Vehicle Body Joint Structure for Load Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
The vehicle industry faces challenges in securing mounting rigidity and effectively distributing load between the underbody and upper body of purpose-built vehicles (PBVs) while minimizing vehicle body weight.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle body joint structure is introduced, featuring at least one mount bracket attached to the side member of the underbody and a supporting unit coupled to the lower portion of a pillar, allowing direct connection between the pillar and the mount bracket. This structure includes a supporting bracket with a joint flange part and a forming part, and a pipe nut joined vertically to the supporting bracket, facilitating load distribution and securing joint strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional mounting structures are used to connect upper body and underbody, then joint strength can be secured, but load distribution efficiency deteriorates and vehicle weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure is divided into separate components: mount brackets attached to the underbody side members and supporting units coupled to the pillar lower portions. This segmentation allows for optimized load distribution paths while reducing overall weight compared to monolithic traditional mounting structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The support plate acts as an intermediary element between the pillar and the mount bracket, providing a distributed load transfer interface. This intermediary structure improves load distribution efficiency while maintaining joint strength without requiring direct heavy-duty connections.
2Strength
If traditional mounting structures are used to connect upper body and underbody, then joint strength can be secured, but load distribution efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the mounting system into mount brackets and supporting units positioned at specific locations (side members and pillar lower portions), the structure creates multiple optimized load transfer paths that efficiently distribute input loads throughout the vehicle body framework.
Solution Approach 2:
The support plate serves as a load-distributing intermediary that spreads forces from the pillar connection points across multiple mount brackets attached to side members, thereby improving overall load distribution efficiency while preserving joint strength.
3Ease of manufacture
If gaps exist between crossmembers in traditional structures, then assembly is easier, but manufacturing precision and welding quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The mount brackets and supporting units are pre-positioned and aligned during assembly to eliminate gaps between crossmembers and pillar structures. This preliminary positioning ensures precise fit-up surfaces for subsequent laser welding operations, achieving both ease of assembly and high welding quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The support plate acts as a precision alignment intermediary that ensures accurate positioning of the pillar lower portion relative to the mount brackets. This intermediary component guarantees gap-free connections that enable high-quality laser welding while maintaining ease of assembly through standardized installation procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment joint structure of a vehicle body includes a mount bracket attached to a side member of an underbody of the vehicle body and a supporting unit coupled to the mount bracket and to a lower part of a pillar of an upper body of the vehicle body. An embodiment vehicle includes a vehicle body including an underbody and an upper body coupled to the underbody, wherein the upper body includes a plurality of pillars extending in a vertical direction of the vehicle, a floor panel coupled to the plurality of pillars, a mount bracket attached to a side member of the underbody, and a supporting unit coupled to the mount bracket and to a lower part of a pillar of the plurality of pillars.