Vehicle Occupant Restraint System with Preliminary Forward Acceleration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle restraint systems fail to adequately reduce the force load on occupants during collisions by not minimizing the initial displacement movement and speed difference between the occupant and the obstacle, leading to higher deceleration forces and potential injury.
Innovation Solution
The method involves accelerating the vehicle occupant in the direction of the collision partner before impact, followed by a deceleration in the opposite direction, ensuring a reduced speed at the time of collision without initial displacement against the vehicle's direction of movement, utilizing a combination of airbags and seat belts to manage the displacement and deceleration phases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the vehicle occupant is braked from vehicle speed down to zero during collision, then the deceleration force is reduced, but the occupant experiences a large displacement movement counter to the vehicle direction of movement beyond their intended starting position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by accelerating the occupant forward before the collision occurs. This forward acceleration in the period before impact reduces the relative speed difference between the occupant and the obstacle at the moment of collision, thereby reducing the deceleration force experienced during braking without requiring large backward displacement movements.
2Productivity
If the occupant is accelerated in the direction opposite to the collision partner from the start of the accident, then the braking is more effective, but the occupant load is significantly higher
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing forward acceleration before the collision to reduce the relative speed at impact. This preliminary speed reduction means that subsequent braking requires less force to achieve the same stopping distance, thereby maintaining braking effectiveness while significantly reducing the harmful occupant load.
3Speed
If the speed of the vehicle occupant relative to the obstacle is reduced below the leading speed of the vehicle before impact, then the absolute speed at impact is reduced, but additional acceleration and deceleration phases are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing forward acceleration before collision to reduce the relative speed at impact. This approach reduces the absolute speed at impact without requiring complex real-time control during the collision itself, as the speed reduction is achieved in advance through controlled forward acceleration phases.
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 approach significantly reduces the mean deceleration force on the occupant, minimizing injury risk by maintaining a lower speed change and displacement path, ensuring the occupant remains closer to their intended seating position and reducing peak loads during the accident.
Implementation Method 1
Due to its inert mass, the vehicle occupant experiences a displacement movement in the direction of the vehicle movement at the time of the collision
Implementation Method 2
The vehicle occupant is braked from a speed corresponding to the vehicle speed down to a speed equal to zero and during this time experiences an application of force corresponding to the product of his mass and the acceleration acting during the braking process
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention proposes a method for lessening the consequences on a vehicle occupant (7) as a result of an accident in the event of a collision of the vehicle against an obstruction, wherein according to the method, before the collision, the absolute speed of the vehicle occupant (7) in relation to the obstruction is reduced independently of the travelling speed of the vehicle by means of a reduction of the speed of the vehicle occupant (7) relative to the vehicle, without the vehicle occupant (7) experiencing a first displacement movement counter to the vehicle movement direction beyond his normal initial position under travelling conditions.