Single-Use Plastically Deformable Shock Absorber for Vehicle Component Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shock absorbers are overly complex, heavy, and costly due to their robust design for repeated use, making them unsuitable for single-use scenarios where size and weight are critical, such as in vehicle components that require secure attachment during high dynamic forces.
Innovation Solution
A single-use shock absorber system with a secondary attachment that includes a plastically deformable shock absorber element and a cable, designed to absorb peak forces upon primary attachment breakage, allowing the component to be securely reattached to the vehicle body without the need for thick, heavy cables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional robust shock absorbers are designed for repeated cyclic use, then reliability is improved, but weight and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the disposable principle by designing a single-use shock absorber that is intentionally not meant to be reused. The shock absorber is designed to plastically deform and permanently elongate after absorbing a shock event, rendering it incapable of further use. This allows the system to use a much lighter, simpler structure that would be prohibitively heavy if designed for repeated use, while still achieving the required reliability for the specific single-use safety application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by transitioning the shock absorber material from elastic deformation (reversible) to plastic deformation (permanent). The material is selected and designed to undergo permanent elongation at a predetermined force level, changing the mechanical behavior parameter from elastic to plastic. This parameter change enables the shock absorber to absorb energy permanently, preventing reuse while maintaining light weight and simplicity for the intended single-use application.
2Reliability
If conventional robust shock absorbers are designed for repeated cyclic use, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the disposable principle by designing a single-use shock absorber that is intentionally not meant to be reused. The shock absorber is designed to plastically deform and permanently elongate after absorbing a shock event, rendering it incapable of further use. This allows the system to use a much lighter, simpler structure that would be prohibitively heavy if designed for repeated use, while still achieving the required reliability for the specific single-use safety application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by transitioning the shock absorber material from elastic deformation (reversible) to plastic deformation (permanent). The material is selected and designed to undergo permanent elongation at a predetermined force level, changing the mechanical behavior parameter from elastic to plastic. This parameter change enables the shock absorber to absorb energy permanently, preventing reuse while maintaining light weight and simplicity for the intended single-use application.
3Strength
If thicker cables are used to secure components during high dynamic forces, then strength is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the intermediary principle by introducing a shock absorber as a mediator between the component and the cable. The shock absorber absorbs the high dynamic forces and shock loads, preventing these forces from being transmitted directly to the cable. This intermediary element allows the use of a thinner, lighter cable that would otherwise be insufficient to handle the peak forces during crash or high dynamic events, while still ensuring component retention.
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 system effectively reduces peak forces on the cable, enabling thinner, lighter, and less expensive cable designs while ensuring secure reattachment of components during high dynamic events, such as vehicle crashes, by utilizing a serpentine shock absorber element that plastically deforms to absorb energy.
Implementation Method 1
The shock absorber element is plastically deformable, without breaking, at a preset design load applied in tension to the first and second connector sections
Implementation Method 2
The serpentine shock absorber element is plastically deformable, without breaking, at a preset design load applied in tension to the first and second connector sections
Data Source
AI summary
A shock absorber system includes a body, a component, and at least one primary attachment that secures the component on the body. A secondary attachment is configured to secure the component to the body upon breakage of the primary attachment. The secondary attachment includes a single-use shock absorber and a cable that is attached to the body and secured through the single-use shock absorber to the component.