GB2615739A

GB2615739A - Anti-wheel intrusion composite body node

Info

Publication number: GB2615739A
Application number: GB2200009.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Smith Ryan
Original assignee: Beyond Steel Ltd
Current assignee: Beyond Steel Ltd
Priority date: 2022-01-01
Filing date: 2022-01-01
Publication date: 2023-08-23
Anticipated expiration: 2042-01-01
Also published as: GB202200009D0; GB2615739B

Abstract

A fibre-reinforced composite (FRC) vehicle body node component 5 being a co-moulded assembly of a toe board 10 and reinforcement 20; a sill reinforcement 15; a crash box support 22; a lower A-pillar 25; a torsion box 30; and a floor panel 35. Composite material may be glass or carbon fibres, or a mixture. May include a shotgun panel (40, Fig. 7), an angle bar (45, Fig. 8), a crash box and a suspension tower. The assembled parts may be joined at angles between 45 and 135 degrees; preferably at 90 degrees. The node may comprise foam building blocks (140, Fig. 4) wrapped with sleeves of glass or carbon fibre material, infused with resin during moulding. A method of body node construction is disclosed. Mountings may be moulded in, allowing attachment of other body components (which may be metallic) by bolting, riveting, and/or welding. A vehicle body frame may comprise at least one such node.

Description

Anti-wheel intrusion composite body node Technical field of the invention The invention relates to a vehicle body node comprising fibre-reinforced composite materials; to a vehicle body frame comprising such a node; to a vehicle 5 comprising such a node; and to a method of manufacturing such a node.

It should be noted that in this context, a 'body node_ is an assembly of vehicle body components forming part of an overall body frame.

Background to the invention

Most road vehicle bodies made in the last 60 years have been steel monocoques; which have been refined over time by using specialized alloy steels to optimize strength, stiffness, and ease of production. But they have a number of drawbacks, particularly in terms of weight and in needing expensive paint processes to ward off corrosion.

Although fibre-reinforced composite body structures are lighter than steel bodies, so that there is less energy to disperse in a collision, their behaviour in collisions is less well understood than that of steel bodies. Although it is considered that autonomous drive (AD) vehicles will result in a large reduction in the number and severity of collisions, the date for introduction of such vehicles has gone back repeatedly. Even when they go on sale to the general public, there will be a considerable overlap period when AD vehicles are present on roads alongside human-driven vehicles.

Furthermore, it has been proposed that autonomous vehicles may have flexible interior space, where driver and front seat passenger(s) may face away from the direction of travel when the vehicle is driven autonomously. To enable safety restraints such as airbags to protect the vehicle occupants, it is important that the passenger compartment is not penetrated during collisions by heavy mechanical parts such as wheels.

US 10,9 33,91 5B2 to Peugeot describes an anti-wheel intrusion system for a steel body frame. This construction is not optimized for use with body components made of composite materials.

There is a need, therefore, fora form ofvehicle body node which strongly resists wheel intrusion into a passenger compartment during a collision, but is also optimized for construction from fibre-reinforced plastic materials.

Summary of the invention

The invention is as set forth in the appended claims. Detailed Description of the Invention In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying Figures, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a complete vehicle V, which is included to define the longitudinal X-X axis; the transverse Y-Y axis, and the vertical Z-Z axis; Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of a first embodiment of a vehicle body node according to the invention; Figures 4 and 5 show foam and fibre building blocks as described in our co-pending patent application GB2107298.8, the contents of which are incorporated herein by means of reference; Figure 6 shows a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of a body node of Figures 2 and 3, in a simulation of a vehicle collision where the front wheel detaches and impacts the body node; Figures 7 and 8 are perspective views of a second embodiment of a vehicle body node according to the invention; and Figures 9 and 10 are views of this second embodiment showing its internal construction.

It should be noted with regard to these Figures that the term 'outboard_ means towards the outside of the vehicle; whereas the term Inboard_ means towards the inside of the vehicle.

Figure 2 shows a vehicle body node 5 according to an aspect of the invention.

