Deployable Bumper Extension for Vehicle Height Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles with different ride heights face challenges in aligning energy absorption features during vehicle-to-vehicle impacts, as existing energy absorption features are not optimized for vertical alignment across varying vehicle heights.
Innovation Solution
A movable bumper extension that can be lowered from a raised position to a lowered position, telescopically coupled with the bumper and reinforced by a locking mechanism, to increase the vertical dimension and enhance the likelihood of vertical alignment with other vehicles during impacts, activated by a pyrotechnic device upon impact detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed bumper is used, then the structure is simple, but the vertical alignment of energy absorption features cannot be adjusted for vehicles of different ride heights
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper extension is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to transition between retracted and extended positions. This dynamic configuration enables the bumper to adapt its vertical position to match different vehicle ride heights, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and vertical alignment adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The bumper system is divided into two main segments: the fixed bumper body and the movable extension. This segmentation allows the extension portion to be independently positioned to achieve vertical alignment with energy absorption features of other vehicles, while the main bumper structure remains simple and stable.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a movable bumper extension is added, then vertical alignment capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper extension incorporates a telescopic mechanism where one component is nested within another, allowing the extension to be compact when retracted and extend when needed. This nesting approach minimizes the space required and reduces the overall complexity of the movable mechanism while maintaining the ability to improve impact energy absorption.
Solution Approach 2:
A lockout mechanism serves as an intermediary component that mediates between the movable extension and the fixed bumper body. This intermediary device enables controlled movement and secure locking, facilitating the transition between positions without requiring complex continuous control systems, thus improving impact energy absorption with moderate complexity addition.
3Length of moving object
If the bumper extension is made telescopic, then the vertical dimension adjustment range is increased, but the locking mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lockout mechanism is designed to automatically engage and disengage based on the position of the telescopic components. As the bumper extension moves to its extended or retracted position, the lockout mechanism self-activates to secure the position, eliminating the need for external actuators or complex control systems. This self-service approach enables increased vertical dimension adjustment range while keeping the locking mechanism relatively simple.
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 increases the chances of vertical alignment of energy absorption features, improving the energy absorption capabilities during vehicle-to-vehicle impacts by adjusting the bumper extension's position in response to detected impacts, thereby enhancing collision safety across vehicles of different heights.
Implementation Method 1
A pyrotechnic device may be between the bumper and the bumper extension
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes a vehicle frame and a bumper supported by the vehicle frame. A bumper extension is supported by the bumper and is moveable downwardly relative to the bumper from a raised position to a lowered position. A reinforcement has a first end fixed relative to vehicle frame and a second end fixed relative to the bumper extension. The reinforcement includes a lock fixing the first end and the second end of the reinforcement relative to each other when the bumper extension is in the lowered position.