Vehicle Box Panel Stroke Limiting for ADAS Sensor Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

The collision of vehicle box panels with ADAS sensors can damage these sensors, violating regulations and incurring economic loss, especially in vehicles equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

Innovation Solution

A containment system for vehicle box panels that limits their stroke to prevent contact with the chassis, using a pin and guide mechanism with recesses to control angular positions and includes a tensioning system to maintain contact, ensuring the panel does not collide with the chassis.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the panel is allowed to move freely for easy loading/unloading, then the ease of operation is improved, but the panel may collide with the chassis and damage ADAS sensors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of loading/unloadingVSAvoidsensor damage risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The containment system is pre-configured with a pin and guide mechanism that defines a predetermined stroke path for the panel. This preliminary structural arrangement ensures that the panel automatically follows a safe trajectory during movement, preventing collision with the chassis and ADAS sensors before the collision can occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The guide mechanism acts as an intermediary element between the panel and the chassis. It mediates the panel's movement by constraining it to a predetermined stroke, thereby protecting the ADAS sensors from direct contact while still allowing the panel to move for loading and unloading operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the panel stroke is limited to prevent sensor damage, then the reliability is improved, but the versatility of loading/unloading operations is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesensor protectionVSAvoidloading/unloading flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The containment system incorporates a tensioning mechanism with a movable element that can be positioned at different locations along the panel's stroke path. This dynamic adjustability allows the system to adapt to different loading/unloading scenarios while maintaining reliable protection of the ADAS sensors through the predetermined stroke constraint.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a containment system is added to limit panel stroke, then the sensor protection is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesensor damage preventionVSAvoidsystem structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The containment system is segmented into distinct functional components: a guide mechanism with a pin that defines the predetermined stroke, and a separate tensioning mechanism with a movable element. This segmentation allows for modular installation and maintenance while achieving sensor protection through the coordinated action of these simpler individual components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4303073B1Containment system for panel of a commercial vehicle box
Publication Date: 2026.03.18 IVECO SPA
  • EP4303073B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4303073B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5
  • EP4303073B1 patent drawingFigure 6~9

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) configured 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).