Vehicle Front Side Member Offset Reinforcement for Overlap Collision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle-body front structures do not effectively generate lateral force during a short overlap collision, as they lack a load transmission structure to efficiently direct force opposite to the collision side in the vehicle width direction.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-body front structure featuring a front side member with an energy absorption portion and a reinforcing member placed offset towards the vehicle-width inner side, which intervenes between the barrier and power unit to efficiently transmit collision loads and generate lateral force by being strategically positioned and designed for early intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a conventional vehicle-body front structure is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot efficiently generate lateral force during short overlap collision
Solution Approach 1:
The front side member is divided into distinct functional sections: an energy absorption portion at the front end and a reinforcing member at the rear end. This segmentation allows the energy absorption portion to deform and absorb collision energy while the reinforcing member maintains structural integrity and generates lateral force, resolving the contradiction between force generation and structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the front side member are given different structural properties: the energy absorption portion is designed with lower stiffness to allow controlled deformation, while the reinforcing member is designed with higher stiffness to resist deformation and generate lateral force. This local differentiation of structural qualities enables efficient lateral force generation without requiring the entire structure to be complex.
2Loss of energy
If the inner panel is allowed to deform during collision, then energy absorption is improved, but the collision load is not efficiently transmitted to generate lateral force
Solution Approach 1:
The front side member is segmented into an energy absorption portion and a reinforcing member. The energy absorption portion is designed to deform plastically during collision, absorbing kinetic energy through controlled deformation. The reinforcing member, positioned at the rear end, maintains structural rigidity to efficiently transmit the collision load and generate lateral force, thus resolving the contradiction between energy absorption and force transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcing member acts as an intermediary between the deforming energy absorption portion and the power unit. It receives the collision load from the deforming front section and transmits it to the power unit, generating lateral force. This intermediary structure allows energy absorption through deformation while ensuring efficient force transmission, resolving the contradiction between these two functions.
3Force
If the reinforcing member is positioned centrally, then structural symmetry is maintained, but it cannot effectively intervene between the barrier and power unit during offset collision
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing member is positioned asymmetrically within the front side member, specifically at the rear end rather than centrally. This asymmetric positioning allows the reinforcing member to effectively intervene between the barrier and the power unit during offset collisions, generating lateral force by leveraging the offset geometry. The asymmetric design resolves the contradiction between force generation effectiveness and structural symmetry.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle-body front structure includes: a front side member which has a closed section by joining an inner panel placed on a vehicle-width inner side to an outer panel placed on a vehicle-width outer side, the front side member being placed in a vehicle-body front portion along a vehicle-body front-rear direction and being provided with an energy absorption portion that is provided on a vehicle-body front side of the front side member; and a reinforcing member provided on an inner-panel side in an offset manner toward the vehicle-width inner side from a vehicle-width outer end of a rear end of the energy absorption portion in a plane view.