Segmented Vehicle Bumper Lobes for Impact Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle bumpers face a design challenge in balancing energy absorption and damage resistance across different impact scenarios, requiring varying stiffness and deformation behavior when colliding with objects of different sizes and types, such as larger vehicles and pedestrians.
Innovation Solution
An energy-absorbing device with a beam and deformable lobes that provide increased stiffness and resistance during wide object impacts while reducing resistance and softening the impact during narrow object collisions, and reinforcing the bumper fascia to minimize low-speed damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the bumper is designed with greater stiffness to increase energy absorption during wide object impacts, then energy absorption is improved, but pedestrian injury risk increases due to reduced deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper is divided into multiple lobes that can deform independently. During pedestrian impact, individual lobes deform to reduce injury, while during wide object impact, multiple lobes work together to provide greater energy absorption. This segmentation allows the bumper to exhibit different effective stiffness levels depending on impact conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The bumper employs a dynamic deformation mechanism where the lobes can adjust their deformation behavior based on impact conditions. The lobes are designed to deform in a controlled manner, providing softer impact for pedestrians while maintaining structural integrity for wider impacts, thus dynamically adapting stiffness characteristics.
2Strength
If the bumper is designed to be rigid with no deformation to reduce exterior damage during low-speed impacts, then damage resistance is improved, but energy absorption capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper structure is segmented into multiple lobes that can deform independently. This segmentation allows the bumper to absorb energy through controlled deformation of individual lobes rather than requiring overall structural deformation, thus maintaining damage resistance while improving energy absorption capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The bumper design changes the deformation parameters by allowing localized deformation of lobes rather than requiring global structural deformation. This parameter change enables the bumper to absorb energy through small, controlled deformations that do not result in exterior damage, resolving the contradiction between rigidity and energy absorption.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the bumper is designed with higher stiffness to reduce deformation during impact, then exterior damage is reduced, but pedestrian protection capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper is segmented into multiple lobes that can deform independently. This segmentation allows the overall bumper structure to maintain rigidity and stability while individual lobes provide controlled deformation to protect pedestrians, thus resolving the contradiction between bumper rigidity and pedestrian protection.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the bumper have different deformation characteristics. The lobes are designed with specific local properties that allow them to deform softly during pedestrian impact, while the overall bumper structure maintains rigidity. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between global rigidity and local deformation capability.
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 device effectively absorbs energy during wide object impacts, reduces pedestrian injury risk, and minimizes exterior damage during low-speed collisions by adapting deformation behavior based on impact type.
Implementation Method 1
A plurality of lobes are attached to and positioned sequentially along the beam. The lobes are spaced from one another and deformable relative to the beam.
Data Source
AI summary
An energy-absorbing device includes a beam having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of lobes attached to and positioned sequentially along the beam. The lobes are spaced from each other, deformable relative to the beam, and configured to contact adjacent lobes when deformed. The size and spacing of the lobes is such that if a single lobe is deformed, the lobe will not contact adjacent lobes, but if adjacent lobes are deformed, the lobes will contact each other.