Off-Road Vehicle Belt-Based Speed Limiting at Higher Velocity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Off-road vehicles face safety hazards due to driver neglect in buckling up, safety belt disengagement during vehicle operation, and malfunctioning safety belt sensors, which can lead to increased risk of accidents and injuries.
Innovation Solution
The off-road vehicle is equipped with a control module that monitors vehicle velocity and the state of the safety belt. If the safety belt is disengaged or the sensor malfunctions, the control module sends alerts and limits the power source's rotational speed to reduce the risk of accidents, while allowing full throttle control when the vehicle is stationary or moving slowly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the power source rotational speed is limited when the protective device is disengaged, then safety hazards are reduced, but vehicle performance is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the power source rotational speed limit adjustable based on vehicle velocity. When the vehicle is stationary or moving slowly, the power source can operate at maximum rotational speed. When the vehicle velocity exceeds a threshold, the control module limits the rotational speed to a lower value. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the safety constraint to the actual operating conditions.
2Reliability
If the power source rotational speed is limited to prevent accidents, then safety is improved, but the vehicle's ability to respond to urgent situations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the rotational speed limit based on real-time vehicle velocity detection. When the vehicle is stationary or moving slowly, no speed limitation is applied, allowing full power response. When the vehicle exceeds a safe velocity threshold, the limit is applied. This temporal and conditional dynamic control resolves the contradiction between safety and response capability.
3Reliability
If alerts are provided when the protective device is disengaged, then driver awareness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using the velocity detection module to continuously monitor vehicle velocity and provide information to the control module. The control module then determines whether to apply rotational speed limits based on this feedback. This feedback mechanism improves driver awareness through alerts while managing system complexity by using existing sensor data efficiently.
4Reliability
If the control module monitors vehicle velocity and safety belt state continuously, then safety hazards are reduced, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial monitoring action by only activating the rotational speed limitation when specific conditions are met (vehicle velocity exceeds threshold while protective device is disengaged). The velocity detection and safety belt state monitoring continue, but the corrective action (speed limiting) is applied only when necessary. This resolves the contradiction by avoiding continuous energy-consuming intervention while maintaining safety monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
An off-road vehicle includes a control module which limits power source rotational speed beneath a controlled rotational speed value based both on whether a protection device such as a safety belt is engaged or disengaged and on whether the vehicle velocity is greater than or less than a velocity threshold. If the safety belt becomes disengaged while the power source is spinning above the controlled rotational speed value, the control module gradually and safely reduces power source rotational speed. If/when the safety belt becomes reengaged, the control module logic will ensure that the power source rotational speed is released from the controlled first value without immediate change in vehicle response. The invention effectively reduces safety hazards of safety belt disengagement while not creating safety hazards of its own in a wide range of discussed situations.