Elastomer Wall Protector Structure for Garage Door Impacts
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The issue of damage to garage walls and vehicle doors due to the forceful opening of car doors, which often result in collisions, necessitates a protective apparatus to mitigate such impacts.
Innovation Solution
A wall protector made of elastomer with a convex front panel and rearwardly extending sidewalls, equipped with sockets and fasteners, is mounted to the structure using adhesive bases, allowing it to absorb impact forces and minimize damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the protector is made rigid to better protect against impact, then protective capability is improved, but impact force absorption is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the elastomeric property of the protector material to change its mechanical parameters dynamically. The material transitions from a rigid state during installation to a flexible, deformable state during impact, allowing it to absorb impact energy through elastic deformation while maintaining sufficient structural integrity for protection
Solution Approach 2:
The protector is designed to be dynamic rather than static - it deforms under impact force and then returns to its original shape. This dynamic response allows the protector to absorb impact energy through controlled deformation, resolving the contradiction between needing rigidity for protection and flexibility for energy absorption
2Ease of operation
If the mounting system is made visible and simple, then ease of installation is improved, but aesthetic appearance is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting components (balls and sockets) are nested within cavities in the protector body. The balls are received in sockets that are formed within the elastomeric material, and the entire mounting system is concealed within the protector's structure, providing easy installation while maintaining a clean aesthetic appearance
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric material itself serves as an intermediary that integrates the mounting system. The sockets are formed within the elastomer, and the adhesive layer mediates between the mounting balls and the mounting surface, allowing for simple installation while keeping all mounting components hidden within the protector structure
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 protector effectively absorbs impact forces, protecting both the garage wall and vehicle door by allowing the elastomer to deform and providing a secure, hidden mounting system.
Implementation Method 1
The protector has a body molded of an elastomer... effectively absorbs impact forces, protecting both the garage wall and vehicle door by allowing the elastomer to deform
Implementation Method 2
Means are provided to affix the base to the structure, such as an adhesive layer disposed on the rear surface of the base
Data Source
AI summary
A wall protector molded from an elastomer has a front panel and ribs extending rearwardly from the front panel. Most of the rear edges of the ribs are forwardly displaced from a back plane of the body, thereby accommodating some rearward displacement of the front panel when impacted by a moving object such as a vehicle door. The wall protector may be removably affixed to a structure, such as a garage wall, by ball-and-socket fasteners.