Commercial Vehicle Box Panel Containment for ADAS Sensor Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), the panels of commercial vehicle boxes can collide with the chassis, potentially damaging sensors, which are critical for safety and compliance, and costly to replace.
Innovation Solution
A containment system that limits the free stroke of the panel around a hinge to prevent contact with the chassis, using a buffer mechanism connected to a control lever and a bistable mechanism to maintain the buffer in a position that avoids contact with the chassis, ensuring the sensors are protected during loading and unloading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the box is equipped with hinged panels for easy loading/unloading, then the ease of operation is improved, but the risk of panel collision with the chassis increases, potentially damaging ADAS sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The containment system is activated before the panel can collide with the chassis. The control lever is positioned to engage the buffer mechanism in advance, creating a protective barrier that prevents harmful contact between the moving panel and the ADAS sensors on the chassis
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer acts as an intermediary element between the hinged panel and the chassis. When the panel moves during loading/unloading operations, the buffer intercepts the motion and provides containment, preventing direct contact with the ADAS sensors while still allowing operational movement
2Ease of operation
If the box is designed to overturn for facilitating loading/unloading, then the ease of operation is improved, but the harmful factors increase due to potential panel collision with the chassis
Solution Approach 1:
The containment system applies preliminary anti-action by positioning the buffer to counteract the potential harmful motion of the panel before collision can occur. During box overturning operations, the buffer is pre-positioned to intercept and contain the panel, preventing it from striking the ADAS sensors on the chassis
3Reliability
If a containment system is added to protect ADAS sensors, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control lever serves multiple functions: it controls the buffer mechanism for sensor protection, and it can be integrated with existing box operation controls. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining reliable sensor protection
Data Source
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
A box (5) for a vehicle (1), comprising a platform (6) configured to be carried by a chassis (2) of the vehicle and extending along a longitudinal axis (A), a pair of side panels (7) parallel to the axis (A), a pair of front and rear panels (7') transversal to the axis (A), the panels (7', 7") and said platform (6) delimiting a space (5') configured to transport goods, and being carried by said platform (6) by means of at least one hinge (9) configured to allow the rotation of an edge of the panels (7, 7') around a hinge axis respectively parallel or transversal to the axis (A), the box (5) comprising a containment system (10) actuatable to limit the stroke of the panel (7, 7') in at least one predefined angular position around the axis of rotation of the hinge (9).