Pedestrian Protection Front Module with Winding Fasteners

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing motor vehicle front face designs fail to reliably guide the front face between its advanced and retracted positions during a pedestrian impact, often resulting in the risk of injury and damage due to stuck sliding mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of metal fasteners with an intermediate rounded part that deforms by winding on one side and unwinding on the other to absorb energy, allowing the front face to move rearward, featuring a core around a winding axis and wings for energy absorption, with reinforcing plastic ribs maintaining wing spacing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If slides are used to allow the front face to move back while absorbing energy, then energy absorption is improved, but the slides are likely to get stuck and guidance reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy absorptionVSAvoidguidance reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the energy absorption function from the guidance mechanism by introducing separate torsion springs that exclusively handle energy absorption, while the fastener's rounded intermediate part exclusively provides guidance. This separation eliminates the conflict between energy absorption and guidance reliability that plagues integrated slide mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using a linear slide mechanism that moves along a straight path, the patent inverts the approach by using a rounded intermediate part that winds around a transverse axis, converting linear motion into rotational motion. This inversion allows the fastener to guidance the front face reliably while the torsion springs handle energy absorption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Strength

If the front face is fixed rigidly to the body, then structural integrity is improved, but pedestrian protection deteriorates due to impact forces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidpedestrian injury risk

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the static rigid connection into a dynamic system where the fastener can rotate around the transverse axis and the torsion springs can unwind during impact. This dynamic behavior allows the structure to absorb impact energy while maintaining structural integrity, protecting both the vehicle and pedestrian.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The torsion springs are pre-tensioned to provide cushioning before impact occurs. During a pedestrian impact, these springs unwind to absorb energy, reducing the harmful forces transmitted to the pedestrian while maintaining the structural connection between the front face and vehicle body.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Reliability

If the intermediate part is rounded around a winding axis, then guidance reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveguidance reliabilityVSAvoidfastener manufacturing

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the rounded intermediate part and the transverse axis into a single integrated fastener component. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate guidance mechanisms, reducing the number of parts and simplifying manufacturing while maintaining reliable guidance through the rounded geometry winding around the axis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 solution ensures reliable movement of the front face from an advanced to a retracted position during impact, preventing damage to the front face equipment and protecting pedestrians by absorbing energy through deformation of the fasteners, while maintaining structural integrity to support the front face.

Implementation Method 1

the or each fastener being arranged so as to deform, in the event of impact with a pedestrian, by winding on one side of the intermediate part and unwinding on the other side to absorb energy

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEnergy absorption through deformation: Deformation

Implementation Method 2

the first part and the second part are connected by an intermediate part rounded around a winding axis

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGuided deformation: Deformation

Data Source

PatentEP1859983B1Front module of a motor vehicle that retracts in the event of a crash and corresponding motor vehicle.

Publication Date: 2009.02.04 FAURECIA BLOC AVANT

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

AI summary

The face (2) has a support fixing unit including metallic straps/fasteners (32) with enrolled deformation, possessing reinforcement ribs and fixation parts fixed on an upper region of a support (18) and a body shell, respectively, where the support is made of molded plastic material. The parts are connected by a round connection part around a rolling axis. The fasteners are arranged in a manner by rolling and unrolling from sides of wings of the connection part for absorbing energy during a pedestrian impact.