Vehicle Grab Handle With Weakened Portion for Impact Energy Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional armrests and grab handles in automotive vehicles lack energy absorption capabilities in side impact collisions, posing a safety risk while also requiring a balance with maintaining a stylish and rigid appearance.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle handle assembly with a lateral wall featuring a weakened portion to reduce stiffness, allowing deformation and buckling upon impact, which is designed to absorb energy and prevent passenger injury while maintaining a continuous appearance surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the armrest and grab handle are made rigid to support arm weight and door operation forces, then structural strength is improved, but energy absorption capability during side impact deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a weakened portion with reduced material thickness specifically in the region where buckling is desired during side impact, while maintaining full thickness in other areas to preserve overall structural strength. This localized modification allows the armrest to be strong where needed and compliant where energy absorption is required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of material thickness in the weakened portion to alter the mechanical properties of the armrest. By reducing the thickness parameter in the weakened portion, the armrest gains energy absorption capability through controlled buckling, while the rest of the structure maintains its original thickness and strength parameters.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a weakened portion is added to enable energy absorption, then energy absorption capability is improved, but structural rigidity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The weakened portion is strategically located and dimensioned to affect only the local rigidity where buckling is desired, while the overall structural rigidity is maintained through the combination of the weakened portion with the surrounding full-thickness material and the mounting structure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the armrest is designed to buckle during impact, then energy absorption is improved, but appearance surface continuity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The weakened portion is positioned and designed so that the buckling deformation occurs in a controlled manner that does not significantly affect the visible appearance surface. The weakened portion's location and geometry are optimized to maintain aesthetic appearance while enabling energy absorption.
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 lateral forces during side impacts, reducing intrusion into the occupant compartment and preventing injuries while maintaining the aesthetic and structural integrity of the armrest and grab handle.
Implementation Method 1
the handle deforms along the weakened portion and the lateral wall rotates about the distal end, thereby promoting buckling in order to absorb energy
Implementation Method 2
the lateral wall and weakened portion define a top appearance surface which is generally convex in order to promote buckling during side vehicle impact
Implementation Method 3
the distal end is offset from the top surface so that when a lateral force is applied, the lateral wall rotates about the distal end and promotes buckling
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle having a handle assembly with a lateral wall adapted to be mounted to a vehicle interior door trim is provided. The lateral wall has a top surface and a distal end offset from the top surface. A weakened portion is formed into the lateral wall for reducing the lateral stiffness of the handle assembly. The weakened portion is disposed adjacent the top surface and extends to the door trim to form a generally continuous top appearance surface. Upon a lateral force, the handle deforms along the weakened portion and the lateral wall rotates about the distal end, thereby promoting buckling in order to absorb energy and minimize the risk of passenger injury.