Electric Vehicle Charging Flap Pedestrian Impact Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
The electrical charge intake hatches on electric vehicles, particularly the lid housing the hinge element, pose a danger due to their location under the front bonnet, which is a hard point prone to pedestrian impact, leading to potential damage and risk of the lid breaking upon collision.
Innovation Solution
A design where the lid is mounted to be spaced from the edge of the orifice in the closed position using a holding means, allowing it to move dampenedly towards the edge upon impact, thereby absorbing shock and reducing the risk of breakage, featuring a gooseneck hinge element and adjustable damping to manage pedestrian impacts effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the lid is mounted close to the orifice to ensure sealing and protection, then the sealing performance is improved, but the lid becomes vulnerable to pedestrian impact and may break
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a damping element positioned between the lid and the orifice that provides cushioning before impact occurs. This element is designed to compress under pedestrian impact forces, absorbing energy and preventing the lid from breaking while maintaining the sealed position during normal operation
Solution Approach 2:
The damping element acts as an intermediary between the lid and the orifice structure. It mediates the interaction by providing a compliant interface that allows the lid to move slightly under impact while maintaining sealing, thus protecting both the lid from breakage and the interior from exposure
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the lid is spaced from the orifice edge to absorb impact, then pedestrian safety is improved, but sealing performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic sealing solution where the lid is mounted on a pivot allowing it to rotate slightly under impact, and the damping element compresses to maintain contact between the lid sealing surface and the orifice sealing surface. This dynamic adjustment maintains sealing while accommodating impact forces
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mechanical parameters of the lid mounting system by introducing compliance through the damping element. This allows the system to transition from a rigid fixed-position mounting to a compliant mounting that can adjust its parameters (position, contact force) in response to impact while maintaining sealing
3Strength
If the lid is fixed rigidly to the housing, then structural strength is improved, but impact shock is transmitted to the vehicle body
Solution Approach 1:
The damping element is pre-installed in the mounting structure to provide cushioning before impact occurs. It is designed with appropriate pre-compression or stiffness characteristics to absorb impact energy while supporting the lid's structural requirements during normal operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible damping element that can deform under impact to absorb shock energy. This flexible element maintains the structural integrity of the lid while isolating the vehicle body from impact forces through its compliant mounting connection
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 absorbs and distributes the impact force, reducing the risk of lid breakage and minimizing shock transmission to the vehicle body, ensuring safety and durability by maintaining the lid at a predetermined distance from the edge, thus mitigating the hazardous nature of the electrical charge intake hatch.
Implementation Method 1
the lid being held apart from the edge by a holding means adapted to allow the lid to be moved in a damped manner towards the edge under an impact
Data Source
Figure 1~5
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a charging-socket flap device (1) for electric vehicles, comprising: a structure (3) comprising an aperture (11) and a jacket (5) adjacent to the aperture (11), the jacket (5) comprising an orifice (17); a moveable gate (9) forming a flap able to close the aperture (11) of the structure; an element (7) hinging the gate (9) housed in the jacket (5); a cover (13) able to close the orifice (17) of the jacket, characterized in that the cover (13) is mounted on the orifice (17) of the jacket so as to be a distance away from this orifice on at least one edge (21) of the latter in the closed position on the jacket (5), the cover (13) being kept a distance away from the edge (21) by a supporting means (23) making it possible for the cover to move with a damped movement toward the edge (21) when a region of the vehicle body panel (2) covering the flap device (1) is impacted, especially impacted by a pedestrian.