Inclined Electrical Device Housing for Pedestrian Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing arrangement of electrical devices in vehicle engine compartments poses a risk of injury to pedestrians in the event of an impact, particularly due to their location and design, which can lead to contact with the device during collisions.
Innovation Solution
The electrical device is arranged above the wheel arch and inclined downwards within the engine compartment, making it more difficult for a pedestrian's body to reach, with a metallic case designed to reduce contact risk and featuring a ventilation system for effective cooling and protection against malicious access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the electrical device is arranged in the engine compartment near the bonnet, then it is easily accessible for maintenance and installation, but it poses a high risk of injury to pedestrians in the event of an impact
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical device is extracted from the conventional location near the bonnet and relocated to a new position above the wheel arch, separating it from the high-risk zone that could contact pedestrians during impact while maintaining accessibility for maintenance operations
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical device is positioned in a three-dimensional space above the wheel arch, utilizing vertical space and angular orientation to achieve a location that is both accessible for maintenance and protected from pedestrian contact during frontal impacts
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the electrical device is positioned above the wheel arch with downward inclination, then pedestrian injury risk is reduced, but accessibility for maintenance and heat dissipation efficiency may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The box is designed with asymmetric inclination where different portions serve different functions: the upper portion positioned away from the bonnet provides pedestrian protection, while the lower portion maintains proximity to maintenance access points and heat dissipation zones
Solution Approach 2:
The inclined positioning creates a dynamic spatial relationship between the electrical device, the wheel arch, and the bonnet, allowing the device to be protected during impact while maintaining functional accessibility through strategic orientation
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the electrical device is placed close to the wheel arch, then pedestrian contact risk is minimized, but space for ventilation and cooling may be limited
Solution Approach 1:
The space between the electrical device and the wheel arch delimitation wall serves as an intermediary cooling channel, allowing ventilation airflow to pass through and remove heat from the electrical device while maintaining the protective positioning close to the wheel arch
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
This configuration reduces the risk of injury to pedestrians by positioning the electrical device in a harder-to-reach area and enhances protection against theft and water ingress while maintaining effective heat dissipation and compactness.
Implementation Method 1
the box comprises a ventilation communicating between the outside and the inside of the box
Implementation Method 2
the housing comprises a lower main face provided with fins, these fins extending in a space arranged between this lower main face, a wall delimiting the engine compartment and the wheel arch
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The present invention relates to a vehicle (1) comprising: - an engine compartment (2), - an electrical device (10) comprising a housing (20) and electrical and/or electronic components enclosed in this housing, characterized in that said housing is arranged in the engine compartment over a wheel arch (4) of the vehicle and inclined downward and away from the vehicle wing closest to this wheel arch toward the inside of the engine compartment.