Pivotable Vehicle Safety Guard Deflecting Objects
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles with high ground clearance, such as buses, pose a risk of injury to individuals and damage to inanimate objects due to their design, as existing safety guards do not effectively deflect objects from the path of wheels, particularly when the vehicle is in motion.
Innovation Solution
A safety guard system comprising a fixed and pivotable section mounted at an angle in front of the wheels, with a biased actuator to rapidly deflect objects out of the wheel path, incorporating additional safety features like sensors and warning lights to enhance effectiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed safety barrier is mounted at a shallow angle (20°-25°) to the ground, then the barrier can be structurally stable and easy to mount, but it cannot effectively deflect objects rapidly enough to prevent them from being crushed by vehicle wheels
Solution Approach 1:
The safety barrier transitions from a fixed structure to a dynamic system with a pivotable second section that can rapidly change its angle. When an object contacts the guard, the hinged connection allows the second section to pivot sharply, increasing the deflection angle and speed to effectively redirect the object away from the wheel path.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the angular parameter of the safety barrier dynamically. The second section can adjust its angle relative to the ground and first section, transitioning from a stable mounted position to a sharp deflection angle upon object contact, thereby optimizing both structural stability and deflection effectiveness.
2Reliability
If a rigid safety barrier is used to effectively deflect objects, then safety performance improves, but the barrier itself becomes vulnerable to damage from impacts with inanimate objects such as curbs
Solution Approach 1:
The shock-absorbing device is pre-installed in the hinged connection between the first and second sections, providing built-in cushioning capacity before impact occurs. This allows the barrier to absorb impact energy from inanimate objects like curbs, protecting both the barrier structure and reducing the severity of impacts.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivotable second section with hinged connection provides dynamic response to impacts. Upon contact with inanimate objects, the barrier can pivot or yield rather than rigidly resisting, which reduces the risk of structural damage while maintaining safety effectiveness.
3Reliability
If the safety barrier is positioned closer to the ground to improve deflection effectiveness, then object deflection capability improves, but the barrier structure requires more complex mounting and support
Solution Approach 1:
The safety barrier is divided into two separate sections: a first section mounted to the vehicle underbody and a second section connected via a hinged connection. This segmentation allows the second section to extend closer to the ground for effective deflection while the first section maintains structural support and simplifies mounting requirements.
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 angled, pivotable safety guard effectively prevents contact between objects and vehicle wheels, minimizing injury and damage while reducing potential harm to the guard itself, and can be adapted for various vehicle types with high ground clearance.
Implementation Method 1
The safety guard will not only function to deflect animate body parts from in front of a vehicle wheel, but will also dampen engagement of the animate body part with the safety guard.
Implementation Method 2
the second guard section is biased or otherwise forcibly shiftable by an actuator, such as a shock absorbing device, toward the first operational position
Data Source
AI summary
A safety guard which functions to push objects lying in the path of a vehicle out of the path of the wheels of the vehicle, such as a school bus, for safety purposes includes a front guard includes a first, fixed guard section and a second, movable guard section positioned at an angle of at least 30° in front of at least one wheel of the vehicle beneath the vehicle. More particularly, the first and second guard sections are hingedly interconnected such that the second guard section can pivot or otherwise shift from a first operational position to at least a second operational position relative to the first guard section upon engagement with an animate or inanimate object. At the same time, the second guard section is biased or otherwise forcibly shiftable by an actuator, such as a shock absorbing device, toward the first operational position.