Safety Device Linkage Assembly for Lightweight Bus Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety device deployment apparatuses for vehicles, such as school buses, are often heavy, difficult to install, prone to wear and failure, costly, and lack easily replaceable components, making them inefficient and costly to maintain.
Innovation Solution
A safety device deployment apparatus featuring a housing with a pivotally attached hinge plate and an actuator linkage assembly that includes a linearly moveable piston and a crankshaft with a revolute joint, allowing the safety device to move between parallel and perpendicular positions, with easily replaceable components and a control unit connected via quick release electrical connectors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional metal components and durable materials are used in safety device assemblies, then strength and durability are improved, but weight increases and ease of installation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The assembly is divided into modular components including a housing, safety device, and actuator system that can be separately manufactured and assembled. This segmentation allows use of lightweight materials in non-critical components while maintaining durability in load-bearing parts, reducing overall weight without compromising reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction combining lightweight materials (such as aluminum or composite polymers) with strategically placed metal reinforcement only where structural integrity is critical. This composite approach reduces overall weight while maintaining the necessary strength and durability for safety applications.
2Adaptability or versatility
If customized installation procedures are implemented for safety device assemblies, then adaptability to different vehicles is improved, but ease of installation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The housing and mounting structure are designed with universal attachment features and standardized interface configurations that can accommodate multiple vehicle types and models. This universality allows the same assembly to be installed on different vehicles without requiring customized procedures, thereby improving ease of installation while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuator linkage assembly incorporates adjustable linkage lengths and pivot point positions that can be configured for different vehicle geometries. This dynamic adjustability allows a single standardized assembly to adapt to various installation scenarios without requiring custom procedures, enhancing both adaptability and ease of installation.
3Strength
If traditional mechanical components are used in safety device assemblies, then strength is improved, but ease of repair and maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical linkage system is segmented into discrete, modular components including the actuator, connecting rods, and pivot assemblies. Each component is designed as a separate replaceable unit, allowing damaged parts to be individually replaced without replacing the entire assembly. This maintains structural strength while dramatically improving ease of repair and maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuator and linkage components are extracted as separate removable assemblies from the housing, allowing them to be independently serviced, repaired, or replaced. This extraction of critical mechanical components into separable units enables easier maintenance while maintaining the overall strength and integrity of the safety device assembly.
4Adaptability or versatility
If additional features such as lights are incorporated into safety device assemblies, then functionality is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Additional features such as lights are incorporated as separate modular modules that can be independently attached to the housing or integrated into specific components. This segmentation allows manufacturers to produce base assemblies at a lower cost and add optional features only when needed, reducing overall manufacturing costs while maintaining enhanced functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing and mounting structure are designed with universal interfaces and integrated mounting points that can accommodate various optional features including lights, indicators, or different safety device configurations. This universal design allows a single base assembly to support multiple functionality levels without requiring separate manufacturing processes for each feature combination, thereby controlling manufacturing costs while enabling enhanced functionality.
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 apparatus is lighter, easier to install, more durable, and less costly to manufacture, with easily replaceable parts, enhancing maintenance and operational efficiency while reducing weight and maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
a crankshaft having at least a first revolute joint affixing a first portion of the crankshaft to the piston and a second portion affixed to one of the pin, the hinge plate, and the safety device
Data Source
AI summary
A safety device deployment apparatus includes a housing, a hinge plate pivotally affixed to the housing to pivot around a pin, an actuator linkage assembly having an actuator including a piston, and a crankshaft affixed to the piston through at least a revolute joint and affixed to one of the pin, the hinge plate, and the safety device. The safety device deployment apparatus moves a safety device between a stowed parallel and deployed perpendicular position, relative to the housing, based on extension and retraction of the piston of the actuator. The revolute joint between the piston and crankshaft is disposed in planes on opposite sides of a parallel plane passing through the pin joint based on the extension and retraction of the piston.