Vehicle Front Body Structure Linking Element Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle front body structures face a trade-off in energy absorption during frontal and oblique impacts with little overlap, as attaching reinforcing elements to longitudinal beams impairs the deformability of these beams, thereby degrading energy absorption capabilities during frontal impacts with no or moderate overlap.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle front body structure incorporates a linking element attached to the same attachment portion as the connecting element on the upper longitudinal beam, minimizing the impairment of deformability and allowing both the reinforcing elements and upper longitudinal beams to cooperate in energy absorption during impacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If reinforcing elements are attached to longitudinal beams, then resistance to frontal or oblique impact with little overlap is improved, but energy absorption during frontal impact with no or moderate overlap is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment portion is segmented into a first attachment area for the connecting element and a second attachment area for the linking element. This segmentation allows both elements to be attached to the same attachment portion without significantly increasing the impairment of deformability, as the load is distributed across different areas. The segmentation enables the structure to achieve both improved resistance to frontal/oblique impact and maintained energy absorption during frontal impact.
2Ease of operation
If the linking element is attached to the same attachment portion as the connecting element, then the deformability of the upper longitudinal beam is minimized impaired, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The linking element and connecting element are merged by attaching both to the same attachment portion of the upper longitudinal beam. This merging approach minimizes the structural complexity that would arise from creating separate attachment portions, while still allowing both elements to function effectively. The shared attachment portion reduces the number of components and simplifies the overall structure compared to having entirely separate attachment locations.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The vehicle front body structure (2) comprises an upper longitudinal beam (10, 12) and a reinforcing element (14, 16) for reinforcing the wheel casing of the vehicle, said reinforcing element (14, 16) extending in a longitudinal direction substantially parallel to the upper longitudinal beam (10, 12), said upper longitudinal beam (10, 12) comprising an attachment portion (40), comprising an attachment area for attaching a connecting element (8) joining the upper longitudinal beam (10, 12) to a lower beam (22, 24) of the vehicle. The vehicle front body structure (2) further comprises a linking element (18, 20) joining the reinforcing element (14, 16) and the upper longitudinal beam (10, 12). The linking element (18, 20) is attached to the attachment portion (40) of the upper longitudinal beam (10, 12).