Vehicle Sensor Mount Composite Tunable Deceleration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle structural components lack tunable deceleration characteristics, which are essential for effective safety device deployment during crashes, as they do not efficiently manage impact loads and sensor mounting is often limited to rigid metal substrates.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a flexible reinforcement material over-molded within a polymer composite material in vehicle structural components, specifically in sensor mounts, allows for tunable deceleration characteristics and improved compliance, enabling better load distribution and sensor attachment for enhanced crash detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid metal sensor mounts are used, then sensor attachment is simple and strong, but deceleration characteristics cannot be tuned and Maximum G-Load spread is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor mount uses a composite structure combining a rigid substrate (metal or polymer) with an over-molded flexible reinforcement material. This composite construction allows the mount to provide both the structural strength needed for reliable sensor attachment and the compliance needed for tunable deceleration characteristics. The flexible material layer absorbs and distributes impact loads, enabling control over the G-Load spread while maintaining sensor mounting integrity.
2Reliability
If flexible reinforcement material is over-molded within polymer composite material, then Maximum G-Load spread is reduced and compliance is enhanced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process merges multiple functions into a single integrated component. The sensor mount is formed by over-molding the flexible reinforcement material directly onto the rigid substrate in one manufacturing step, creating a unified composite structure. This eliminates the need for separate assembly steps to attach the flexible layer to the substrate, reducing overall manufacturing complexity despite the advanced molding technique required.
3Adaptability or versatility
If existing metal sensor mounts are replaced with polymer composite material mounts, then deceleration characteristics become tunable, but structural strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor mount design applies local quality by using different materials with different properties in different regions of the same component. The rigid substrate provides localized strength at the sensor attachment points, while the over-molded flexible reinforcement material provides localized compliance and impact absorption in the load path regions. This spatial differentiation of material properties allows the mount to simultaneously achieve high strength where needed and tunable deceleration characteristics where required.
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
This solution reduces the Maximum G-Load spread, enhancing the component's compliance and enabling more effective deployment of safety devices by managing impact loads more efficiently and improving sensor performance during crashes.
Implementation Method 1
enabling better load distribution and sensor attachment for enhanced crash detection
Implementation Method 2
The integration of a flexible reinforcement material over-molded within a polymer composite material in vehicle structural components, specifically in sensor mounts, allows for tunable deceleration characteristics and improved compliance
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle structural or semi-structural component assembly or crash sensor assembly includes a body, wherein a first portion of the body comprises a polymer composite material and a sensor mount portion of the body is connected to the first portion; and a sensor directly attached to the sensor mount portion. The sensor mount portion comprises a polymer composite material and a flexible reinforcement material over-molded within the polymer composite material. A method for enabling tunable deceleration characteristics in a vehicle structural or semi-structural component assembly includes forming a structural or semi-structural component for a vehicle from a polymer composite material; over-molding a flexible reinforcement material within the polymer composite material at one or more locations along the component; and attaching a sensor directly to at least one of the one or more locations.