Vehicle Lower Structure With Curved Support for Collision Load Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle designs face issues where the frame member deforms easily upon collision due to direct fixation of protection members, which can lead to damage of onboard components.
Innovation Solution
A lower vehicle structure featuring a protection member positioned outward and below the frame member, supported by a support member with a bottom wall and vertical wall configuration, including a curve portion and extension, to distribute collision loads and enhance rigidity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the protection member is directly fixed to the lower face of the frame member, then the protection member can properly prevent contact of the fuel tank with obstacles, but the frame member may be deformed easily when receiving collision load
Solution Approach 1:
A support member is introduced as an intermediary component between the protection member and the frame member. The support member includes a vertical wall portion with a curve portion protruding inward and an extension portion extending toward the tip side from the curve portion. This intermediary structure absorbs and distributes collision loads, preventing direct transmission to the frame member while maintaining protection of the fuel tank.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member extends in the vehicle width direction with the curve portion protruding inward and the extension portion positioned on the outward side. This multi-dimensional configuration allows the support member to effectively distribute collision loads across different spatial dimensions, enhancing the frame member's resistance to deformation while maintaining protection functionality.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the protection member is arranged below the frame member to protect the onboard member, then collision protection is improved, but the frame member is more susceptible to deformation from direct collision loads
Solution Approach 1:
The support member serves as a mediator between the protection member and the frame member, absorbing collision loads through its curve portion and extension portion configuration. This intermediary structure protects the frame member from direct collision impacts while maintaining the protection function against obstacles.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member's geometric parameters are optimized with the curve portion protruding inward and the extension portion extending toward the tip side from the curve portion. This parameter configuration enables the support member to effectively distribute collision loads, changing the stress distribution pattern to protect the frame member's structural stability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A protection member arranged below a frame member so as to face an onboard member from an outward side, in a vehicle width direction, thereof and a support member fixed to a lower face of the frame member so as to support the protection member are provided. The support member comprises a bottom wall portion including a facing portion which faces an upper end portion of the protection member in a vertical direction and extending along a lower face of the frame member and a vertical wall portion having a base end thereof which corresponds to an inward edge of the bottom wall portion and extending downward. The vertical wall portion is provided with a curve portion protruding inward and an extension portion extending toward a tip side from the curve portion and positioned on the outward side, in the vehicle width direction, of the curve portion.