Vehicle Bumper Supporting Member for Corner Collision Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicle front portion structures equipped with pedestrian collision detecting sensors, the bumper reinforcement's corner portions interfere with peripheral parts during damage tests, leading to potential damage and reduced detection capabilities when collisions occur at the vehicle's corners.
Innovation Solution
A supporting member is mounted to the vehicle's transverse outer side end portion of the bumper reinforcement, extending outward and supporting the pressure sensor from the rear side, which separates when a predetermined load is applied, reducing interference with peripheral parts and enhancing detection capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If corner portions are provided at the bumper reinforcement to enable detection at vehicle transverse direction outer sides, then the detection area is enlarged and pedestrian protecting performance is improved, but the corner portions interfere with peripheral parts during damage tests causing damageability deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper reinforcement is divided into a general portion and corner portions that are separately structured. The corner portions are designed to be detachable from the peripheral parts, allowing them to be segmented and removed when they interfere during damage tests, while maintaining the detection function at the vehicle transverse direction outer sides.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigidity parameter of the corner portions is adjusted to be lower than that of the general portion. This parameter change allows the corner portions to deform and detach more easily during damage tests, reducing interference with peripheral parts while still enabling collision detection at the extended detection area.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If corner portions are omitted at the bumper reinforcement to improve damageability with respect to peripheral parts, then interference with peripheral parts is reduced, but the detection area cannot be enlarged toward vehicle transverse direction outer sides
Solution Approach 1:
The detection function is segmented from the main bumper reinforcement structure by providing separate corner portions that can be selectively detached. This allows the detection area to be extended to the vehicle transverse direction outer sides while the corner portions can be removed when they cause interference during damage tests.
Solution Approach 2:
The corner portions act as intermediary elements that extend the detection area to the vehicle transverse direction outer sides. When these intermediaries interfere with peripheral parts during damage tests, they can be detached, allowing the main bumper reinforcement to function without interference while the detection capability is preserved through the extended pressure sensor arrangement.
3Strength
If the rigidity at corner portions is set low to enable deformation and absorb impact energy, then pedestrian protecting performance is improved and weight is reduced, but the corner portions interfere with peripheral parts during damage tests
Solution Approach 1:
The rigidity parameter of corner portions is specifically set lower than the general portion to enable deformation and impact energy absorption during pedestrian collisions. However, this same parameter setting causes interference with peripheral parts during damage tests, requiring the corner portions to be detachable to resolve this contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
The bumper reinforcement is segmented into general portions with high rigidity for structural strength and corner portions with low rigidity for impact absorption. The corner portions are further designed to be detachable, allowing them to be separated when they interfere with peripheral parts during damage tests, thus resolving the contradiction between impact absorption and damageability.
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 supporting member effectively detects collisions at corner portions while minimizing damage to peripheral parts by separating from the bumper reinforcement during penetration, thus improving damageability and detection accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a pedestrian collision detecting sensor, including a pressure sensor member, that is adjacent to a vehicle front side of the bumper reinforcement and extends in the vehicle transverse direction, and that outputs a signal corresponding to a change in pressure of the pressure sensor member
Data Source
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AI summary
At a front bumper (12), a supporting member (60) is mounted to a bent portion (30) of a bumper RF (20), and the supporting member (60) extends-out toward a vehicle transverse direction outer side from the bumper RF (20). Therefore, when a pressure tube is pressed at a time of a collision of a collision body with a vehicle corner portion, reaction force is applied from the supporting member (60) to the pressure tube, and the pressure tube deforms. Due thereto, a collision with a collision body can be detected. Here, when load of a predetermined value or greater is inputted to the supporting member (60) from a rear side, the supporting member (60) separates from the bumper RF (20). Therefore, in a damage test, when the supporting member (60) interferes with a sub-radiator that is at a vehicle rear side of the supporting member (60), the supporting member (60) can be made to separate from the bumper RF (20). Due thereto, damage to the sub-radiator can be reduced or prevented.