Tibia Force Reduction Wedge Blast Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle armor systems fail to adequately protect occupants from the severe foot, ankle, fibula, and tibia injuries caused by the high loads and accelerations during improvised explosive device (IED) blasts, as they lack effective protection against floor accelerations, leading to bone fractures and soft tissue injuries.
Innovation Solution
A tibia force reduction wedge made of single or dual density closed cell energy absorbing expanded polyethylene (EPP) foam with an anti-fungal, non-slip polyurethane coating and hook and loop fasteners, which compresses and partially collapses during a blast, orienting the occupant's foot, ankle, and tibia to reduce load forces and prevent injuries by attaching to existing vehicle surfaces for adjustable fit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional armor systems are used in armored vehicles, then protection against rounds and missile attacks is improved, but protection against floor accelerations during blast events is insufficient, leading to tibia and lower leg injuries
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge acts as an intermediary device placed between the vehicle floor and the occupant's foot. It mediates the transmission of blast forces by providing a compliant surface that deforms under load, converting high-magnitude floor accelerations into lower-magnitude forces transmitted to the occupant's tibia and lower leg structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge changes the mechanical parameters of the floor-occupant interface by introducing a compliant, energy-absorbing element. It modifies the force transmission characteristics through material deformation, changing the acceleration profile from rigid to progressive, thereby reducing peak forces on the tibia during blast events.
2Force
If the wedge compresses and partially collapses during a blast event, then impact forces are reduced by up to a factor of four, but the structural integrity of the wedge itself is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge is pre-configured with an energy-absorbing structure designed to deform in a controlled manner during blast events. The cellular foam material is selected and configured to collapse progressively, absorbing impact energy before it reaches the occupant, thereby reducing peak forces while maintaining sufficient structural integrity to perform its protective function.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge utilizes phase transition characteristics of cellular foam materials that transition from a rigid state during normal conditions to a collapsing state during impact. This phase change enables the material to absorb energy through cell wall deformation and collapse, reducing transmitted forces while maintaining the wedge's overall structural form.
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 wedge significantly reduces impact forces by up to a factor of four, preventing or minimizing lower leg injuries by maintaining proper angles and absorbing blast forces, while being easy to install and resistant to degradation from various environmental factors.
Implementation Method 1
The wedge has a core, a coating upon the core, and fasteners upon the coating. The core has three surfaces forming a triangularly shaped cross section and two opposite spaced apart ends. The wedge in the invention has single or dual density closed cell energy absorbing expanded polyethylene, or 'EPP,' foam wedges. These EPP wedges of the invention have an anti fungal, non slip, polyurethane coating upon their exterior and hook and loop fasteners. These hook and loop fasteners mutually engage hook and loop fasteners adhered to an existing surface of a vehicle deck which allows for adjustment to the leg lengths of various occupants. The wedges of the present invention may be cut, molded, extruded, and the like, in various sizes and angled to fit the intended application. The wedges of the present invention may have a unitary form or be assembled from multiple sections.
Implementation Method 2
The wedge significantly reduces impact forces by up to a factor of four, preventing or minimizing lower leg injuries by maintaining proper angles and absorbing blast forces
Implementation Method 3
The wedge in the invention has single or dual density closed cell energy absorbing expanded polyethylene, or 'EPP,' foam wedges. These EPP wedges of the invention have an anti fungal, non slip, polyurethane coating upon their exterior
Implementation Method 4
These hook and loop fasteners mutually engage hook and loop fasteners adhered to an existing surface of a vehicle deck which allows for adjustment to the leg lengths of various occupants
Data Source
AI summary
A tibia force reduction wedge has a core, a coating upon the core, and fasteners upon the coating. The core has three surfaces forming a triangularly shaped cross section and two opposite spaced apart ends. The core has single or dual density closed cell energy absorbing expanded polyethylene. Following skiving upon the surfaces, the coating adheres to the exterior of the core. The invention has an anti fungal, non slip, polyurethane coating. Hook and loop fasteners mutually engage fasteners upon an existing surface of a vehicle deck for adjustment to the leg lengths of vehicle occupants. The wedge sees usage beneath seats inside a vehicle.