Brake Pedal Supporter Structure for Impact Force Dispersion
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicle accidents, the conventional brake pedal system causes injury to drivers as the dash panel, being weak, protrudes towards the driver's seat, and the brake pedal moves towards the driver's ankle or shin, and increasing dash panel stiffness to mitigate this issue leads to increased vehicle weight and decreased fuel efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A supporter is installed on the cowl crossbar adjacent to the brake pedal, featuring converged brackets with supporting protrusions that prevent the brake pedal from moving towards the driver's seat by dispersing impact force through the cowl crossbar, thereby protecting the driver from injury.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the thickness of the dash panel is increased to mitigate brake pedal movement during accidents, then the protective function is improved, but the vehicle weight increases and fuel consumption deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The protective function is segmented between the thin dash panel and a separate supporter structure. The dash panel maintains its original thin design while the supporter (comprising brackets and protrusions) provides the additional protective function, avoiding the need to increase dash panel thickness and vehicle weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporter acts as an intermediary element between the brake pedal and the driver. It intercepts and disperses impact forces before they can transfer to the brake pedal and reach the driver, providing protection without requiring structural changes to the dash panel or brake pedal assembly.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the thickness of the dash panel is increased to prevent brake pedal movement, then driver protection is improved, but fuel efficiency deteriorates due to increased vehicle weight
Solution Approach 1:
The safety function is separated from the dash panel structure and implemented through a dedicated supporter component. This allows the dash panel to remain thin and lightweight while the supporter provides the necessary protection against brake pedal intrusion during accidents.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporter is designed as a sacrificial protective element that absorbs impact forces during accidents. It is positioned to take the brunt of impact forces, protecting the driver without requiring permanent structural changes to the vehicle body that would increase weight and fuel consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A structure for protecting a brake pedal of a vehicle from impact, the vehicle having a cowl crossbar provided with a pair of spaced apart connection holes, includes a supporter provided with a pair of converged brackets, each of the converged brackets provided with connection holes couplable with the connection holes of the cowl crossbar by using bolts, and a plurality of supporting protrusions provided on an end of the supporter, the supporting protrusions preventing the brake pedal from moving toward an occupant of the vehicle in the event of a collision.