Adjustable Safety Cell for Vehicle Occupancy Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a trade-off between vehicle interior space and collision damage mitigation capabilities, as static safety cells do not adapt to varying occupancy levels, leading to wasted potential in deformation zone size when fewer occupants are present.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable safety cell that selectively reinforces different portions of the vehicle reinforcement frame based on detected occupancy, allowing the size and shape of the safety cell to change to optimize deformation zones for enhanced occupant safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the safety cell is designed to accommodate the maximum number of occupants, then occupant comfort and passenger capacity are improved, but the deformation zone size is reduced, decreasing collision damage mitigation capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The safety cell system transitions from a static configuration to a dynamic one by using movable reinforcement members that can be repositioned along the vehicle reinforcement frame. This allows the safety cell boundaries to be dynamically adjusted based on actual occupancy, optimizing both passenger capacity and collision protection for each usage scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameter of reinforcement member position to alter the safety cell configuration. By moving reinforcement members between different positions, the system creates different safety cell sizes and shapes, thereby optimizing the balance between interior space and collision protection based on detected occupancy levels.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the safety cell size is reduced to increase deformation zone, then collision damage mitigation is improved, but occupant comfort and interior space are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the safety cell boundaries by repositioning movable reinforcement members, allowing the interior space to be optimized for each specific occupancy scenario rather than being fixed at a conservative minimum size.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary adjustment of the safety cell configuration based on detected occupancy before a collision occurs. This ensures that the optimal balance between interior space and deformation zone is established in advance, maximizing both comfort and safety for the actual occupants present.
3Adaptability or versatility
If movable reinforcement members are added to enable adjustable safety cell, then adaptability to varying occupancy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety cell system is segmented into multiple independent reinforcement members that can be individually positioned and controlled. This segmentation allows for granular adjustment of the safety cell boundaries to precisely match occupancy patterns, improving adaptability while keeping each individual component relatively simple.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an adjustable safety cell for adjusting the size of a deformation zone of a vehicle, comprising a vehicle reinforcement frame; a movable reinforcement member arranged to reinforce at least a portion of said vehicle reinforcement frame; wherein said reinforcement member is arranged to move between a first position and a second position, wherein in said first position, a first portion of said vehicle reinforcement frame is reinforced, and wherein in said second position, a second portion of said vehicle reinforcement frame is reinforced.