Telescoping Vehicle Safety Guard for Bus Wheel Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle safety guards are prone to significant damage when abutting inanimate objects during operation, which can render them ineffective and require costly replacement, and they often fail to protect against animate objects effectively.
Innovation Solution
A telescoping safety guard mounted beneath vehicles, positioned close to the ground to deflect animate objects and designed to shift inwardly along a defined axis when encountering immovable inanimate objects, with a resilient mounting system that allows the guard to rebound to its operational position, thereby protecting it from damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the safety guard is fixedly mounted to protect against animate objects, then the guard can effectively deflect individuals from wheel path, but the guard suffers significant damage when abutting inanimate objects
Solution Approach 1:
The safety guard is mounted on a telescoping mechanism that allows it to dynamically adjust its position. When an inanimate object is detected or contacted, the guard can retract inwardly along the vehicle body, converting from a rigid fixed structure to a dynamic movable one, thereby protecting itself from damage while maintaining its protective function.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting arrangement changes the operational parameters of the safety guard by enabling telescopic movement along the longitudinal axis. This parameter change allows the guard to transition between extended (protective) and retracted (protected) states, resolving the contradiction between needing to be fixed for effectiveness and needing to be movable for durability.
2Reliability
If the safety guard is mounted close to the ground to deflect animate objects, then the guard can push individuals out from under the vehicle, but the guard is more vulnerable to damage from inanimate objects
Solution Approach 1:
The telescoping mounting allows the safety guard to maintain its low ground position for effective animate object deflection while providing a dynamic escape mechanism. When contact with inanimate objects occurs, the guard can telescope inwardly to avoid damage, thus maintaining both its protective effectiveness and vulnerability reduction.
3Strength
If the safety guard is made robust to withstand inanimate object contact, then the guard can protect against damage, but the guard becomes heavier and more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than making the guard itself more robust through additional materials or reinforcement (which would increase complexity), the solution uses a dynamic telescoping mounting mechanism. This approach protects the guard from damage through movement rather than through increased structural complexity, maintaining simplicity while achieving durability.
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 telescoping safety guard effectively deflects animate objects from vehicle wheels while minimizing damage from inanimate objects, ensuring the guard's longevity and continued functionality.
Implementation Method 1
the frontal guard is resiliently mounted so as to be forced to rebound back to its fully operational position after any shifting based on engaging an inanimate object
Data Source
AI summary
A safety guard for a vehicle, such as a school or transit bus, tractor trailer or the like-type vehicle, includes a guard positioned in front of a wheel of the vehicle that will function to push individuals and other animate objects out of the path of the wheels for safety purposes, while being mounted for movement to protect the guard from damage upon abutting an inanimate object during operation of the vehicle.