Vehicle Front Structure With Staged Plate Rigidity for Light Collisions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle front structures with closed-cross section beam members and resin-made plate members fail to effectively absorb collision energy and protect pedestrians in light collisions, leading to potential damage to surrounding vehicle parts and increased injury risk due to high reaction forces.
Innovation Solution
A front vehicle structure featuring a beam member with a closed-cross section and a plate member that includes a fixation portion, a body portion, and a front end portion with higher longitudinal rigidity, where the front end portion is positioned higher than the body portion, allowing for controlled deformation and reduced damage in collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a high-rigidity beam member with closed-cross section is used, then vehicle-part damage suppression is improved, but pedestrian-protection performance deteriorates due to high reaction forces
Solution Approach 1:
The plate member is designed with non-uniform rigidity distribution: the body portion has lower rigidity for deformation and energy absorption, while the front end portion has higher rigidity for controlled load transmission. This local differentiation allows the structure to simultaneously protect pedestrians through controlled deformation while preventing vehicle part damage through adequate strength.
2Loss of energy
If a resin-made plate member is used, then energy absorption is improved, but the structure causes damage to counter vehicle in MPDB collision test
Solution Approach 1:
The rigidity parameter of the plate member is changed by creating a front end portion with higher rigidity than the body portion. This parameter differentiation allows the front end to transmit loads appropriately to the beam member, preventing excessive deformation and counter vehicle damage, while the lower-rigidity body portion continues to absorb energy effectively.
3Strength
If the beam member rotates without deformation, then vehicle-part damage is suppressed, but unexpected contact with surrounding parts occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The structure is designed to undergo controlled dynamic deformation during collision. The body portion of the plate member is designed to deform in a controlled manner, absorbing energy and reducing rotation of the beam member, thereby preventing unexpected contact with surrounding vehicle parts while still suppressing damage to critical components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The structure effectively transmits collision loads to the body portion for controlled deformation, generating appropriate reaction forces and minimizing damage to both pedestrians and vehicle parts, while preventing the plate member from being crushed, thus enhancing pedestrian protection and reducing vehicle-part damage in light collisions.
Implementation Method 1
the body portion to be deformed with a constant load
Implementation Method 2
an appropriate reaction force can be generated
Implementation Method 3
there occurs a moment to cause an upper end of the front end portion to rotate
Implementation Method 4
the body portion of the plate member is deflected downwardly
Implementation Method 5
performance of energy absorption can be compatibly attained through deformation of the plate member and deflection of the metal-plate-made beam member
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle front structure comprises a beam member positioned in front of a sub frame and having a closed-cross section extending in a vehicle width direction and a plate member extending forwardly from the beam member. The plate member comprises a fixation portion fixed to the beam member, a body portion extending forwardly from the fixation portion, and a front end portion positioned at a front end of the body portion and configured to have higher rigidity against a load applied in a longitudinal direction than the body portion. The front end portion of the plate member comprises an upper section located at a higher level than the body portion and a lower section located at a lower level than the body portion. The upper section is positioned on a vehicle forward side of the lower section.