Underrun Protection Mounted on Trailing Arms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial vehicles, particularly cab-over-engine trucks, face space constraints in the front area due to traditional underrun protection systems that require significant installation space and frame-side console supports, limiting the accommodation of other vehicle parts, especially with increasing cooling unit sizes.
Innovation Solution
The underrun protection is attached to trailing arms articulated on the frame side, which are connected to a rigid axle body via energy-absorbing mounting elements, allowing for a more space-efficient design by eliminating direct frame attachment and utilizing the trailing arms' stability for support, with mounting elements designed to absorb impact energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the underrun protection is attached directly to frame parts in the front area, then the attachment is stable and reliable, but the space requirements in the front area increase, limiting the accommodation of other vehicle parts
Solution Approach 1:
The trailing arms serve as intermediary components between the frame and the underrun protection. Instead of attaching the underrun protection directly to the frame, it is mounted on the trailing arms which are already articulated to the frame, thus mediating the connection and reducing direct frame area occupation.
Solution Approach 2:
The trailing arms serve multiple functions: they guide the rigid axle body, provide articulation points for the front axle, and simultaneously serve as mounting structures for the underrun protection. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated mounting structures that would consume additional space.
2Reliability
If frame-side console supports are used to mount the underrun protection, then the attachment is secure, but the space requirements in the front area increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting function is extracted from the frame structure and transferred to the trailing arms. The frame is relieved of the burden of providing dedicated mounting consoles for the underrun protection, as this function is now performed by the trailing arms which are already present in the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting function is merged with the existing trailing arm structure. Instead of adding separate mounting consoles to the frame, the underrun protection is integrated onto the trailing arms, combining the guidance function and mounting function in a single structural element.
3Temperature
If cooling units are increased in size, then the cooling performance improves, but the space available in the front area for other components decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The front axle guidance function is segmented into multiple trailing arms spaced apart in the transverse direction, allowing the underrun protection to be distributed across these separate mounting points rather than requiring a single large mounting structure, thus optimizing space utilization.
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 solution provides design freedom in the front area for other vehicle components, enhances stability for the underrun protection, and reduces space requirements, while maintaining effective energy absorption during impacts.
Implementation Method 1
mounting elements designed to absorb impact energy
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, with a front underride guard (8) arranged at a defined height, in particular approximately at the height of a passenger car bumper. According to the invention, the underride guard (8) is supported and/or attached to at least one axle-guiding link (3, 4), in particular a front axle-guiding link, by means of at least one impact-energy-absorbing mounting element (9, 10).