Breakaway Tow Hook Assembly for Airbag-Safe Front Impacts
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tow hooks on vehicles can cause damage to airbag systems and other components during low-speed impacts, as they often protrude from the bumper and become the initial point of contact, requiring adjustments to the airbag system to accommodate their presence.
Innovation Solution
A tow hook assembly with a mounting bracket and a tow hook that has a towing end and a mounting end, where the mounting end extends through the mounting bracket at an angle not coincident with the towing direction, and a fastener that resists movement in the towing direction while allowing movement in the opposite direction, ensuring the tow hook breaks away from the vehicle before airbag activation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the tow hook is rigidly mounted to the front bumper, then the towing function is ensured, but the tow hook becomes the initial point of contact during impact and may damage airbag system components
Solution Approach 1:
The tow hook is designed with a breakaway mounting mechanism that transitions from a rigid connection to a detachable state upon impact. The mounting bracket includes a fragile portion that breaks under impact forces, allowing the tow hook to separate from the bumper and preventing damage to airbag system components while maintaining secure attachment during normal towing operations
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting bracket is divided into distinct segments including a fragile portion that can break away independently. This segmentation allows the tow hook assembly to separate into discrete parts during impact, with the fragile portion serving as a sacrificial element that protects more critical components from damage
2Ease of operation
If the tow hook protrudes from the bumper face, then it provides a convenient attachment point for towing, but it interferes with the planned absorption of frontal impacts by the bumper system
Solution Approach 1:
The tow hook mounting system is designed to dynamically respond to impact forces by breaking away from the bumper. During normal conditions, the tow hook protrudes for easy attachment, but during frontal impact, the fragile portion breaks, allowing the tow hook to move away and not interfere with the bumper's planned deformation and energy absorption characteristics
3Reliability
If the airbag system is adjusted to accommodate the tow hook's presence, then airbag deployment requirements can be met, but the system complexity increases and the tow hook still poses a potential hazard
Solution Approach 1:
The tow hook is designed to be extracted or separated from the bumper assembly during impact through the breakaway mounting mechanism. By removing the tow hook from the impact path through controlled separation, the airbag system does not require special adjustments to accommodate the tow hook's presence, maintaining standard deployment characteristics
Solution Approach 2:
The fragile portion of the mounting bracket is designed as a disposable, sacrificial element that breaks during impact to protect more valuable components. This low-cost breakaway feature eliminates the need for complex airbag system adjustments by simply removing the tow hook hazard during critical events
Data Source
AI summary
A tow hook assembly for a motor vehicle includes a mounting bracket and a tow hook having a towing end and a mounting end. The towing end has a towing direction. The mounting end extends through the mounting bracket in a direction forming an angle not coincident with the towing direction. A fastener attaches to the mounting end of the tow hook and is configured to resist movement of the tow hook relative to the mounting bracket in a towing direction and allow movement of the tow hook in a direction opposite to the towing direction. A support bracket has a first end positioned adjacent to the towing end of the tow hook configured to support the towing end of the tow hook. The support bracket has a second end having a first portion having an aperture therethrough. The mounting end extends through the aperture.