Wave-Shaped Rocker Insert for Side-Impact Load Redirection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle frames struggle to effectively redirect side impact forces away from battery trays in electric and hybrid electric vehicles, necessitating improved stiffness in rocker sections to prevent intrusion and protect critical components.
Innovation Solution
A rocker insert with a wave-shaped structure is integrated into the vehicle sill assembly, featuring alternating crest and trough portions to enhance lateral stiffness and redirect impact forces, utilizing a stiffening member made from metal sheets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rocker insert is added to increase stiffness of the vehicle sill assembly, then the ability to redirect side impact forces away from the battery tray is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rocker insert employs a wave-shaped structure with alternating crests and troughs instead of a straight configuration. This curvature transforms the load path, allowing lateral impact forces to be redirected through the wave geometry toward the floor cross member, thereby protecting the battery tray while maintaining structural efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The wave-shaped rocker insert is formed from a metal sheet that is segmented into multiple crests and troughs along its length. This segmentation creates multiple load-bearing zones that collectively redirect forces along a controlled path, distributing the impact load across several points rather than concentrating it in a single location
2Reliability
If the rocker insert structure is modified to better redirect side impact forces, then the protection of battery tray is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The metal sheet is formed into a wave-shaped configuration by changing its geometric parameters - specifically creating alternating crests and troughs with specific dimensions and spacing. This parameter modification transforms a simple flat sheet into an effective force-redirection structure that guides lateral impacts toward the floor cross member while remaining manufacturable through standard forming processes
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle rocker assembly includes a sill outer and a sill inner that together define an elongated hollow interior. The vehicle rocker assembly also includes a rocker insert disposed within the elongated hollow interior. The rocker insert includes a stiffening member defining a wave-shaped structure and including at least one sheet defining a fore edge, an aft edge, a first side edge and a second side edge opposite the first side edge. Additionally, the fore edge and the aft edge are disposed at different locations along the length of the rocker insert. Moreover, a crest of the wave-shaped structure extends between the first side edge and the second side edge and is configured to carry a load path laterally between the inboard and outboard wall portions.