Barrier Member With Translatable Column For Impact Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing barriers fail to effectively stop vehicles without imparting high inertial impact on drivers, posing a risk of injury, and lack the ability to absorb multiple impacts while protecting larger areas.
Innovation Solution
A barrier member with a translatable column that is rotatably and translatably mounted, featuring a flexible barrier material and engagement members to absorb vehicle impact, providing cushioned deceleration and preventing rotation upon impact, allowing for modular extension to cover larger areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid barrier is used to stop vehicles, then the barrier can effectively bring vehicles to a halt, but it imparts high inertial impact on the driver causing injury risk
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier member employs a translatable column that can dynamically change its state between rotatable and translationally constrained. Upon vehicle impact, the column translates along guide rails from an initial position to a locked position, transforming the barrier's response from rigid to controlled dynamic, thereby reducing impact forces while maintaining stopping capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical state and positional parameters of the translatable column during impact. The column moves from a stationary rotatable state to a translated locked state, altering the mechanical parameters of the barrier system to provide cushioned deceleration rather than rigid stopping.
2Device complexity
If a single barrier member is used, then the structure remains simple, but it cannot protect larger areas or absorb multiple impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier system is divided into multiple independent barrier members, each capable of absorbing impacts individually. The flexible barrier material can be coupled between multiple members, creating a modular system that protects larger areas while maintaining relatively simple individual component designs.
Solution Approach 2:
Each barrier member is designed with universal functionality to absorb multiple impacts and can be linked with other members through the flexible barrier material. This multi-functional design allows a single component type to serve both as an impact absorber and as a modular unit for expanding protection coverage.
3Loss of energy
If the translatable column remains rotatable during impact, then the flexible barrier material can unwind to absorb impact energy, but the column continues rotating causing uncontrolled movement
Solution Approach 1:
The system prepares for impact by allowing the flexible barrier material to unwind from the column during the initial impact phase, absorbing energy in a controlled manner. The engagement member is positioned in advance to engage with the translatable column, preventing uncontrolled rotation after the cushioning phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement member acts as an intermediary between the translatable column and the housing. It selectively engages with the column to prevent rotation when needed, while allowing the column to remain rotatable during normal operation and initial impact absorption phases.
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
The barrier member effectively reduces the risk of injury to vehicle operators by providing steady deceleration and absorbing multiple impacts, while allowing for easy extension to protect larger areas through modular design.
Implementation Method 1
the barrier member is configured to switch between the second mode of operation and the third mode of operation if an impact force on the flexible barrier material is above a first threshold value
Implementation Method 2
The one or more biasing members is configured to compress as the translatable column is moved from the first position to the second position
Implementation Method 3
The one or more biasing members may comprise a compressible elastic material
Implementation Method 4
One or more biasing members may comprise one or more hydraulic buffers having a first load response characteristic and one or more second hydraulic buffers having a second, different load response characteristic arranged in series
Data Source
AI summary
A barrier member including: a support; a first engagement member coupled to the support; and a translatable column defining a longitudinal axis, wherein the translatable column is rotatably and translatably mounted relative to the support, wherein the translatable column is translatable between: a first position in which the translatable column and the first engagement member are spaced apart from one another such that the translatable column is rotatable about said longitudinal axis; and a second position in which the translatable column and the first engagement member are engaged to prevent rotation of the translatable column about said longitudinal axis.