Vehicle Body Structure with Cowl Side Frames for Suspension Stiffness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle body structures face challenges in enhancing support stiffness of suspensions across the entire vehicle body, particularly due to the separation of front suspension towers from the ring-shaped vehicle body frameworks at side door openings.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle body structure featuring a first ring-shaped framework near the front suspension towers and a second ring-shaped framework around the side door openings, with additional reinforcing members such as cowl side frames, side part panels, and gusset members, made of thicker plate materials to enhance coupling stiffness and transfer forces effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If front suspension towers are separated from the ring-shaped vehicle body framework at side door openings, then ease of manufacture is improved, but support stiffness of suspensions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces cowl side frames as intermediary components that couple the front suspension towers to the ring-shaped vehicle body framework. These cowl side frames act as mediators, maintaining the separation between suspension towers and the main framework while providing the necessary mechanical connection to preserve support stiffness. The cowl side frames extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction and connect the suspension towers to the cowl member, effectively transferring forces without requiring direct attachment of the suspension towers to the ring-shaped framework.
2Strength
If thicker plate members are used for side part panels, then support stiffness of suspensions is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by using thicker plate members for the side part panels compared to the cowl panel. This change in the thickness parameter of the plate material increases the moment of inertia and section modulus of the side part panels, thereby enhancing their stiffness and their ability to transfer forces from the suspension towers to the vehicle body framework. The thicker plates provide greater structural rigidity without requiring complex geometries or additional reinforcement elements.
Data Source
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AI summary
A vehicle body structure includes: a front lateral ring-shaped vehicle body framework (FWC) having a substantially ring shape in a vehicle lateral direction, disposed near suspension towers (65), and constituted by front subframes (66), suspension tower reinforcing members (65b), and a cowl box (62); and longitudinal ring-shaped vehicle body frameworks (SLC) disposed along side door openings (Es). The vehicle body structure includes: cowl side frames (64) coupling upper ends of hinge pillars (45) constituting the longitudinal ring-shaped vehicle body frameworks (SLC) to the suspension towers (65) in a vehicle longitudinal direction; and side part panels (71) connected to the cowl box (62) and coupled to the suspension towers (65).