This node may support closures and outer panels; and comprises a toe board 10 and a toe board reinforcement 20 (Fig. 3); a sill reinforcement 15; a crash box mount 22; a torsion box 30, a floor panel 35, and a lower A pillar 25. The point of view (POV) is from a right hand seat looking towards the left hand side of the car and forwards. In a specific design example, angle between toe board 10 and floor panel 35 is 120 degrees; while angle f between toe board 10 and lower A pillar 25 is 90 degrees.

Figure 3 is an inverse view to that of Figure 2, where the viewpoint is from a person standing in front of the vehicle on its left side. It can be seen that sill reinforcement 15 provides an outer face of the torsion box 30. Numeral 20 is a 3D structure reinforcing toe board 10, which provides support to the crash box mount 22.

Figure 4 shows a foam and fibre building block 140 according to our co-pending patent application GB2107298.8. This block comprises a foam core 142 surrounded by a sleeve of fibrous material 144, which may also be folded over the end faces of the block 142; and may comprise glass and/or carbon fibres. As shown in Figure 5, a series 1405 of blocks 140 may be joined end to end 140E in a recess 134 in a skin panel 132 of a vehicle body panel 130. The blocks are moulded into the recess by infusion with, and curing of, resin material (not shown). This assembly combines great strength with light weight as the resin infuses into the fibrous sleeves and body panel; and to a degree, into the foam blocks. Resin walls are formed at ends 140E and within side walls 135 of recess 134. This construction within a recess does not form part of the present invention, but is included as an illustration only.

Figure 6 shows an F EA simulation of a collision of a vehicle including a body node as shown in Figure 2 or Figure 3. Where a spot welded assembly of steel parts could buckle in several planes; and could 'unzip_ its spot welds by a peeling process, allowing a wheel adjacent to this node to penetrate the vehicle interior and cause serious injury to a vehicle occupant; the body node according to the invention simply distorts, as shown in areas DZ1 to DZ5. Zone DZ5 is particularly interesting, because the wheel does not penetrate the toe board 10.

Figure 7 shows a second embodiment of a body node according to the invention. This is based on the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, but further comprises a longitudinal (with respect to the vehicle, substantially parallel to axis X-X in Figure 1) shotgun panel 40.

Figure 8 is an inverse view to Figure 7, with a POV from outside the vehicle looking forward and to the right This Figure shows an angle bar 45, which adds additional stiffness to the body node by resisting pivoting movement upwards and backwards from a frontal impact Figure 9 is a view of the second embodiment from a similar POV to Figure 3, showing how the body node is built up from blocks 140 as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 10 is a similar built from blocks _ view of the second embodiment from a similar POV to Figure 7, but lower; as if looking up to a vehicle on a platform or lift.

It will be noted from the Figures that the body node components, e.g. the toe board (10) and floor panel (35) are joined to each other at angles. Because of the very strong joints which are formed by infused resin walls joining adjacent components, it is beneficial to the structural strength of the body node to join these components together at angles, preferably between 45 degrees and 135 degrees; and more preferably where the design allows, at around 90 degrees. The joints between blocks have large, continuous rectangular bonding areas because of the thickness of the blocks; as opposed to spot welds between steel panels, which have small circular bonding areas; which are periodic, rather than continuous.

An advantage of building this body node at least partly from fibre-reinforced plastic materials, as compared to steel, is that considerable material thickness can be used to impart strength without the node becoming too heavy to use; particularly in the area of the transverse toe board reinforcement 20 ahead of toe board 10; and in the torsion box 30 below the toe board 10 and floor panel 35. Walls of cured resin impregnated with fibres are very strong, and may have greater peel resistance in crash condition than steel panels joined by spot welds. Furthermore, multiple layers of building blocks and node components can be built up without building in cavities which can lead to acoustic problems such as booms and resonance; and also without allowing moisture and dirt to be trapped between components, which in a steel structure will lead to corrosion; the extent of which may not be immediately obvious from outside. Such corrosion will also reduce crash resistance in older vehicles.

The strong inherent noise damping properties of composite materials comprising fibres, resin and foam reduce the need in vehicles for conventional sound deadening materials, which are heavy; and may absorb unwanted moisture. The lack of these sound deadening materials also simplifies the vehicle production process.

