Composite Strut Rod Crack Detection Edge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Strut rods made of composite material do not exhibit obvious degradation upon accidental shock, leading to a potential underestimation of safety risks, as they may develop small cracks or trigger factors for rupture that are not easily detectable, posing a security risk to vehicle passengers.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an additional edge that projects from the outer surface of the U-shaped lower part of the strut rod, positioned perpendicular to the expected crack direction, which becomes visible upon cracking during an accidental shock, allowing for easy detection of the need for replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a strut rod is made of composite material, then mass reduction and fabrication simplicity are improved, but detectability of damage or cracks deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a visual indication principle where the additional edge changes its visible state (from hidden to visible) when cracking occurs. This allows the composite material strut rod to provide obvious visual feedback of damage, resolving the detectability issue while maintaining the benefits of composite material construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The additional edge is pre-positioned in a specific location and orientation during manufacturing, so that it automatically assumes its detection function when cracking occurs. This preliminary configuration ensures that damage detection is built into the structure itself, eliminating the need for separate detection systems.
2Ease of manufacture
If a strut rod is made of composite material, then fabrication simplicity is improved, but safety monitoring capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The strut rod structure itself provides the safety monitoring function through the additional edge, which automatically indicates damage through its visible cracking. This self-service approach maintains fabrication simplicity while enhancing safety monitoring capability, as no separate monitoring system is required.
Solution Approach 2:
The visual indication mechanism uses the visibility change of the additional edge to communicate safety status, providing a simple and reliable safety monitoring capability that does not complicate the manufacturing process.
3Device complexity
If no additional detection features are added to the strut rod, then device complexity is reduced, but damage detection capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The additional edge serves as a simple visual indicator that changes state when cracked, providing damage detection capability without adding significant structural complexity. The edge is integrated into the existing bracket structure, maintaining simplicity while enabling detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The additional edge extends in a direction perpendicular to the expected crack propagation, creating a new dimensional feature that provides detection capability. This orthogonal extension allows the crack to intersect and visible the edge, enabling detection without complex multi-component systems.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a strut rod made of composite material for a suspension of a front axle of a vehicle, including: an upper part coupled to a rod and piston assembly connected to a vehicle body; and a U-shaped lower part including two brackets for fixing a knuckle arm of the vehicle. This strut rod includes means for detecting a crack. This detection means includes at least one additional edge positioned so as to project from an outer surface of the U-shaped lower part of the strut rod in a region where a crack possibly occurs in the case of an accidental shock on a wheel of the vehicle.