Lift-Up Buckle Device with Flexible Wire Coupling for Load Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing buckle devices can cause a significant load input to occupants when they contact the buckle during boarding or exiting a vehicle, which is undesirable.
Innovation Solution
A buckle device with a coupling member, such as a pair of wires, that displaces in a direction intersecting the engaged direction of the tongue when external force is applied, reducing the load input to the occupant by changing the distance between fixed and supported portions, allowing the buckle to move and distribute the force effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the buckle is fixed rigidly to reduce structural complexity, then the device complexity is reduced, but the load input to the occupant increases when contact occurs during boarding or exiting
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling member is designed to be flexible rather than rigid, allowing it to deform dynamically when external force is applied. The wire structure enables the buckle to move in a direction intersecting the engaged direction of the tongue, converting the rigid connection into a dynamic, adaptive connection that reduces harmful load input to the occupant.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling member changes its physical state under load by deforming from a straight configuration to a bent configuration. This parameter change in shape and position allows the system to absorb external forces differently, reducing the reaction load transmitted to the occupant while maintaining structural integrity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the coupling member is made rigid to maintain structural stability, then the stability of the object's composition is improved, but the ability to reduce load input to the occupant is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling member transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible structure that can adapt its configuration. The wire-based design allows controlled deformation that maintains structural stability while enabling the buckle to move in a direction that reduces the reaction load to the occupant during contact events.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling member uses a flexible wire structure instead of a rigid solid component. This flexible element can deform under external force, allowing the buckle to move and reducing the harmful reaction load to the occupant while maintaining the necessary structural stability through the wire's inherent strength and elasticity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the coupling member displaces in a direction intersecting the engaged direction to reduce load input, then the load input to the occupant is reduced, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling member's geometry is designed to allow controlled displacement in a direction intersecting the engaged direction of the tongue. By changing the configuration parameters of the wire structure, the system achieves load reduction while maintaining manufacturability through standardized wire bending and attachment processes.
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 load input to the occupant from the buckle, improving comfort and safety by distributing the force and enhancing the durability of the wires used.
Implementation Method 1
a location of the coupling member, which is between the fixed portion and the supported portion, is displaced in a direction intersecting an engaged direction of the tongue when an external force in a direction of the engaged direction of the tongue has been input to the buckle
Data Source
AI summary
Load input to an occupant from a buckle is reduced. A lift-up buckle device includes a buckle that engages with a tongue inserted through webbing worn by an occupant. The lift-up buckle device also includes wires that each include a portion configuring a first fixed portion fixed to the buckle side and another portion configuring a supported portion supported by a wire guide, and that move the buckle due to a distance between the fixed portions and the supported portions being changed. Respective locations between the fixed portions and the supported portions of the wires are displaced in a direction intersecting an engaged direction of the tongue when an external force in a direction of the engaged direction of the tongue has been input to the buckle.