Active Hinge Reset Mechanism for Pedestrian Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Active hinges used in pedestrian protection systems on vehicles lose their functionality after deployment, as they no longer operate with a normal degree of freedom, necessitating a mechanism to reset and restore their operational state.
Innovation Solution
A manual reset feature is introduced, utilizing a reset clip with an engagement tab and locking tab to re-lock the movement between the deployment and hood brackets, allowing the hinge to revert to a single degree of freedom operation, enabling the vehicle hood to lift when colliding with a pedestrian and then reset for normal operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the active hinge provides an additional degree of freedom for pedestrian protection, then pedestrian safety is improved, but the hinge loses its normal functionality and cannot be reused
Solution Approach 1:
The reset mechanism allows the hinge to discard the deployed state (with additional degree of freedom) and recover the normal operational state (single degree of freedom). The locking tab and engagement tab work together to reset the hinge to its original configuration, enabling repeated use after pedestrian protection deployment
2Stability of the object's composition
If the reset mechanism uses a locking tab to prevent rotation, then the hinge is locked in reset position, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The reset mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: a locking tab for preventing rotation, an engagement tab for entering the notch, and a pivot point for rotation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall simplicity
3Adaptability or versatility
If the engagement tab enters the notch to enable rotation, then the hinge can deploy additional degree of freedom, but the structure requires precise alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement tab and notch are designed to automatically align and engage when the hinge is in the correct position. The geometry of the tab and notch ensures self-alignment during normal operation, reducing the need for high-precision manual adjustment while enabling the additional degree of freedom
Data Source
AI summary
An active hinge with a reset mechanism that disables an additional degree of freedom in the hinge's movement to permit the trailing edge of a vehicle hood to lift is disclosed. The active hinge includes a deployment bracket on which a reset clip is mounted, a hood bracket for attachment to the vehicle's hood, and a body bracket for attachment to the vehicle's body. To re-lock movement between the deployment bracket and the hood bracket, an engagement tab on the reset clip enters a notch in the hood bracket whereby the reset clip rotates until a locking tab on the clip engages a hole in the deployment bracket. Curved surfaces mounted on the engagement and locking tabs provide surface-to-surface contact between the reset clip and the deployment bracket, whereby the deployment bracket is not scratched when the reset clip is rotated, thereby precluding rust from developing on the deployment bracket.