Bumper-Mounted Deployable Upper Leg Catcher for Pedestrian Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pedestrian protection systems for vehicles do not adequately protect the upper leg of pedestrians during collisions, as the front edge of the vehicle hood often causes injuries, and existing deployable hood designs are insufficient in providing effective protection.
Innovation Solution
A pedestrian protection system that integrates active and passive safety elements, utilizing a pedestrian impact sensor to deploy a bumper-mounted upper leg catcher beam upwards towards the grille area upon sensing an impending impact, with a reset mechanism for false positive signals, minimizing harm to the pedestrian's upper leg.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the front edge of the vehicle hood is designed to be stiff to minimize damage during low speed crashes, then the structural strength of the vehicle front is improved, but the injury risk to pedestrians' upper legs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system deploys a catcher beam in advance before impact occurs. The pedestrian detection system activates the catcher beam deployment mechanism prior to collision, allowing the beam to be in position to intercept and protect the pedestrian's upper leg from striking the stiff hood edge
Solution Approach 2:
The catcher beam acts as an intermediary element between the pedestrian and the vehicle front. It intercepts the pedestrian's upper leg and redirects the impact force away from the hood leading edge, preventing direct contact between the pedestrian and the harmful stiff structure
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a deployable hood design is implemented to protect pedestrians, then pedestrian protection is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the protective function from the entire hood structure and isolates it into a separate, dedicated catcher beam component. This modular approach allows the main hood to remain simple and stiff for structural integrity, while the removable catcher beam provides the protective function independently
Solution Approach 2:
The catcher beam transitions from a static, stowed position to a dynamic, deployed position based on detected pedestrian presence. The system uses actuators to move the beam between positions, providing protection only when needed and maintaining a compact profile during normal operation
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the catcher beam is deployed to protect pedestrians, then pedestrian safety is improved, but the false positive rate and system reliability challenges increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the pedestrian detection system continuously monitors conditions and adjusts catcher beam deployment status accordingly. The control system receives input from sensors and provides feedback control to activate or deactivate the catcher beam based on real-time pedestrian presence detection
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection and verification before deploying the catcher beam. The pedestrian detection system identifies potential pedestrians in advance and allows for verification before activation, reducing false positives while ensuring timely protection when genuine pedestrians are detected
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
The system effectively reduces injuries to pedestrians by deploying a catcher beam to absorb impact energy, providing enhanced protection with minimal changes to the vehicle design and allowing for reset in case of false deployments, thus achieving improved safety rankings.
Implementation Method 1
The catcher beam support assembly is positioned adjacent the absorber
Data Source
AI summary
A pedestrian protection apparatus for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The apparatus includes a catcher beam and a catcher beam support assembly including a catcher beam support to which the beam is attached. The support is movable between stowed and deployed positions. The apparatus includes a bumper energy absorber and a bumper beam. The assembly is positioned adjacent the absorber and is either substantially within or adjacent to the bumper beam. The apparatus includes a mechanical, electromechanical or pneumatic actuator to allow the support to move to its deployed position. A pedestrian impact sensor sends a signal to a control unit in the event of an imminent pedestrian impact. The control unit then signals the assembly to allow the catcher beam to move to its deployed position using the actuator. In the event of a false positive deployment, the actuator retracts the catcher beam to its stowed position.