Vehicle Frame Joint Structure for Shear and Bending Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle frame structures face challenges in effectively resisting shear and bending forces, particularly in supporting components like traction batteries that require robust structural integrity.
Innovation Solution
A joint structure comprising a front rail, front deflector, and a pin is designed to form a robust connection that resists shear and bending forces by securing the front rail and front deflector through a pin that extends through internal cavities of both components, forming a structural joint.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If existing vehicle frame structures are used, then the frame can support basic vehicle components, but the structure is insufficient in resisting shear and bending forces required for robust components like traction batteries
Solution Approach 1:
The pin extends through the internal cavity of the first structural tube and through the second structural tube, creating a nested configuration where the pin is positioned within the cavity space. This nesting approach allows the joint structure to resist shear and bending forces effectively while utilizing the existing internal space of the structural tubes, thereby improving strength without proportionally increasing external complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The joint structure is divided into distinct segments: the first structural tube, the second structural tube, and the pin as a separate fastening element. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its specific function while collectively providing enhanced resistance to shear and bending forces through their coordinated arrangement
2Reliability
If a robust joint structure is designed to resist shear and bending forces, then structural integrity is enhanced, but the manufacturing and assembly process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The pin is designed to extend through pre-defined internal cavities and openings of the structural tubes, which are formed during the tube manufacturing process. This preliminary preparation of the tube structures with integrated cavities and aligned openings facilitates easier assembly of the pin, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving robust structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The joint structure merges the first structural tube, second structural tube, and pin into a unified load-bearing assembly. The pin connects both tubes through their respective internal cavities, creating a combined structure that resists shear and bending forces collectively, thereby enhancing reliability while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through the integration of components
Data Source
AI summary
A joint structure for a vehicle frame includes a first structural tube, a second structural tube, and a pin. The first structural tube has first and second panels opposing each other. The first structural tube has third and fourth panels opposing each other. The second structural tube extends through the first panel and the second panel. The second structural tube has fifth and six panels opposing each other. The pin is secured to the first structural tube. The pin extends through the third panel, to the fifth panel, through the fifth panel, to the sixth panel, through the sixth panel, to the fourth panel, and through the fourth panel such that the first structural tube, second structural tube, and pin are collectively operable to resist shear and bending forces between the first structural tube and the second structural tube.