Steering Column Damper for Impact Energy Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
During a small front bumper overlap impact, a significant portion of the impact energy is not absorbed by the vehicle's energy-absorbing structures, causing the front wheel and steering system to rotate excessively, which can reduce the effectiveness of supplemental restraints and increase energy transfer to the cabin.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle system with a resistance device, including a damper or motor coupled to the steering column and rack assembly, that can be activated to resist rotation and translation, limiting the steering column and rack movement based on detected rotational speed or deceleration, thereby maintaining the front wheel's orientation and preventing excessive steering wheel rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the vehicle is equipped with conventional energy absorbing structures, then the vehicle can absorb impact energy during normal collisions, but during small front bumper overlap impacts, a substantial portion of energy is directed outboard of these structures and remains unabsorbed, causing excessive steering system rotation
Solution Approach 1:
A resistance device is introduced as an intermediary component between the steering system and the impact forces. This device includes a damper or motor that provides controlled resistance to steering wheel rotation, acting as a mediator that dissipates unabsorbed impact energy and prevents excessive steering rotation without requiring changes to the primary energy absorbing structures
Solution Approach 2:
The resistance device is configured to detect steering wheel rotation速度 or impact conditions and automatically apply counteracting resistance force before excessive rotation can occur. This preliminary anti-action prevents the harmful effect of uncontrolled steering rotation by opposing the rotational motion as it begins, rather than attempting to correct it after the fact
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the resistance device is activated to resist steering rotation during impact, then steering system rotation is limited and energy transfer to the cabin is reduced, but the device complexity and control system requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The resistance device incorporates self-activating mechanisms that automatically detect impact conditions through sensors monitoring steering wheel rotation速度 or vehicle deceleration. The system serves itself by automatically engaging the resistance mechanism when impact conditions are detected, eliminating the need for complex external control systems while still providing the necessary protection function
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 resistance device effectively limits the rotation of the front wheel and steering wheel during a small front bumper overlap impact, reducing energy transfer to the cabin and maintaining the effectiveness of supplemental restraints by preventing high-speed rotation.
Implementation Method 1
a resistance device including a damper coupled to at least one of the steering rack assembly and the steering column assembly that limits a rotation of the steering column assembly
Data Source
AI summary
Vehicles and vehicle systems for restricting rotation of vehicle steering systems are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a vehicle including a front wheel, a steering column assembly coupled to the front wheel, a steering wheel coupled to the steering column assembly, a steering rack assembly that includes a rack coupled to the front wheel, where the rack extends in a vehicle lateral direction and is translatable with respect to a body of the vehicle in the vehicle lateral direction, and a resistance device including a damper coupled to at least one of the steering rack assembly and the steering column assembly that limits a rotation of the steering column assembly.