Auto-Leveling Suspension for Bumper Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle suspension systems fail to ensure proper alignment of bumpers during collisions, particularly under conditions like pre-collision braking, leading to potential misalignment and inadequate energy absorption, which can result in increased damage and safety risks.
Innovation Solution
An auto-leveling suspension system that uses sensors, such as ride height sensors, camera systems, radar systems, and LIDAR systems to detect mismatches between a vehicle's bumper and potential impact points, actuating the suspension to adjust and maintain optimal alignment by counteracting dips caused by braking or height differences between vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If pre-collision braking is applied to avoid or reduce impact, then collision avoidance or damage reduction is improved, but bumper alignment with impact point deteriorates due to vehicle dip
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system performs preliminary action by adjusting the vehicle body height in anticipation of upcoming braking conditions. Sensors detect potential collision scenarios and predict necessary braking, allowing the suspension to pre-adjust the bumper position before the actual collision occurs, ensuring proper alignment is maintained throughout the braking and impact sequence
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring vehicle height, braking status, and collision proximity through multiple sensors. This feedback loop allows the control system to detect when braking is occurring or about to occur, and automatically adjust the suspension to compensate for the resulting vehicle dip, maintaining optimal bumper alignment dynamically
2Adaptability or versatility
If different vehicle designs with varying bumper heights are used, then vehicle design flexibility is improved, but bumper alignment with other vehicles deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system transitions from a static to a dynamic configuration by enabling real-time adjustment of vehicle body height. This allows vehicles with different design heights to dynamically adapt their bumper position to match the height of other vehicles or objects, ensuring proper alignment regardless of the original design differences
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical parameter of vehicle body height through active suspension adjustment. By modifying this parameter in response to detected collision scenarios, the system compensates for different vehicle design heights and ensures the bumper aligns properly with the impact point on other vehicles or objects
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for accounting for a mismatch that exists between a vehicle's bumper and potential impact point using an active suspension is disclosed. The system and method determine that a mismatch exists between a vehicle's bumper and a potential impact point and actuate the suspension to account for the determined mismatch. The system and method account for the mismatch existing between a vehicle's bumper and a potential impact point using a sensor for detecting that a mismatch exists between the bumper and the potential impact point, and a suspension configured to be actuated to account for the sensed mismatch to enable improved alignment of the bumper and the potential impact point.