Vehicle Body Side Structure Load Distribution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle body side structures are susceptible to deformation towards the cabin when an impact load is applied from the side, as they fail to distribute the load effectively to the rear wheel house from areas outside the rear wheel house.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle body side structure design that includes a rear bulkhead within the rear wheel house, a side outer panel, a door opening frame, a striker, a door latch, and a door beam for reinforcement, where the house reinforcing member is connected to the rear wheel house and bulkhead, allowing load distribution and deformation to support the impact, and features like inclined connecting portions and beads for efficient load transfer and reduced size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional reinforcing member connected to the rear wheel house is used, then the impact load applied directly to the rear wheel house can be transmitted effectively, but the impact load applied to portions apart from the rear wheel house (such as the center pillar) cannot be distributed to the reinforcing member
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing structure is divided into multiple functional segments: the house reinforcing member (first reinforcing member) connected to the rear wheel house, the door beam (second reinforcing member) integrated with the side door, and the center pillar. This segmentation allows each component to handle specific portions of the impact load, enabling effective load distribution from various impact points while maintaining structural integrity without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The door beam is nested within the side door structure, with the rear end of the door beam positioned in the overlapping region between the side door and the door opening frame. This nesting arrangement allows the door beam to work synergistically with the house reinforcing member and center pillar, creating a nested load path that distributes impact forces effectively while minimizing additional structural complexity.
2Strength
If the house reinforcing member is made larger to improve load bearing capacity, then the load transmission efficiency increases, but the weight of the structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The house reinforcing member features localized reinforcement through beads (protrusions) at critical stress concentration points, such as the front end and along the length of the member. This local quality approach provides enhanced load bearing capacity and stress distribution only where needed, rather than uniformly increasing the size of the entire member, thereby maintaining strength while minimizing weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The cross-sectional parameters of the house reinforcing member are optimized by incorporating beads with specific dimensions and spacing. The bead diameter, spacing, and distribution are carefully controlled to achieve the required load bearing capacity with minimal material usage, effectively changing the geometric parameters to balance strength and weight.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle body side structure includes a house reinforcing member mounted on a front upper portion of an inner wheel house, the house reinforcing member having a front connecting portion connected to a flange of the inner wheel house, a panel portion extending from the front connecting portion in an inclined manner, and a rear connecting portion connected to a rear bulkhead. A rear end of a door beam is provided outwardly of a striker in a vehicle width direction, and the rear end of the door beam, the striker, and the front connecting portion are provided in an overlapping manner from outside to inside in the vehicle width direction.