Rear Impact Gusset for Vehicle Bumper Energy Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rear-end impacts cause significant damage and injury due to inadequate energy absorption and potential over or under-riding of vehicle bumper assemblies, highlighting the need for improved crash energy management near the rear of vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A gusset is configured to attach to the bumper reinforcement bracket and rear side member of a vehicle, featuring an angled portion that reorients to a vertical surface during impact, providing additional attachment and energy absorption, thereby preventing over-riding and under-riding conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional bumper reinforcement bracket attachment is used, then the bumper assembly can be mounted to the vehicle, but the attachment may fail during rear impact causing over-riding or under-riding
Solution Approach 1:
The gusset is divided into multiple functional portions: an attachment portion with holes for securing to the bumper reinforcement bracket and lower back panel, and a distinct angled portion that presents a surface to rear impactors. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function optimally while working together to improve overall attachment reliability during impact.
Solution Approach 2:
The gusset extends in multiple dimensions from the bumper reinforcement bracket - vertically downward to the lower back panel and at an angle toward the rear of the vehicle. This multi-dimensional extension creates additional attachment points and impact surfaces that prevent both over-riding and under-riding conditions by distributing impact forces across different spatial planes.
2Loss of energy
If the gusset includes an angled portion that reorients during impact, then energy absorption is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gusset is pre-formed during manufacturing with the angled portion positioned at a specific angle (e.g., 30 degrees from vertical) and the attachment holes pre-drilled and positioned. This preliminary configuration allows the gusset to automatically assume its optimal energy-absorbing orientation during impact without requiring complex active mechanisms or post-manufacturing adjustments, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving improved energy absorption.
Solution Approach 2:
The gusset's geometric parameters, particularly the angle of the angled portion relative to the vertical, are optimized to balance energy absorption capability with manufacturability. By selecting specific angle ranges (e.g., 30°±30° or 30°±10°), the design achieves effective impact energy absorption while maintaining compatibility with standard manufacturing processes for metal forming and drilling.
3Strength
If the gusset provides additional attachment to the rear side member, then crash energy absorption is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gusset merges multiple functions into a single integrated component: it provides attachment to the bumper reinforcement bracket, extends to the lower back panel for additional anchoring, and presents an angled impact surface. By combining these functions into one piece rather than using separate brackets, anchors, and impact surfaces, the design improves crash energy absorption while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The gusset serves multiple functions simultaneously: it reinforces the bumper reinforcement bracket attachment, provides an additional impact energy absorption surface, and extends the attachment geometry to prevent over-riding and under-riding. This multi-functionality allows a single component to address multiple safety concerns without requiring proportionally more complex structures for each function.
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 gusset maintains attachment of the bumper assembly, absorbs impact energy, and reduces the risk of occupant injury by ensuring proper deformation of the rear side member, effectively preventing dangerous riding conditions during rear impacts.
Implementation Method 1
the gusset is deformed so that the angled portion reorients to present a vertical surface during a rear impact to the vehicle. The vertical surface is then helpful in absorbing mechanical energy from the impact.
Data Source
AI summary
An example gusset for attaching a rear bumper assembly to a vehicle has a first attachment portion configured to attach to the bumper reinforcement bracket and the lower back panel of the vehicle, a second attachment portion configured to attach to the rear side member of the vehicle, and an angled portion presenting an oblique surface to a rear impactor to the vehicle. A pair of side portions are interconnected and spaced apart by the second attachment portion, and each side portion has an angled edge adjacent the angled portion.