Breakaway Support Member With Controlled Detachment for Bumper Impacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle bumper systems fail to manage impact energy effectively, leading to damage to expensive, delicate, or critical components during collisions, resulting in costly and complex repairs.
Innovation Solution
A breakaway supporting member with controlled break points, comprising slotted members and discrete stress risers, which detach along a predetermined alignment to isolate and protect critical components, allowing for a simpler and more economical repair process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the bumper support structure is made fully rigid to protect critical components, then component protection is improved, but impact energy management deteriorates causing damage spread to expensive components
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper support structure is divided into a breakaway portion and a fixed portion by introducing discrete stress risers and tabs that create predetermined break points. This segmentation allows the breakaway portion to detach during impact, absorbing energy while protecting the fixed portion containing critical components from damage.
2Strength
If the bumper support structure is made with breakaway capability to manage impact energy, then impact energy management is improved, but structural integrity deteriorates potentially exposing critical components to damage
Solution Approach 1:
Discrete stress risers are pre-positioned at specific locations where tabs connect the breakaway portion to the fixed portion. These stress risers create predetermined weak points that ensure controlled detachment occurs at these specific locations during impact, preventing uncontrolled failure that could expose critical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The tabs act as intermediary elements connecting the breakaway portion to the fixed portion. These tabs are designed with discrete stress risers that control the detachment process, serving as a mediator that manages energy absorption while protecting the fixed portion containing critical components.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional bumper support structures are used without controlled break points, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but repair complexity increases due to damage spread to multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The structure is segmented into replaceable breakaway portions and permanent fixed portions. This segmentation allows the breakaway portion to be easily replaced after impact while the fixed portion containing critical components remains intact, significantly reducing repair complexity and cost.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If controlled break points are introduced to enable selective detachment, then component protection is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional stress risers and tabs
Solution Approach 1:
Discrete stress risers are introduced only at specific local positions where tabs connect the breakaway portion to the fixed portion, rather than throughout the entire structure. This localized approach creates controlled break points with minimal additional complexity, enabling selective detachment to protect critical components.
Data Source
AI summary
A breakaway supporting member having controlled break points includes one or more slotted members configured to attach to a vehicle chassis and a structural support member configured to support one or more vehicle components. The structural support member includes one or more discrete stress risers that extend from the structural support member, wherein each of the one or more discrete stress risers includes a tab extending therefrom. Each of the tabs is configured to be inserted through a slot disposed through each of the one or more slotted members.