Vehicle Front Structure Charging Inlet Guide Member Collision Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicle frontal collisions, the charging inlet, typically located on the vehicle front, can get caught between the barrier and the front pillar, leading to incomplete crush and compromised crashworthiness due to its rearward movement.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle front structure featuring a front pillar with a guide member having an inclined surface that allows the charging inlet to move outward in the vehicle width direction, preventing contact with the front pillar during a collision, and a chamfered portion on the charging inlet to facilitate sliding along the guide member, dispersing loads and minimizing deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the charging inlet is disposed in front of the front pillar to enable lateral cable connection, then ease of operation is improved, but crashworthiness deteriorates due to incomplete crush upon frontal collision
Solution Approach 1:
The charging inlet assembly is separated from the front pillar structure and allowed to move independently through the guide member, enabling the charging inlet to be positioned for ease of connection while maintaining crashworthiness through controlled movement during collision
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member acts as an intermediary between the charging inlet and front pillar, providing a guided path that allows the charging inlet to move outward during collision rather than being caught between the barrier and front pillar, thus resolving the conflict between operational ease and crashworthiness
2Device complexity
If the charging inlet is fixed in position for structural simplicity, then device complexity is reduced, but crashworthiness deteriorates due to incomplete crush
Solution Approach 1:
The charging inlet is designed to be dynamically movable relative to the front pillar through the guide member, transitioning from a fixed position during normal operation to a controlled outward movement during collision, maintaining structural simplicity while improving crashworthiness
3Loss of energy
If the charging inlet moves rearward during frontal collision, then energy absorption is improved, but crashworthiness deteriorates due to contact with front pillar causing incomplete crush
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member redirects the charging inlet's movement from a purely rearward direction to an outward lateral direction, allowing energy absorption through controlled movement in a different dimension while preventing contact with the front pillar that would cause incomplete crush
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle front structure includes a front pillar, a charging inlet, and a guide member. The front pillar extends in the vehicle up-down direction in a vehicle front. The charging inlet is disposed in front of the front pillar in the vehicle front-rear direction. An outlet cable is connectable to the charging inlet from the lateral side of a vehicle. The guide member is mounted to the front pillar and disposed between the front pillar and the charging inlet. The guide member includes an inclined surface that is inclined outward in the vehicle width direction from the vehicle front side toward the vehicle rear side, in a plan view.