Crash Bed Platform with Segmented Detachment for Occupant Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

In heavy goods vehicles, the bed platform located behind the driver's seat poses a safety risk during collisions as it may deform and penetrate the occupant seats, potentially causing injury to the driver or passengers.

Innovation Solution

A bed platform design with a central portion and outer portions connected by weakened connector portions that allow the central portion to move forward past the occupant seats and the outer portions to remain behind, reducing the mass and impact of the bed platform during collisions by deforming or disconnecting from the central portion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the bed platform is positioned behind the driver's seat to provide rest space, then the vehicle's resting function is improved, but the safety of occupants deteriorates due to potential collision and penetration of the bed platform during accidents

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresting functionVSAvoidsafety risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The bed platform is divided into a central portion and outer portions that can separate from each other during collision. The central portion is designed to detach from the outer portions and move forward past the occupant seats, while the outer portions remain behind the seats. This segmentation allows the bed platform to maintain its resting function while reducing the harmful impact on occupants during accidents.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The central portion of the bed platform is extracted as a separate detachable component that can be removed from the outer portions during collision. This extracted central portion is the main source of harmful impact, and its separation allows it to be managed independently to reduce safety risks to occupants.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the bed platform is designed with weakened connector portions to reduce impact mass, then the safety of occupants is improved, but the structural integrity of the bed platform deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimpact massVSAvoidstructural integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The bed platform exhibits different structural qualities in different regions. The connector portions are designed with weakened structures (reduced strength and stiffness) compared to the central and outer portions. This local quality differentiation allows the connectors to detach easily during collision, reducing impact mass, while the main portions maintain sufficient structural integrity for normal use.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The weakened connector portions are pre-designed with specific structural features (such as reduced cross-section, material differences, or geometric weaknesses) that cause them to fail in a controlled manner during collision. This preliminary design ensures that when impact occurs, the connectors will detach at the predetermined weak points, achieving mass reduction without compromising the overall structural integrity of the bed platform during normal operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3962798B1Crash bed platform
Publication Date: 2023.06.07 DAF TRUCKS NV
  • EP3962798B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3962798B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3962798B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention provides for a bed platform (101) laying transverse to a vehicle behind one or more occupant seats (102) inside the vehicle comprising a central portion (104) and one or more outer portions (105). The bed platform's central portion (104) aligns with a centre line of the vehicle and the outer portions (105) extend behind the seat (102) in a lateral direction of the vehicle relative to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The central portion and/or outer portions have weakened connector portions (202) connecting the central portion to the vehicle cabin and/or the outer portions. The weakened connector portions (202) align with an inner side surface of the one or more occupant seats (102). The weakened connector portions (202) allow the central portion (104) to move forward past the occupant seats (102) and the outer portions (105) to remain behind the occupant seats (102) by disconnection and/or deformation of the weakened connector portions (202) from the central portion (104).