Swiveling Front Suspension Subframe for Small Overlap Collision Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle designs face challenges in minimizing wheel intrusion into the occupant compartment during small overlap collisions, as the safety cage is designed to withstand head-on collisions and moderate overlap frontal crashes, not crashes affecting the outer edge of the vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A small overlap impact management system featuring a cross-member mechanically coupled to the chassis, a subframe with activation lever arms, a hinge-mount allowing swiveling, and break-away fasteners that redirect impact loads away from the vehicle by rotating the subframe and swiveling the front wheels out of the collision path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the safety cage is designed to withstand head-on collisions and moderate overlap frontal crashes, then the vehicle can protect occupants during these collision types, but the vehicle fails to prevent wheel intrusion into the occupant compartment during small overlap collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The subframe is designed with a hinge-mount that allows it to rotate dynamically during small overlap collisions. The break-away fasteners initially constrain the subframe during normal operation, but upon impact, they release allowing the subframe to pivot and redirect the wheel away from the occupant compartment, transforming a static structure into a dynamic protective mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge-mount acts as an intermediary mechanism between the subframe and the vehicle chassis. It enables the subframe to rotate and swivel the wheel assembly away from the occupant compartment during small overlap collisions, serving as a mediator that transforms impact forces into protective wheel redirection.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If break-away fasteners are used to allow subframe rotation during small overlap collisions, then wheel intrusion is prevented, but the fasteners must be designed to fail under specific impact conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The break-away fasteners are pre-designed with controlled weakness points that will fail under specific impact conditions. This preliminary design of controlled failure allows the fasteners to maintain integrity during normal operation while automatically releasing during small overlap collisions to enable protective subframe rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The fasteners are designed with specific material and geometric parameters that create a threshold for failure. During normal operation, the fastener strength parameters maintain secure attachment, but during small overlap collisions, the impact forces exceed these parameters, causing controlled failure and enabling subframe rotation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the subframe is rigidly attached to the vehicle chassis, then structural stability is maintained during normal operation, but the subframe cannot redirect impact loads away from the passenger compartment during small overlap collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The subframe attachment system transitions from a static rigid connection to a dynamic hinged connection. During normal operation, break-away fasteners maintain rigid attachment for stability. During small overlap collisions, the hinge-mount enables rotation, allowing the subframe to dynamically redirect impact loads away from the passenger compartment.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment system is segmented into multiple components: break-away fasteners for normal operation, hinge-mount for collision response, and activation lever arms for initiating rotation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function, maintaining stability during normal use while enabling protective movement during collisions.
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 system effectively manages impact loads by rotating the subframe and swiveling the front wheels away from the passenger compartment, reducing the risk of wheel intrusion and enhancing passenger safety during small overlap collisions.
Implementation Method 1
a hinge-mount, where the subframe is coupled to the cross-member via the hinge-mount, and where the hinge-mount allows the subframe to swivel within a plane parallel to a plane containing the vehicle chassis
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of break-away fasteners, where the subframe is attached to a pair of vehicle front rails via the plurality of break-away fasteners, where the plurality of break-away fasteners prevent the subframe from swiveling within the plane during normal vehicle operation
Implementation Method 3
a first subframe activation lever arm extends from the subframe and is positioned in front of at least a portion of a left front wheel and a left front tire corresponding to the left front wheel assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A system is provided that minimizes wheel intrusion into the occupant compartment during a small overlap collision. The system uses a front suspension subframe that is rigidly mounted to the front rails during normal vehicle operation, but which is designed to rotate during a small overlap collision, thereby allowing the attached front wheel assembly to swivel out and away from the vehicle. As a result, the wheel assembly directly involved in the collision is not driven into the passenger cabin.