Vehicle Lower Structure With Shear Panel for Crash Load Absorption
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle suspension member designs fail to effectively absorb collision loads while minimizing rear portion deformation and enhancing the rigidity of lower arm force receiving portions during frontal collisions and steering maneuvers.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle lower part structure comprising a suspension member with side rails connected to a battery via a shear panel, featuring closed-section structure portions that enhance mechanical strength and rigidity, allowing controlled deformation of the suspension member during collisions and improved rigidity during steering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the suspension member is designed to absorb collision load through deformation, then the collision energy is absorbed, but the rear portion deformation cannot be sufficiently reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The side rails are designed with non-uniform cross-sectional areas along their length, with the cross-sectional area being larger at the front portion and smaller at the rear portion. This local quality variation allows the front portion to deform and absorb collision energy while the rear portion maintains structural integrity and minimizes deformation, directly resolving the technical contradiction between energy absorption and rear portion deformation control.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the lower arm force receiving portions are made more rigid to improve steering stability, then steering precision is improved, but the suspension member becomes less able to absorb collision loads
Solution Approach 1:
The arm support portions are positioned at intermediate locations along the side rails, and the cross-sectional area of the side rails is optimized at these specific locations to provide sufficient rigidity for steering stability while maintaining overall energy absorption capability. This localized reinforcement at arm support portions resolves the contradiction between steering stability and collision energy absorption.
3Strength
If the cross-sectional area of side rails is increased throughout to improve overall strength, then structural strength is improved, but the ability to control deformation distribution is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly increasing the cross-sectional area throughout the side rails, the design implements variable cross-sectional areas where the front portion has a larger area for strength and energy absorption, while the rear portion has a smaller area to control deformation. This local quality approach maintains overall structural strength while enabling precise deformation distribution control.
Solution Approach 2:
The side rails are effectively segmented into different functional zones along their length, with each zone having an optimized cross-sectional area tailored to its specific function. The front zone has larger cross-sectional area for energy absorption, while the rear zone has smaller cross-sectional area for deformation control, resolving the contradiction between overall strength and deformation distribution.
Data Source
AI summary
A pair of right and left side rails connected to the cross member and the cross member and extending in the vehicle front-rear direction and having a rear end connected to the battery, and an arm support portion provided at an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction of the side rail and supporting a lower arm for supporting the front wheel, and a suspension member provided in the vehicle, and a shear panel positioned between the rear portions of the pair of side rails as viewed in plan, and having a front closed-section structure portion extending along a straight line connecting the right and left arm support portions and connected to the pair of side rails as viewed in plan.