Modular Crash Box with Porous Material Energy Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle safety systems, despite advancements, continue to fail in effectively minimizing injury from frontal and rear crashes while maintaining low mass, length, and cost, and require modifications that impact fuel economy and design flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A modular crash box design featuring crash pad layers with an outer skin and rib and web structure or array of tubes, incorporating porous materials like aluminum foam to absorb crash energy efficiently, allowing for customization and integration with various vehicle designs without significant mass or length increases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional vehicle safety systems are used, then occupant protection is provided, but mass, length, and cost increase while reducing design flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The crash box employs a composite structure combining outer skin, rib and web structure, and porous material layers. This multi-material composite approach provides high energy absorption capacity while maintaining low mass, directly resolving the contradiction between occupant protection and weight reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates porous material as a core energy-absorbing component within the crash box structure. The porous structure provides high energy absorption per unit mass through controlled deformation and collapse mechanisms, enabling effective occupant protection with minimal mass increase.
2Reliability
If traditional crash boxes are implemented, then safety is improved, but vehicle length and design flexibility are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The crash box is divided into multiple functional layers including outer skin, rib and web structure, and porous material layers. This segmentation allows each layer to contribute differently to energy absorption, achieving high safety performance in a compact length while maintaining design flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a nested structure where the porous material is positioned within the framework formed by the outer skin and rib structure. This nesting arrangement maximizes energy absorption volume within a compact external dimension, reducing overall crash box length while maintaining safety effectiveness.
3Reliability
If advanced safety features are added, then occupant survival is improved, but fuel economy deteriorates due to increased mass
Solution Approach 1:
The porous material provides high energy absorption capacity with minimal mass, directly addressing the fuel economy concern. The low density and high specific energy absorption of the porous structure enable advanced safety features without significant mass increase, thereby maintaining fuel efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure optimizes the strength-to-weight ratio by combining materials with complementary properties. This enables effective crash protection with minimal mass penalty, reducing the impact on fuel consumption while improving occupant survival prospects.
4Reliability
If conventional crash boxes are used, then basic safety is provided, but energy absorption efficiency and cost-effectiveness are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The porous material structure provides highly efficient energy absorption through controlled collapse and deformation mechanisms. The porous architecture dissipates crash energy effectively through multiple deformation modes, achieving superior energy absorption efficiency compared to conventional solid structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure combines multiple materials and structural elements that work synergistically to absorb and dissipate crash energy. The interaction between the outer skin, rib structure, and porous material creates multiple energy dissipation pathways, significantly improving overall energy absorption efficiency.
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 crash box design achieves high energy absorption with minimal displacement and mass, maintaining vehicle performance and flexibility, while providing a cost-effective solution for enhanced safety without compromising fuel efficiency or design adaptability.
Implementation Method 1
incorporating porous materials like aluminum foam to absorb crash energy efficiently
Data Source
AI summary
A crash box may include one or more layers arranged to absorb crash energy. In some embodiments, the crash box includes a first layer having an outer skin defining a periphery of the first layer and at least one of: 1) a rib and web structure, and 2) an array of tubes disposed within the outer skin for absorbing crash energy, and a second layer adjacent to the first layer, the second layer having an outer skin defining a periphery of the second layer and at least one of: 1) a rib and web structure, and 2) an array of tubes disposed within the outer skin for absorbing crash energy.