Soft Protective Panel Thickness for Large Hail Impact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hail protection systems for vehicles lack scientific justification and practical effectiveness, failing to provide adequate protection against large hailstones due to inadequate material thickness and lack of quantitative relations between material properties and hail size, leading to inefficient and costly repairs.
Innovation Solution
The development of protective panels with soft material layers having a Young's modulus in the range of 1 MPa to 150 MPa, designed using principles of impact mechanics to determine minimum thickness and absorb hail kinetic energy, ensuring no visible dents or cracks on vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If soft foam materials are used to cover the vehicle, then protection against small hails is provided, but the material thickness is insufficient to withstand large hailstones exceeding 25 mm diameter
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a multi-layer composite structure consisting of an energy-absorbing layer (foam material with specific density and thickness), a reinforcement layer (fabric or mesh), and a protective outer layer. This composite design combines the energy absorption capability of foam with the structural strength of reinforcement materials, enabling effective protection against large hailstones exceeding 25 mm diameter while maintaining reasonable thickness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies precise parameter ranges for the foam material including density (20-80 kg/m³), thickness (10-50 mm), and Young's modulus to optimize the balance between energy absorption and structural strength. By carefully controlling these parameters, the protective cover can withstand large hail impacts without requiring excessive material thickness
2Object-affected harmful factors
If inflatable cushions are used to protect vehicles, then protection against hail impact is provided, but the installation time required (10-20 minutes) exceeds the typical hail arrival warning time (3 minutes)
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cover is designed as a pre-assembled, ready-to-use product that can be rapidly deployed. The cover comes in a compact form factor that allows for quick unfolding and attachment to the vehicle, eliminating the need for time-consuming inflation or assembly procedures. This enables installation within the 3-minute warning period before hail arrival
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cover is divided into multiple modular sections that can be independently handled and quickly attached to different parts of the vehicle. This segmentation allows for parallel installation processes and reduces the overall installation time while maintaining complete vehicle coverage
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the protective cover thickness is increased to withstand large hails, then protection effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity and material quantity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a multi-layer composite structure where each layer has a specific function: the foam core provides energy absorption, the reinforcement layer provides structural strength, and the outer layer provides environmental protection. This composite design achieves high protection effectiveness against large hails without requiring excessive total thickness, as each material contributes its optimal properties
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cover employs varying material densities and thicknesses in different regions based on the expected impact forces. Critical areas such as the roof and hood receive enhanced protection with thicker or denser materials, while less critical areas use lighter constructions. This localized optimization reduces overall material quantity while maintaining protection effectiveness
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 solution effectively reduces hail impact damage by absorbing kinetic energy, preventing damage to both metal and glass parts of vehicles, providing a cost-effective and time-efficient protection method against large hailstones.
Implementation Method 1
selecting a material for the soft material layer, wherein the material has a Young's modulus Esm in a range of 1 MPa to 150 MPa
Implementation Method 2
determine the minimum thickness Tsm of the soft material layer... to absorb hail kinetic energy
Data Source
AI summary
Soft material design methods for developing protective panels against a hail with a diameter of more than 25 mm are provided, wherein the protective panel comprises a soft material layer. The methods comprise: selecting a material for the soft material layer, wherein the material has a Young's modulus Esm in a range of 1 MPa to 150 MPa, preferably 5 MPa to 100 MPa; and determining a minimum thickness Tsm of the soft material layer based on the size of a hail and the material properties of the soft material and other materials inside the protective panel. A protection system that includes these protective panels covers a whole vehicle or some fragile parts on the ground.