Breakaway Bridge Bezel for Steering Column Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cluster finish panels in vehicles impede the forward movement of the steering column during a collision event due to non-breakaway bezel designs, which can hinder the safety and compliance with industry standards for occupant safety.
Innovation Solution
A cluster panel assembly with a controlled release breakaway bridge bezel design, featuring first and second fasteners on the bridge bezel that disengage from the surround bezel through rotational and vertical movements as the steering column advances, ensuring a sequential and controlled release without damaging the bezel components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a non-breakaway bridge bezel design is used, then the structural integrity and stability of the cluster finish panel is improved, but the steering column travel distance is reduced during collision events
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge bezel is segmented into multiple sections with separate fastening points, allowing it to break away in a controlled manner during collision while maintaining structural integrity during normal operation. The bezel includes first and second fasteners that can independently disengage, enabling progressive breakdown rather than complete failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge bezel transitions from a static, permanently fixed structure to a dynamic, conditionally detachable one. The fastening system is designed to maintain strong attachment during normal vehicle operation but automatically release under specific collision forces, allowing the bezel to adapt its structural properties based on operational conditions.
2Length of moving object
If a breakaway bridge bezel design is implemented, then the steering column travel distance is improved during collision events, but the structural stability and reliability of the cluster finish panel is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The breakaway mechanism is pre-configured with specific fastening points and release characteristics before the collision event occurs. The first and second fasteners are positioned and designed to disengage in a predetermined sequence, ensuring reliable and consistent behavior during collision without requiring real-time decision-making or complex control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening system utilizes parameters such as fastener material properties, attachment force thresholds, and geometric configurations to control when and how the bridge bezel releases. By carefully selecting these parameters, the system maintains high reliability during normal operation while ensuring predictable breakaway behavior under collision loads.
3Strength
If high attachment force is used to secure the bridge bezel, then the structural integrity of the cluster finish panel is improved, but the breakaway force required during collision events is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The total attachment force is distributed across multiple discrete fastening points (first and second fasteners) rather than a single strong connection. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high overall attachment strength while enabling individual fasteners to release at lower, more manageable force thresholds during collision events.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the bridge bezel attachment system have different force characteristics. The fastening points are designed with varying local properties such that some areas maintain strong attachment during normal operation while others are designed to release more easily under collision loads, creating a gradient of attachment strengths throughout the structure.
4Force
If low attachment force is used to facilitate breakaway, then the breakaway force required during collision events is reduced, but the structural integrity and stability of the cluster finish panel is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is divided into multiple fastening points with different force characteristics. This allows the overall system to maintain high attachment strength for structural integrity while individual segments can release at lower forces to facilitate breakaway during collision, resolving the contradiction between strong attachment and easy release.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment force is not static but dynamically adjustable based on operational conditions. The fastening system maintains high attachment force during normal operation to ensure structural integrity, but automatically transitions to low attachment force during collision events to enable controlled breakaway, achieving both requirements through dynamic adaptation.
Data Source
AI summary
A cluster panel assembly comprising a bridge bezel operably and releasably coupled to a surround bezel is disclosed, wherein the bridge bezel is disposed adjacent a steering column and further comprises a plurality of attachment locations for coupling the bridge bezel to the surround bezel, wherein the attachment locations comprise a set of fasteners adapted to be released in a car-forward sequence as an impact load is imparted on the bridge bezel from the steering column during a collision event.