Sheet-Steel HUD Mount for Stiffness and Crash Energy Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicular heads-up display mounts are heavy, expensive, and require excessive rare materials, lacking sufficient dynamic stiffness and energy absorption, especially for autonomous driving and frontal crash scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A mount comprising sheet steel brackets with folded edges and attachment fittings made of reinforced plastic, providing high dynamic stiffness, material efficiency, and energy absorption, with adjustable design for secure fastening and easy installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If supports are manufactured from die-cast metal (magnesium) to reduce weight, then weight is reduced, but material cost increases and dynamic stiffness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite construction by combining sheet steel brackets (providing high dynamic stiffness and strength) with reinforced plastic attachment fittings (providing vibration damping and energy absorption). This composite approach resolves the contradiction by integrating materials with complementary properties to achieve both lightweight design and sufficient dynamic stiffness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by transitioning from die-cast metal to sheet steel with specific thickness (0.8-2.0 mm) and geometric design (folded edges, U-shaped profiling). These parameter changes maintain structural integrity and dynamic stiffness while reducing weight and material cost.
2Weight of moving object
If high-quality plastic is used to manufacture supports to reduce weight and cost, then material cost and weight are reduced, but dynamic stiffness and load capacity are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material system where sheet steel brackets provide the primary structural strength and load-bearing capacity, while reinforced plastic attachment fittings provide vibration damping and energy absorption. This division of functional requirements resolves the contradiction between weight reduction and maintaining sufficient load capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different material qualities to different parts of the mount system: sheet steel for the brackets requiring high stiffness, and reinforced plastic for the attachment fittings requiring vibration damping. This local differentiation of material properties optimizes both weight and load capacity.
3Strength
If sheet steel brackets with folded edges are used to increase dynamic stiffness, then dynamic stiffness is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies precise geometric parameters for the sheet steel brackets including folded edges, U-shaped profiling, and specific thickness ranges (0.8-2.0 mm). These parameter specifications standardize the manufacturing process and make the increased complexity manageable through clear design guidelines.
4Strength
If the mount design prioritizes dynamic stiffness and strength, then structural integrity is improved, but energy absorption in crash scenarios is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite material system where sheet steel brackets provide structural integrity and dynamic stiffness, while reinforced plastic attachment fittings provide vibration damping and energy absorption during impact events. This composite construction resolves the contradiction by integrating materials with complementary mechanical properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforced plastic attachment fittings act as an intermediary element between the sheet steel brackets and the heads-up display. This intermediary material absorbs impact energy and dampens vibrations, protecting the display while the steel brackets maintain structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A mount carries a heads-up display in an electric vehicle having two A-pillars and a cross beam extending transversely between the pillars, a support fixed to the cross beam and traversed by a steering column of the vehicle, and two transversely spaced flat brackets extending parallel to each other longitudinally forward from the support and embracing the display. Each bracket is formed wholly of sheet steel and has having a straight upper edge projecting longitudinally forward and downward and formed with a bent-out edge strip and an angled lower edge converging longitudinally away from the cross beam toward the upper edge and having a bent-out edge strip. Each bracket further has a front end provided with an attachment plate constructed for attachment to a vehicle firewall and a rear end formed with an upper hole constructed to receive a fastener securing the respective bracket to the support.