Deployable Vehicle Safety Guard With Dynamic Height Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle safety guards with high ground clearance are prone to wear and tear, collect debris, and are aesthetically unappealing while being ineffective in preventing animate objects from going under the vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A vertically adjustable safety guard system that automatically deploys from a retracted position to an extended position based on sensor inputs, using cameras, radar, or sonar to prevent objects from entering under the vehicle, with actuators like pneumatic or hydraulic systems for movement, and AI for object differentiation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the safety guard is positioned low to effectively deflect objects, then the deflection function is improved, but the guard is exposed to abrasions and wear from engagement with fixed objects
Solution Approach 1:
The safety guard is made dynamically adjustable in height, transitioning from a fixed low position to a variable height system. The guard can be lowered to just above the road surface (e.g., 2-6 inches) when needed for deflection, and raised to a higher position during normal operation to avoid contact with road debris and fixed objects, thus resolving the contradiction between effectiveness and durability.
2Reliability
If the safety guard extends low to the road surface, then object deflection is improved, but the guard collects slush, ice, and mud making it visually unappealing
Solution Approach 1:
The safety guard employs dynamic height adjustment, remaining elevated during normal operation to avoid contact with slush, ice, and mud. When safety concerns arise (detected by sensors or manually activated), the guard lowers to an effective deflection position. This dynamic behavior prevents debris accumulation while maintaining safety functionality when needed.
3Device complexity
If the safety guard is fixed in place, then the structure is simple, but the guard cannot adapt to different operational conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The safety guard system transitions from a fixed structure to a dynamically adjustable one, allowing height changes based on operational conditions. This is achieved through actuators (pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric) that control the guard's vertical position, enabling the system to adapt between a retracted high position and a deployed low position while maintaining relatively simple mounting structures.
4Strength
If the safety guard is mounted high on the vehicle body, then the guard is protected from wear, but the guard cannot effectively prevent objects from going under the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The safety guard system uses dynamic height adjustment to resolve this contradiction. During normal operation, the guard remains in a retracted high position that protects it from wear and maintains vehicle aesthetics. When safety intervention is needed, the guard automatically or manually lowers to a position just above the road surface (2-6 inches), enabling effective object deflection and prevention of objects from going under the vehicle.
Data Source
AI summary
A safety guard is configured to extend below a body of a vehicle for engaging animate and inanimate objects in order to prevent the objects from going under the vehicle. A detection system is provided, including a plurality of sensors configured to sense objects about the vehicle, and a controller for analyzing for the possibility of at least an animate object going under the vehicle. The analysis can result in repositioning of the safety guard from a raised, retracted position during normal operation of the vehicle to a lowered, deployed position in establishing a physical barrier spaced from a road surface a distance which prevents animate objects from entering under the vehicle. The analysis can also result in the issuance of an audible or visual warning and/or the automatic control of at least one other vehicle control system.