Hinged Arm Retainer for School Bus Stop Sign
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hinged stop arms on school buses tend to move unintentionally in high wind environments while the bus is traveling between stops, posing a safety concern as they may not remain securely in the stored position.
Innovation Solution
A retainer arrangement using a bidirectional electric servomotor and lock arm mechanism, which secures the stop arm in the stored position during travel and quickly deploys it when needed, ensuring the arm remains attached to the bus even in adverse weather conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the hinged stop arm is stored against the side of the school bus, then it is compact and does not obstruct the bus body, but it may move unintentionally away from the bus in high wind environments
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer arrangement applies a preliminary retaining force to the stop arm when it is in the stored position against the bus side. This preliminary anti-action counteracts the wind forces that would otherwise cause the stop arm to move unintentionally, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining compact storage and preventing wind-induced movement.
2Reliability
If the stop arm is deployed perpendicular to the bus side, then it effectively controls traffic, but it requires additional mechanism complexity to ensure secure retention in both stored and deployed positions
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer arrangement uses a movable retainer member that can dynamically adjust between a first position (retaining the stop arm against the bus) and a second position (releasing the stop arm for deployment). This dynamic mechanism provides secure retention in both stored and deployed positions while maintaining reasonable complexity through the use of a single movable component actuated by a motor.
Data Source
AI summary
A retainer arrangement that includes a retainer for retaining a hinged arm on a vehicle in a stored position positively so that the hinged arm does not move away from the vehicle unintentionally. The arrangements may be used in connection with a hinged stop arm that is attached to the side of a school bus that is deployed when the school bus stops to pick-up or drop off passengers.