Variable Thickness Carrier Module for Vehicle Door Impact Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The automotive industry faces challenges in manufacturing vehicle door assemblies that provide enhanced side impact resistance and protection against environmental effects while reducing weight and manufacturing complexity, as existing intrusion beams are bulky, heavy, and costly, affecting fuel efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A carrier module with an integral intrusion member featuring a variable wall thickness, including thickened regions for support and impact resistance, and thinned regions for weight reduction, made from molded materials with randomly oriented fibers for enhanced strength and isotropic orientation, which can be constructed using compression molding to control thickness and fiber distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If solid steel intrusion beams are used to provide side impact resistance, then safety performance is improved, but vehicle weight increases and fuel economy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters from solid steel to foam core with skin layers, and varies the skin thickness as a parameter to achieve the desired balance between side impact resistance and weight reduction. The foam density and skin thickness are controlled parameters that directly affect both safety performance and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction with an outer skin layer, inner skin layer, and foam core layer. This composite structure provides the necessary strength and impact resistance while significantly reducing weight compared to solid steel beams. The different material layers work together to achieve both safety and weight reduction goals.
2Reliability
If uniform thickness carrier walls are used to protect against environmental effects and side impact, then protection performance is improved, but vehicle weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the skin thickness in different regions of the carrier. Thicker skin sections are positioned where structural support and impact resistance are most needed, while thinner sections are used in areas requiring less protection. This localized variation in thickness optimizes both protection performance and weight reduction.
3Reliability
If separate intrusion beams are fixed to door panels, then side impact resistance is achieved, but assembly complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the intrusion beam function directly into the carrier structure itself. The carrier is designed with integrated reinforcement features and the foam-core construction that provides side impact resistance as an inherent property, eliminating the need for separate intrusion beams to be attached to the door panel.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the mounting structure for door components, provides environmental protection for the door cavity, and delivers side impact resistance through its foam-core construction. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated intrusion beam components.
Data Source
AI summary
A carrier module for a motor vehicle door assembly having inner and outer panels defining a door panel structure with the inner panel having an opening for selective access to an internal door cavity between the inner and outer panels are provided. The carrier module includes a carrier having an outer periphery configured for attachment to the inner panel to substantially close off the opening with the outer periphery bounding a wall having a variable wall thickness with support regions of the wall having an increased thickness relative to adjacent non-support regions.