Impact Force Dispersion Apparatus for Glass Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Glass products such as windshields and helmets are prone to breakage and injury due to impact forces, with existing manufacturing advancements being costly and insufficient in absorbing or dispersing these forces effectively.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus comprising a housing, a contact member, and a biasing member is used to inhibit glass breakage by transferring and dissipating impact forces, which includes a housing with a contact end and aperture, a contact member inside the housing, and a biasing member that biases the contact member towards the aperture, allowing for secure attachment to glass surfaces and dispersion of impact forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If manufacturing advancements are made to improve the resilience of glass products, then the breakage resistance is improved, but the cost increases undesirably
Solution Approach 1:
A decoupling apparatus with a contact member and biasing member is introduced as an intermediary between the impact source and the glass product. The contact member transfers impact forces to the biasing member, which absorbs and dissipates the energy, preventing direct transmission to the glass and thereby reducing breakage resistance requirements and associated costs
Solution Approach 2:
The biasing member is pre-configured in a compressed or tensioned state to provide immediate cushioning upon impact. This beforehand preparation allows the system to absorb impact forces efficiently without requiring the glass itself to be manufactured with enhanced resilience, thus lowering manufacturing costs
2Ease of manufacture
If existing glass products made with older technology are used, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the breakage susceptibility remains high
Solution Approach 1:
The decoupling apparatus serves as an external protective intermediary that can be attached to existing glass products without requiring them to be remanufactured. This allows older, lower-cost glass products to gain enhanced protection against breakage while maintaining their original manufacturing cost structure
3Strength
If impact forces are received upon glass surfaces, then the glass may crack or shatter, but adding protective layers increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The protective function is segmented into distinct components: a contact member for force reception, a biasing member for energy absorption, and a housing for structural support. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates easier manufacturing and installation compared to monolithic protective layers
Solution Approach 2:
The biasing member functions as a flexible element that can be compressed or extended to absorb impact energy. This flexible mechanism provides effective protection without requiring thick rigid layers, thereby minimizing the increase in device complexity and maintaining a compact form factor
4Loss of energy
If the contact member is biased toward the aperture, then the impact force absorption is improved, but the contact member may interfere with normal glass operation
Solution Approach 1:
The contact member is designed to be dynamic rather than static, moving in response to applied forces. During normal operation, the biasing member maintains the contact member in a retracted position that minimizes interference. Upon impact, the contact member dynamically engages to absorb energy, thus providing protection only when needed without interfering with normal glass function
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 reduces the impact force transferred to glass surfaces, thereby inhibiting breakage and mitigating injuries by dissipating forces through the biasing member and contact member mechanism, providing a cost-effective alternative to traditional anti-breakage technologies.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing member biasing the contact member toward the housing aperture... impact force is transferred from the glass item to the biasing member via the contact member
Data Source
AI summary
A system for proactively adjusting to impact forces has first and second walls spaced apart from one another to define a stationary enclosed cavity therebetween; a movable member inside the enclosed cavity; an actuator; a proximity sensor; computer memory; a processor in data communication with the actuator, the proximity sensor, and the computer memory; programming causing the processor to determine a potential impact location on at least one of the first and second walls using data obtained from the proximity sensor; and programming causing the processor to activate the actuator based on the potential impact location, activation of the actuator causing the movable member to move inside the enclosed cavity prior to receiving the impact forces.