Vehicle Rear Structure With Vertical Load Dispersion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle rear structures face challenges in effectively reducing collision loads in a wide vertical range during rear-end collisions, particularly when the collision is offset, leading to inadequate load transfer and reduced collision safety.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle rear structure featuring a rear panel with a center member, a rearward connection portion extending upward, and a rear panel support member bridging between the rearward and forward connection portions, which disperses collision loads and reduces the impact by generating tension in the lower area of the rear panel, while being securely connected to the damper load receiving portion and rear pillars to enhance rigidity and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the rear panel reinforcement is installed inside the rear bumper at the lower part of the vehicle body, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the collision safety in a wide vertical range is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension to the load distribution system by positioning the rear panel reinforcement above the rear bumper rather than inside it. This vertical relocation allows the reinforcement to handle collision loads from a wider vertical range, including offset collisions, while maintaining structural simplicity and ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the collision load management function by separating the rear bumper (for lower collisions) from the rear panel reinforcement (for higher collisions). This segmentation allows each component to specialize in handling collisions from specific vertical ranges, improving overall collision safety without complicating the manufacturing process.
2Device complexity
If both the bumper reinforcement and rear panel reinforcement are installed in the lower part of the vehicle body, then the device complexity is reduced, but the collision load dispersion in vertical direction is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the vertical dimension to improve collision load dispersion. By relocating the rear panel reinforcement to a higher position above the rear bumper, the structure can now disperse collision loads across a wider vertical range, including offset collisions, without increasing device complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the rear panel support member is positioned lower to match conventional structures, then the ease of manufacture is maintained, but the collision load reduction effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the rear panel support member vertically above the rear panel center member, creating a higher support point. This vertical positioning allows the support member to effectively reduce collision loads from a wider vertical range while maintaining ease of manufacture through straightforward structural configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle rear structure includes: a rear panel having a rear panel center member extending in a vehicle width direction and a rearward connection portion extending upward from the rear panel center member; a forward connection portion located forward of the rear panel; and a rear panel support member extending in a front rear direction above the rear panel center member and bridging between the rearward connection portion and the forward connection portion.