Automotive Wheel Separation Mechanism for Small Overlap Collision Safety

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In small overlap collisions, existing front collision compensating mechanisms fail to absorb shock energy effectively, leading to wheel penetration into the vehicle interior, posing a risk to passengers and vehicle damage, as the front side member does not deform in the longitudinal direction, and the wheel is not adequately separated from the vehicle body.

Innovation Solution

An automotive wheel separation mechanism featuring a hitting member that breaks the lateral arm supporting the wheel, equipped with an anti-sliding protrusion, is designed to separate the wheel from the sub-frame by being pushed rearward by a hit-object, preventing damage and injury by absorbing shock energy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the front side member is designed to absorb shock energy by deforming in the longitudinal direction, then shock absorption ability is improved, but in small overlap collisions the front side member fails to deform and the wheel penetration risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshock absorption abilityVSAvoidwheel penetration risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention divides the shock absorption function into two independent systems: the front side member for head-on collisions and the hitting member for small overlap collisions. The hitting member is a separate component that specifically targets the wheel support structure (lateral arm) to prevent wheel penetration, while the front side member maintains its original shock absorption function for direct frontal impacts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The hitting member acts as an intermediary element between the front side member/fender apron and the wheel support structure. It transfers the collision force directly to the lateral arm to induce separation, bridging the gap between the front collision structure and the wheel mounting system in small overlap scenarios.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the hitting member is designed to break the lateral arm early in small overlap collisions, then wheel separation is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewheel separation effectivenessVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the wheel separation function from the main front collision structure and implements it through a dedicated hitting member. This separate component specifically targets the lateral arm to induce breakage and wheel separation, while the rest of the front collision structure (bumper beam, crash box, front side member) maintains its original design for head-on collision protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of designing the front side member to handle all collision types, the invention inverts the approach by adding a specialized hitting member that activates only in small overlap collisions. The hitting member is positioned to contact the lateral arm directly, causing controlled breakage and wheel separation, while the front side member focuses on its primary head-on collision function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Reliability

If the anti-sliding protrusion is added to prevent sliding on the lateral arm, then the reliability of wheel separation is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewheel separation reliabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The anti-sliding protrusion is a localized feature added to the hitting member at the specific contact point with the lateral arm. This local modification ensures reliable engagement and prevents sliding during the wheel separation process, while the rest of the hitting member maintains a simple structure that is easy to manufacture using standard hydro forming techniques.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The mechanism effectively prevents serious damage to the vehicle body and passenger injury by early separation of the wheel, while also absorbing and reducing collision energy, enhancing safety in front collisions and small overlap collisions.

Implementation Method 1

the front side member also absorbs and reduces shock energy transmitted though the bumper beam or the crash box by deforming rearward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectShock absorption: Damping

Implementation Method 2

the hitting member at the front end of the front side member or at the front end of the fender apron-upper member hits and breaks earlier the lateral arm supporting the wheel to the sub-frame while being pushed back by the hit-object

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDeformation: Deformation

Data Source

PatentUS9168958B2Automotive wheel separation mechanism

Publication Date: 2015.10.27 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

An automotive wheel separation mechanism may include a hitting member that hits and breaks a lateral arm connecting a wheel to a vehicle body by being pushed back in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle due to a shock force from the outside in a front collision, and an anti-sliding protrusion that is disposed on the lateral arm to prevent the hitting member hitting the lateral arm from sliding on the lateral arm.