Resinous Impact-Energy Absorber Cross Rib Buckling Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing resinous impact-energy absorbers for vehicles face challenges in stabilizing buckling and mounting on door trims with concave-convex shapes, limiting their ability to effectively absorb side impact energy due to lattice shape limitations and restricted size constraints.
Innovation Solution
A cross rib configuration with four ribs connected in a cross shape, secured by outer walls and seating faces, allows for stable buckling and mounting flexibility, enabling efficient absorption of impact energy without full contact with the door trim, and includes a top plate for energy transfer and restricting portions for corner impact management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a lattice shape is used for the impact-energy absorber, then the structure can be released from the mold during molding process, but the rib height is limited to approximately 30 mm and adjacent rib portions can fall down with leaning against each other, disturbing buckling
Solution Approach 1:
The impact-energy absorber is divided into multiple independent ribs that are spaced apart rather than forming a continuous lattice. Each rib is separated by gaps, preventing them from leaning against each other while maintaining ease of mold release. This segmentation allows each rib to buckle independently and stably during impact absorption.
2Area of stationary object
If the top plate is made larger to receive impact energy, then the energy absorption area increases, but the rigidity at the central portion decreases, limiting the size to approximately 100 mm x 100 mm
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the top plate size in two dimensions (length and width), the invention transitions to a three-dimensional structure with multiple vertically extending ribs. The ribs provide structural support in the vertical dimension, allowing the impact absorption area to expand without compromising central rigidity. The ribs act as support columns that maintain stiffness while enabling a larger overall footprint.
3Reliability
If the impact-energy absorber is mounted on the door trim, then it can absorb side impact energy, but the concave-convex shape of the door trim affects mounting difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The back surface of the impact-energy absorber features a flexible, deformable structure that can adapt to the concave-convex shape of the door trim. The thin film-like back surface allows the absorber to conform to irregular mounting surfaces, ensuring reliable contact and energy absorption while simplifying the mounting process. This flexibility enables secure attachment without requiring precise matching of rigid surfaces.
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 cross rib design stabilizes buckling behavior, reduces initial load, and allows for larger rib heights and weight savings, ensuring effective impact energy absorption and easy mounting on varying door trim surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
the ribs are ensured in buckling in an event of side impact... Next, the ribs buckle, and thereby the impact energy is absorbed
Implementation Method 2
the entire cross rib is deformed so that the opposed edges of the ribs approach the door trim within the distance, and thereby the impact energy is absorbed
Data Source
AI summary
A resinous impact-energy absorber 1 includes a cross rib 11 that includes four ribs 11A and a connected portion 11B. The four ribs 11A are connected with each other in a single cross shape by the connected portion 11B. Each of the ribs 11A has an opposed edge 11C and a side edge. The opposed edge 11C has a distance S1 from the door trim 2. The resinous impact-energy absorber 1 also includes one outer wall 12 connected with one of the side edges of the ribs 11A. The at least one outer wall 12 has a contact edge 12A capable of making contact with an outside surface of the door trim 2. The resinous impact-energy absorber 1 also includes at least one seating face 14 for securing the cross rib 11 to the outside surface of the door trim 2 via the at least one outer wall 12.