A method of manufacturing a body node as disclosed above comprises placing foam and fibre building blocks in a mould, where they are fused together by curing an injected resin. This impart greater strength and rigidity to the node than the previously known process of gluing together disparate composite components, as the resin forms a continuous structure throughout the node. Other components such as mountings for body panels, seat rails, etc., may also be co-moulded during this process. Such a co-moulding process allows resin to simultaneously infuse fibres in adjacent building blocks and to rigidly join the building blocks together in an assembly whose joint lines are very difficult to tear open, forming the node as a single component The lack of joints also reduces noise, vibration, and harshness.

J oints between composite material node component which have considerable planar area -particularly when the components are co-moulded, so that the resin infuses both components and forms a strong wall bonding them together -will have considerable resistance to both peel and shear forces, and will bind components together firmly. They will tend to remain bonded together under crash conditions, resisting the buckling and/or tearing behaviour of welded steel panels. Design simulations have shown that effective load sharing between composite components is effective when the angles between components are between 45 and 135 degrees; and preferably close to 90 degrees.

A suspension tower and/or a crash box may be connected to the body node.

A vehicle body frame may comprise at least one vehicle body node as described above.

Each vehicle body panel may be assembled to such a vehicle frame or structure by chemical bonding and/or by mechanical fastening, e.g. bolting or riveting; or by 10 welding.

Best results for joining nodes to body panels chemically are usually obtained by using resin, however in some circumstances it may be preferable to use adhesive.

The embodiments are described above by way of example only. Many variations are possible without departing from the scope of protection afforded by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A vehicle body node comprising fibre-filled composite material comprising a co-moulded assembly of: a lower A pillar; a sill reinforcement a toe board and a reinforcement therefor; a transverse torsion box; a crash box support and a floor panel.
2. A vehicle body node according to claim 1, wherein the following components: the lower A pillar; the sill reinforcement the toe board; the toe board reinforcement; the transverse torsion box; and the floor panel; are each joined to other body node components during the moulding process of the body node along at least two axes which are angled to one another by an angle between 45 degrees and 135 degrees.
3. A vehicle body node according to claim 2, wherein at least some of the axes of adjacent components are substantially perpendicular.
4. A vehicle body node according to any preceding claim, wherein the fibre-filled composite material comprises glass fibres, carbon fibres, ora combination thereof.
5. A vehicle body node according to any preceding claim, further comprising a shotgun panel.
6. A vehicle body node according to any preceding claim, further comprising an angle bar.
7. A vehicle body node according to claim 6, wherein the angle bar is located on an outboard side of the lower A pillar.
8. A vehicle body node according to any preceding claim, wherein the floor panel is connected to the lower end of the toe board.
9. A vehicle body node according to any preceding claim, wherein the torsion box is located under a forward end of the floor panel.
10. A vehicle body node according to any preceding claim, wherein at least two of the following body node components: the lower A-pillar; the sill reinforcement; the toe board; the toe board reinforcement the crash box support; the transverse torsion box; and the floor panel; comprise building blocks made of foam cores surrounded by tubes of fibrous material which are bonded to the foam core and to each other by resin in a co-moulding process.
11. A vehicle body node according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the tubes of fibrous material around the foam cores of the building blocks is wrapped around at least one end of the corresponding foam core.
12. A vehicle body node according to any preceding claim, constructed entirely from composite material comprising fibres and resin.
13. A vehicle body node according to any preceding claim, comprising moulded in mountings for further body components.
14. A vehicle body node according to claim 13, wherein at least one moulded in mounting for a further body component is configured so that the further body component may be fitted using threaded connectors.
15. A vehicle body node according to claim 13, wherein at least one moulded in mounting for a further body component is configured so that the further body component may be fitted using riveting.
16. A vehicle body node according to claim 13, wherein at least one moulded in mounting for a further body component is configured so that the further body component may be fitted using welding.
17. A vehicle body node according to any preceding claim, connected to a suspension tower.
18. A vehicle body node according to any one of claims 1 to 16, connected to a crash box.
19. A vehicle body frame comprising at least one vehicle body node according to any one of claims 1 to 18.
20. A vehicle comprising a body node according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein at least one further body component is metallic.
21. A method of manufacturing a vehicle body node according to claim 10, or to any one of claims 11 to 16 when dependent on claim 10, comprising making body node components according to the construction of claim 10, then assembling said components into a mould, injecting resin, and curing said resin to bond said components together.