Adjustable Thorax Impactor for Multi-Standard Side Impact Testing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current pedestrian protection tests lack a standard form to evaluate thorax injuries, which are increasingly significant in accidents involving flat-front vehicles, and existing crash test dummies are not suitable for assessing side impacts on the thorax area.
Innovation Solution
A thorax impactor model is developed with robust rib structures and instrumentation to represent the thorax area, allowing for easy part replacement and lower costs, suitable for side impact evaluations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed impactor is used, then the test procedure is simple, but the impactor cannot be adjusted for different test standards (ECE R95, USFM, China C-NCAP)
Solution Approach 1:
The impactor employs adjustable components including the ability to change mass by adding/removing weights, adjust impactor width, and modify the center of gravity position. These dynamic adjustments allow the single device to comply with multiple test standards (ECE R95, USFM, China C-NCAP) without requiring separate fixed impactors for each standard.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the impactor mass is fixed, then the structure is simple, but the center of gravity cannot be adjusted to match different test standards
Solution Approach 1:
The impactor mass is divided into adjustable components including removable weights and adjustable counterweights. The center of gravity can be repositioned along the longitudinal axis by adjusting these segmented mass elements, allowing compliance with different test standards that require specific center of gravity positions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the impactor width is fixed, then the structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate different thorax width requirements in various test standards
Solution Approach 1:
The impactor width is made adjustable through a mechanism that allows modification of the impactor body dimensions. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the same impactor to meet different thorax width requirements specified in various test standards (ECE R95, USFM, China C-NCAP) without requiring multiple fixed-width impactors.
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
Enables accurate evaluation of thorax injuries in pedestrian protection tests, providing a robust and cost-effective solution for assessing thorax impacts in various crash scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
a counterweight assembly (42) having a first counterweight (421, 422) and a second counterweight (421, 422), each of the first counterweight (421, 422) and the second counterweight (421, 422) being adjustable along the longitudinal axis
Implementation Method 2
a variable mass assembly (31) having a first weight (311) and a second weight (312), each of the first weight (311) and the second weight (312) being selectively addable to and removable from the impactor body (20)
Implementation Method 3
The impactor may collide with a test dummy at a predetermined speed to perform impact tests on the test dummy
Implementation Method 4
a spring (231) disposed inside the impactor body (20), the spring (231) being compressible and extendible in the longitudinal direction
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention is related to a thorax impactor (1) which will represent the thorax area of the pedestrians' body and provide for the evaluation of pedestrian injuries caused by flat front vehicles in tests, comprising a rear bracket (8) representing the spine.