Deployable Pedestrian Bumper Panel Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles with high bumper heights, such as light duty trucks and SUVs, pose a risk of uneven impact on pedestrians' legs during collisions due to the elevated position of the bumper, which can lead to increased force on the femur and tibia, necessitating a solution for managing pedestrian leg impact energy while maintaining ground clearance.
Innovation Solution
A deployable panel system integrated with the vehicle bumper, actuated by a pyrotechnic mechanism, which moves from a recessed to an extended position during a pedestrian impact to create a larger impact surface and distribute force more evenly, reducing the risk of injury to the knee and ACL, and is locked in place by a spring-loaded locking mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the bumper height is increased to provide ground clearance, then the vehicle can clear obstacles such as speed bumps and curbs, but the impact force on the pedestrian's legs is increased during a collision
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper incorporates a deployable panel that transitions from a retracted position (maintaining ground clearance) to an extended position (increasing impact surface area) upon detection of a pedestrian impact event. This dynamic adjustment allows the bumper to adapt its geometry during collision to reduce leg impact forces while preserving off-road capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The deployable panel extends in the vertical dimension to increase the impact surface area available to contact the pedestrian's legs. By adding this vertical extension to the bumper structure, the system increases the effective contact area without compromising the horizontal ground clearance provided by the main bumper height.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a deployable panel is added to increase impact surface area, then the force distribution on pedestrian legs is improved, but the device complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper is segmented into a fixed main structure and a separate deployable panel that can independently extend and retract. This segmentation allows the panel to be controlled separately from the rest of the bumper, enabling targeted deployment only when pedestrian impact is detected, thus managing complexity through functional separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The deployable panel and its actuation mechanism are pre-positioned and ready for deployment before a collision occurs. Upon detection of a pedestrian impact event, the panel rapidly extends to the extended position to provide the increased impact surface area, eliminating the need for complex real-time adjustments during the collision itself.
3Area of stationary object
If the deployable panel is extended during impact, then the impact surface area is increased to reduce leg injury risk, but the ground clearance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The deployable panel transitions from a retracted position (maintaining ground clearance) to an extended position (increasing impact surface area) upon detection of a pedestrian impact event. This dynamic adjustment allows the bumper to adapt its geometry during collision to reduce leg impact forces while preserving off-road capability.
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 deployable panel system effectively reduces the high load transmission to the pedestrian's knee by creating a larger impact surface, minimizing the risk of injury and maintaining the desired styling and ground clearance requirements.
Implementation Method 1
A spring-loaded lock is fixed to the first bracket and biased against the second bracket. The spring may be a leaf spring.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a bumper, an actuator fixed to the bumper, and a panel fixed to the actuator and moveable relative to the bumper. A first bracket is fixed to one of the bumper and the panel, and a second bracket is fixed to the other of the bumper and the panel. The second bracket is moveably engaged with the first bracket. A spring-loaded lock is fixed to the first bracket and is biased against the second bracket. The actuator may be triggered in response to a sensed pedestrian impact. In that case, the actuator moves the first and second brackets relative to each other to move the panel from a recessed position to an extended position.