidity and impact absorption.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle body design featuring upper truss members connecting shock absorber housings laterally and a sliding roof member that connects these truss members, providing increased rigidity and simplifying assembly by using coupling grooves, protrusions, and bolting for secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional vehicle body design is used to accommodate engine, battery, wheels, suspension device, steering device and drive device, then sufficient space can be provided for these components, but the vehicle body structure becomes complex and manufacturing assembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the steering device and drive device into the wheel hub, creating an in-wheel motor system. This integration eliminates the need for separate steering mechanisms and drive shafts, significantly simplifying the vehicle body structure while maintaining all necessary functions. The in-wheel motor directly drives the wheel and provides steering capability, reducing the number of components and their spatial requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The in-wheel motor serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as both the drive device for wheel rotation and the steering device for directional control. This multi-functionality reduces the overall component count and simplifies the vehicle body design, as a single integrated unit replaces what would traditionally require separate steering and drive mechanisms.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional vehicle body design is used with multiple components, then functional requirements are met, but the manufacturing and assembly process becomes increasingly complicated and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the steering and drive functions into the wheel hub, the patent reduces the number of parts that need to be manufactured and assembled. The in-wheel motor assembly can be installed as a more compact unit compared to separate steering and drive systems, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency and reducing assembly time.
3Device complexity
If in-wheel system is adopted without conventional steering and drive devices, then vehicle body structure is simplified, but sufficient rigidity and impact absorption capability must be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle body is divided into modular components including the in-wheel motor assemblies, chassis frame, and body panels. This segmentation allows for optimized structural design in critical areas while maintaining overall simplicity. The chassis frame is specifically reinforced to compensate for the reduced complexity elsewhere, ensuring adequate rigidity and impact absorption.
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment vehicle body includes a plurality of shock absorber housings configured to cover and support upper ends of respective shock absorbers connected to the wheels of a vehicle, a plurality of upper truss members, each of which is connected at one end thereof to a front shock absorber housing and extends upwards while being bent and is connected at a remaining end thereof to a rear shock absorber housing so as to constitute a corresponding one of two lateral pillars of the vehicle; and a roof member, which extends in a width direction of the vehicle and is connected at two ends thereof to upper portions of the plurality of upper truss members.