Breakaway Mast With Shear-Fastener Impact Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle masts for sensors face challenges in being easily deployable and stowable, particularly in agricultural applications, where they must maintain a minimum distance from the vehicle to avoid interference and withstand various environmental forces, and require protection from impact damage during transportation and use.
Innovation Solution
A breakaway mast system with a pivotably attached shock absorber and a channel, featuring a breakaway connection with fasteners susceptible to fracture under shear stress, allowing the mast to transition between deployed and stowed positions while absorbing impacts and protecting the sensor and vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the mast is kept in the deployed position for sensor operation, then the sensor can collect data at the required distance from the vehicle, but the mast and sensor are vulnerable to impact damage during transportation and cannot clear height restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a breakaway connection with pre-calculated shear strength that will fail under impact loads. This beforehand cushioning mechanism protects the sensor and mast by sacrificing a weaker component (the breakaway connection) to absorb impact energy, preventing damage to more critical components during transportation or accidental contact
Solution Approach 2:
The mast system is segmented into separable components: the mast, the base, and the breakaway connection. This segmentation allows the mast to be easily deployed and stowed, and enables the breakaway connection to fail independently to protect other components, resolving the contradiction between operational reliability and impact vulnerability
2Ease of operation
If the mast is designed to be easily deployable and stowable for transportation, then height restrictions and travel safety are addressed, but the mechanism becomes more complex with additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket uses a dynamic mechanism with a shock absorber and spring-loaded piston that automatically transitions between deployed and stowed positions based on operational needs. The system moves from static to dynamic control, allowing easy deployment and stowage without complex manual intervention, while the automatic mechanism manages the complexity internally
3Strength
If the fasteners are made strong to prevent accidental breakage, then the mast remains secure during normal operation, but the breakaway function cannot activate to protect against impact
Solution Approach 1:
The fasteners are designed with specific material properties and geometric parameters (cross-sectional area, material strength) that create a predetermined shear strength threshold. This parameter optimization allows the fasteners to maintain sufficient strength for normal operation while reliably breaking away under impact loads, resolving the contradiction between holding strength and breakaway reliability
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
Enables easy deployment and stowage of sensors, absorbs mechanical energy during travel and impacts, reducing potential damage to the mast, sensor, and vehicle, and facilitates quick recovery and replacement of components.
Implementation Method 1
a shock absorber which is coupled between the mast and the base wherein the base is attachable to a vehicle and the shock absorber predisposes the mast to either a deployed position or a stowed position
Implementation Method 2
the fasteners are composed of material of a size and cross section that is susceptible to fracture when sheer stress is transferred through contact of the mast with an object or obstruction
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor mounting bracket for attachment to a vehicle including a mast configured to support a sensor at a first end, a base pivotably connected to the mast at a second end, a shock absorber attached between the mast and the base, wherein the base is attached to a vehicle and the shock absorber predisposes the mast to either a deployed position or a stowed position.