Vehicle Side Structure Reinforcement for Seat Bracket Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle side structures around seat attachment portions are prone to significant shaking and joint detachment due to deformation of the floor pan under uneven road conditions and lateral loads, resulting in reduced stability and increased risk of joint failure.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle side structure incorporating a rocker, floor pan, seat bracket, and reinforcement member with additional flanges that increase joint points between the floor pan and rocker, dispersing loads and enhancing bending rigidity, thereby suppressing seat shaking and joint detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the seat bracket is joined across both the rocker and the floor pan, then the seat can be securely attached, but the floor pan deforms under load causing seat shaking and joint detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The floor pan is segmented into a floor plate portion and a side flange portion that are joined at a bent portion. This segmentation allows the side flange to provide additional support to the rocker while the floor plate maintains its load-bearing function, distributing stresses to prevent deformation and joint detachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The side flange extends in the width direction (lateral dimension) from the floor plate, creating a three-dimensional structure. This additional dimensional element provides lateral support to the rocker and distributes loads across multiple joint points, preventing the floor pan from deforming under vertical and lateral forces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the floor pan is deflected downward under load, then the seat bracket can accommodate movement, but the seat shakes upward and downward reducing comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The bent portion connecting the floor plate and side flange is designed with specific geometric characteristics to provide localized flexibility. This allows the joint to accommodate minor movements and stresses while maintaining overall structural rigidity, preventing excessive seat movement during vehicle operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the bent portion of the floor pan is unfolded under lateral load, then the floor pan can shift to accommodate movement, but the seat shakes in the width direction
Solution Approach 1:
The floor pan is divided into the floor plate and side flange segments connected at the bent portion. This segmentation creates a structured joint that can accommodate controlled movement while maintaining lateral stability through the side flange's connection to the rocker, preventing unwanted seat shifting during cornering.
Solution Approach 2:
The side flange extends in the width direction, providing lateral support that constrains the floor pan's movement. This dimensional extension creates a rigid triangular support structure with the rocker, preventing the floor pan from shifting laterally while still allowing for controlled deformation under load.
4Device complexity
If shearing or pulling loads are concentrated at single joint points, then the structure remains simple, but the joint points may detach under excessive load
Solution Approach 1:
The floor pan is segmented into floor plate and side flange portions that create multiple joint points with the rocker. This segmentation distributes shear and pulling loads across multiple connection points, reducing the stress concentration at any single joint and preventing detachment while maintaining structural simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
An L-shape retainer serving as a reinforcement member is provided at attachment locations of a front seat bracket and a rear seat bracket on a rocker and a floor pan. The L-shape retainer has a second side flange joined to an inner side wall of the rocker at an opposite side from a first side flange with a floor plate portion of the floor pan therebetween, and a first floor side flange connected to the second side flange and joined to the floor plate portion of the floor pan.