Dashboard Load Sensors Detect Objects to Prevent Airbag Injury
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Passengers occasionally rest objects on the dashboard, which can become projectiles during unexpected events like crashes, posing safety hazards, especially if the objects are the passenger's feet and the airbag deploys, causing injury.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle system equipped with dashboard load sensors, a processor to detect and monitor loads, a display to alert passengers, a vibrating seat motor to discourage object placement, and the ability to disable the airbag if objects are detected on the dashboard.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If airbags are deployed to protect passengers during crashes, then passenger safety is improved, but passengers may be injured if objects are resting on the dashboard
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of objects on the dashboard before a crash occurs. Load sensors continuously monitor the dashboard surface, and the processor identifies objects based on load patterns. This preliminary action allows the system to disable airbags in advance when objects are detected, preventing the harmful effect of objects becoming projectiles during deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the potentially harmful deployment force of airbags into a beneficial protective measure by selectively disabling airbags when objects are present. The same deployment mechanism that could cause injury is transformed into a safe operation by using the load sensor data to control deployment, thus converting the harmful scenario into a beneficial one where the airbag system protects without causing injury.
2Measurement precision
If load sensors and monitoring systems are installed to detect objects on the dashboard, then object detection capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The load sensors on the dashboard serve multiple functions: they detect the presence of objects, determine object location, and provide data for airbag control decisions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate detection systems, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining high measurement precision for object detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The existing dashboard structure and load-bearing components are utilized to provide sensing capability. The dashboard itself serves the dual purpose of structural support and object detection, as the load sensors leverage the natural load-bearing function of the dashboard to detect objects. This self-service approach minimizes additional complexity by making the existing system perform the detection function.
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 system effectively discourages passengers from placing objects on the dashboard by alerting them through vibration and potentially disabling the airbag to prevent injuries from projectile objects during crashes.
Implementation Method 1
A dashboard with load sensors
Implementation Method 2
activate a vibrating motor of the seat
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes: a dashboard with load sensors and airbag(s), a seat, processor(s) configured to: (a) detect load on the dashboard, (b) generate a display based on (a), (c) count time elapsed since (b), (d) activate a vibrating motor of the seat based on (a) and (c), (e) count time elapsed since (d), (f) disable the airbag(s) based on (a) and (e).