Crash Relax Bed Platform With Weakened Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heavy goods vehicle bed platforms, especially slatted ones, pose a risk of injury to occupants during collisions due to their potential impact with occupant seats, as they may deform and penetrate the seats, causing harm to drivers or passengers.
Innovation Solution
A slatted bed platform design with a central portion and outer portions connected by weakened connectors that buckle or deform, allowing the central portion to move sideways past occupant seats, reducing the mass and impact force, and featuring reinforcement members to guide the central portion and side beams that can buckle or deform to facilitate this movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a heavy bed platform is installed in the cabin behind the front seats, then the driver has a sleeping location available, but the bed platform may impact and penetrate the occupant seats during a collision, causing injury to the driver
Solution Approach 1:
The bed platform is divided into a central portion and two outer portions. The outer portions are connected to the central portion via weakened connectors that are designed to buckle or deform during a collision, allowing the central portion to move sideways past the occupant seats rather than directly impacting them.
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows the central portion of the bed platform to move from a longitudinal movement path (directly toward the seats) to a lateral movement path (sideways past the seats) through the deformation of weakened connectors and buckling of side beams, changing the dimension of impact movement.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the bed platform is designed with outer portions and weakened connectors to reduce impact, then the collision safety is improved, but the structural complexity of the bed platform increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bed platform structure is segmented into distinct functional zones: outer portions with weakened connectors for safety, and a central portion for structural integrity and sleeping support. This segmentation allows each part to have optimized properties for its specific function.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the bed platform have different structural qualities: the outer portions have weakened connectors designed to deform easily, while the central portion maintains full structural strength. This local differentiation optimizes both safety and structural performance without requiring complete redesign of the entire structure.
3Force
If the central portion of the bed platform is moved sideways past the occupant seats, then the impact force on the seats is reduced, but the bed platform design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The bed platform transitions from a static structure to a dynamic one where the central portion can change its position relative to the occupant seats. The weakened connectors and side beams are designed to deform under collision forces, enabling the central portion to dynamically move sideways and reduce impact force.
Solution Approach 2:
The potential harm of a rigid bed platform causing direct impact is converted into a benefit by designing weakened connectors and side beams that deliberately deform during collision. This controlled deformation absorbs energy and redirects the central portion's movement away from the seats, turning the collision force into a protective mechanism.
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
Substantially reduces the risk of injury by minimizing the impact of the bed platform on occupant seats during collisions, achieving a significant mass reduction and controlled deformation to absorb energy, thereby protecting occupants.
Implementation Method 1
outer portions connected by weakened connectors that buckle or deform
Implementation Method 2
connectors that buckle or deform, allowing the central portion to move sideways
Implementation Method 3
side beams that can buckle or deform to facilitate this movement
Implementation Method 4
controlled deformation to absorb energy
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention provides for a slatted bed platform laying transverse to a vehicle behind one or more occupant seats inside the vehicle comprising a supporting beam structure forming a central portion and one or more outer portions. The bed platform's central portion aligns with a centre line of the vehicle and the outer portions extend behind the seat in a lateral direction of the vehicle relative to the l ongitudinal direction of the vehicle. The supporting beam structure has weakened connector portions connecting the central to the vehicle cabin and/or the outer portions. The weakened connector portions allow the central portion to move forward past the occupant seats and the outer portion to remain behind the occupant seats by disconnection and/or deformation of the weakened connector portions from the central portion