Vehicle Casing Lock Portion Dispersion Collision Loads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing casings for occupant protection device control units in vehicles are inefficient in transmitting collision loads directly to acceleration sensors, leading to delayed and inaccurate load transmission, and they are heavy and costly due to the use of rigid resin-made components.
Innovation Solution
A casing design featuring a metallic base with a deformable lock portion that disperses collision loads to a main body, reducing the load on the base and allowing for a thinner, lighter construction while maintaining protection of the occupant protection device control unit, and incorporating a waterproof cover to prevent water ingress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a thicker metallic base is used to ensure rigidity and protect the control unit from collision load, then the protection performance is improved, but the weight and cost of the casing increase
Solution Approach 1:
The base is divided into a rigid rear portion and a deformable front portion. The rear portion maintains rigidity to protect the control unit, while the front portion is designed to deform and absorb collision energy, reducing the overall material required and thus the weight and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The base thickness is varied across different regions: the rear portion has greater thickness for structural support, while the front portion has reduced thickness to allow controlled deformation. This parameter change optimizes both protection performance and weight reduction.
2Ease of manufacture
If a resin-made main body with brackets is used to mount the control unit, then the manufacturing ease is improved, but the collision load transmission speed and accuracy to the acceleration sensor deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The brackets are removed from the design. Instead of using separate mounting brackets, the control unit is directly mounted to the metallic base, eliminating the intermediate resin components and improving the directness of collision load transmission to the acceleration sensor.
Solution Approach 2:
The casing combines a metallic base with a resin-made main body. The metallic base provides rigid collision load transmission to the acceleration sensor, while the resin main body provides ease of manufacture and housing for other components. This composite structure resolves the contradiction between manufacturing ease and measurement precision.
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 solution effectively reduces the weight and cost of the casing while enhancing the protection of the occupant protection device control unit by dispersing collision loads and preventing water damage, ensuring accurate data retrieval.
Implementation Method 1
the lock portion, which is deformable according to a deformation of a vehicle body caused by a collision load from a vehicle front
Implementation Method 2
the lock portion, when deformed, causes a front portion of the base to be locked with at least a part of a front wall of the main body
Data Source
AI summary
A casing for housing an occupant protection device control unit is mounted to a vehicle body. The casing is composed of a metallic base mounted on the vehicle body with its plate surfaces facing upward and downward, respectively, and a main body that is put on and mounted on the base. The base has a lock portion that is deformable according to a deformation of the vehicle body caused by a collision load from a vehicle front. The lock portion, when deformed, causes a front portion of the base to be locked with at least a part of a front wall of the main body.