Vehicle Frame Cross-Beam Design for Side Impact Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vehicle frame designs with cross-members create packaging constraints, limiting the size and accessibility of components such as battery compartments, and do not adequately address structural rigidity during side impacts.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle frame design featuring a cross-beam directly connected to the longitudinal beam and rails, which increases cross-vehicle structural rigidity by transferring forces during side impacts and allows for larger, uninterrupted battery compartments by eliminating cross-members between the rails and longitudinal beams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If cross-members are used to connect rails and provide cross-vehicle reinforcement, then structural strength is improved, but packaging constraints increase and component accessibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The cross-member is divided into two separate components: a first cross-vehicle member connecting the rails, and a second cross-vehicle member connecting the longitudinal beams. This segmentation eliminates the packaging constraints caused by a single large cross-member while maintaining cross-vehicle structural strength through distributed reinforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection structure is extended into the longitudinal dimension by introducing longitudinal beams that connect to the cross-vehicle members. This creates a three-dimensional reinforcement network that provides cross-vehicle strength without requiring a single large cross-member that would constrain packaging.
2Stability of the object's composition
If cross-members are positioned to support components, then structural stability is improved, but component size and accessibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The single cross-member structure is segmented into multiple smaller cross-vehicle members positioned at different locations. This allows battery compartments to be placed in the spaces between these members, increasing accessible volume while maintaining structural stability through distributed support points.
Solution Approach 2:
The cross-vehicle members are positioned to allow battery compartments to be nested within the space defined by the frame structure. The members are arranged to provide structural support at critical points while leaving the interior volume available for battery placement.
3Reliability
If cross-members are used to reinforce the frame, then impact resistance is improved, but the number of components and assembly complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cross-vehicle members are integrated with the longitudinal beams through direct connection, merging two reinforcement functions into a unified structural system. This reduces the total number of separate components compared to using multiple independent cross-members, while maintaining impact resistance through the combined reinforcement network.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes a vehicle frame elongated along a longitudinal axis. The vehicle frame includes a first rail and a second rail spaced from each other and each elongated along the longitudinal axis. The vehicle frame includes a longitudinal beam between the first and second rails and elongated along the longitudinal axis. The vehicle includes a vehicle body. The vehicle body includes a cross-beam directly connected to the longitudinal beam and to the first and second rails.