Hollow Triangular Bumper Supports for Trailer Rear Impact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rear impact guards for semi-trailers and vehicles lack effective design to prevent rear-impact collisions and efficiently absorb impact energy, often resulting in inadequate protection for both the vehicle and trailing structures.
Innovation Solution
A rear impact guard system comprising identical and different bumper support members positioned on either side of a longitudinal axis, with horizontal bumpers at their lower ends, providing offset impact protection and increased torsional stability while minimizing weight through hollow, triangular prism-shaped components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional rear impact guards use solid bumper support members, then strength and impact absorption are improved, but weight increases reducing load capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies hollow bumper support members with triangular prism cross-sections that function as thin-walled structural shells. These hollow members provide impact absorption through shell deformation and energy dissipation during collision, while the hollow construction significantly reduces weight compared to solid members. The triangular prism geometry enhances structural efficiency by distributing impact forces across the shell walls.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes composite construction by combining the hollow structural form with appropriate material selection to achieve optimal strength-to-weight ratio. The bumper support members are designed as hollow structures that can be fabricated from high-strength materials, creating a composite effect that provides both weight reduction and impact resistance.
2Device complexity
If rear impact guard uses simple horizontal bumper design, then device complexity is reduced, but impact energy absorption and protection effectiveness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the bumper support structure into multiple discrete triangular prism members positioned at strategic locations along the rear of the trailer. Each hollow member acts as an independent impact absorption element, allowing the system to handle multiple impact points simultaneously. This segmentation provides reliable protection while maintaining relatively simple individual component designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional solid or tubular bumper support members to three-dimensional hollow triangular prism structures. This dimensional change in cross-sectional geometry provides enhanced structural stability and impact resistance in multiple directions, improving reliability without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If bumper support members are positioned close together, then structural stability is improved, but weight and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric positioning of the hollow triangular prism bumper support members, with members located at the extreme rear ends and additional members positioned at intermediate points. The triangular prism geometry itself provides asymmetric load distribution characteristics that enhance structural stability while minimizing the number of members required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the spacing and distribution of bumper support members by changing the structural parameter of using hollow triangular prisms with specific dimensional ratios. This parameter optimization allows for greater spacing between members while maintaining structural stability, thereby reducing total material usage compared to conventional designs.
Data Source
AI summary
A rear impact guard includes first and second bumper support members that are identical to one another and configured to be coupled to a rear end of the vehicle along first and second sides of a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, respectively. The rear impact guard also includes third and fourth bumper support members configured to be coupled to the rear end of the vehicle and coupled to a floor assembly of the vehicle. The third and fourth bumper support members are identical and different from the first and second bumper support members. The third bumper support member is spaced outwardly from the first bumper support member, and the fourth bumper support member is spaced outwardly from the second bumper support member. The rear impact guard further includes a horizontal bumper mounted at a lower end of each of the first, second, third, and fourth bumper support members.