Fusible Shutter for Pedestrian Protection and Radiator Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pedestrian impact protection systems for vehicle front bumpers are inefficient in absorbing energy and often require a dedicated volume, which can compromise their compactness and effectiveness in preventing injuries such as leg and knee damage during collisions.
Innovation Solution
A compact shutter system is integrated between the radiator and the outer skin of the front bumper, featuring upper and lower legs with breaking points, a cam-shaped tongue, and a rivet hole for secure placement, which can partially block the air inlet to enhance energy absorption and airflow redirection while maintaining a compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dedicated volume is allocated for positioning the shutter device between the front bumper and radiator, then pedestrian protection is improved, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter device is merged with existing structural elements of the bumper assembly. The shutter is positioned between the outer skin and radiator, utilizing the existing space in the front bumper assembly without requiring additional dedicated volume. This integration allows the shutter to perform its pedestrian protection function while maintaining compactness of the overall vehicle front structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter serves multiple functions: it acts as a bearing surface against both the structural part and the skin, provides pedestrian impact absorption, and can be integrated with the air inlet structure. By making the shutter multi-functional, the design avoids needing separate dedicated components for each function, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining protection effectiveness.
2Reliability
If the shutter is designed to absorb impact energy through breaking points, then pedestrian protection is improved, but the structural strength of the shutter decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter is segmented into multiple parts with defined breaking points located at specific positions on the upper and lower legs. These breaking points allow the shutter to divide into controlled segments during impact, absorbing energy through the breaking and deformation of these segments. The segmentation enables the shutter to be strong enough to provide protection while having predetermined weak points that facilitate energy absorption through controlled failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter incorporates breaking points and deformation zones that are pre-designed to fail in a controlled manner during impact. This beforehand cushioning mechanism ensures that the shutter absorbs impact energy through predictable breaking and deformation, protecting the pedestrian while the breaking points are strategically located to maintain structural integrity during normal operation.
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 shutter system effectively channels airflow to cool the radiator, absorbs a significant portion of pedestrian impact energy, and improves pedestrian protection by distributing impact forces, reducing the risk of injuries while maintaining a compact and versatile design suitable for various vehicle platforms.
Implementation Method 1
the device being arranged to absorb a significant part of the energy of an impact by deforming and/or breaking, during an impact of a pedestrian's head, hip or knee against the front bumper
Implementation Method 2
such a shutter makes it possible to effectively channel an air flow to cool a radiator arranged behind this shutter
Data Source
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Figure 5
AI summary
Motor vehicle equipped with a front bumper comprising: - an outer skin having an opening, - a radiator, - an upper structural element (8), - a lower structural element (9), - a shutter (14) having a panel (16) mounted between the radiator and the outer skin, the shutter (14) being mounted with the upper structural element (8) and the lower structural element (9), the shutter (14) being able to partially block the opening, the shutter (14) comprising an upper tab (17) and a lower tab (18) extending respectively from the panel (16) to the structural elements (8, 9), so as to define a space (25).