Vehicle Rapid Deceleration Mechanism Using Road Surface Cutting Anchor
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles often face challenges in rapidly decelerating to avoid collisions, as their braking systems may not be sufficient to prevent hazards such as pedestrians or obstacles, especially when evasive maneuvers are not possible.
Innovation Solution
A rapid deceleration mechanism is integrated into the vehicle, which includes a cutting mechanism and tether that can be deployed to create a bollard anchor in the road surface, allowing the vehicle to be anchored and decelerated more quickly by transferring the force of stopping into the road surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the vehicle uses its braking system to stop, then the braking system can provide controlled deceleration, but it cannot stop the vehicle quickly enough to avoid imminent collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cutting mechanism as an intermediary device between the vehicle and the road surface. This mechanism cuts into the road to create a bollard anchor that physically restrains the vehicle, serving as a mediator that transfers stopping force from the vehicle to the road surface, enabling deceleration rates far exceeding conventional braking systems
Solution Approach 2:
The stopping function is segmented into two independent systems: the conventional braking system for normal deceleration and the cutting mechanism with bollard anchor for emergency stopping. This segmentation allows each system to optimize for its specific function, with the cutting mechanism providing extreme deceleration capability when collision avoidance is critical
2Reliability
If the vehicle takes evasive measures to avoid collision, then it may prevent striking the obstacle, but evasive maneuvers are not always possible when the obstacle is directly in the path
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful interaction between the vehicle and road surface (cutting into the road) into a beneficial outcome (rapid deceleration and collision avoidance). The cutting mechanism transforms what would be damage into a controlled anchoring system that enables extreme stopping power, providing a last-resort maneuver option when traditional evasion or braking is insufficient
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 enables the vehicle to rapidly stop or turn away from hazards, potentially preventing collisions by utilizing the road surface as a braking mechanism, thereby enhancing safety in emergency situations.
Implementation Method 1
a cutting mechanism configured to be coupled to a body of the vehicle... selectively actuate the cutting mechanism towards a road surface... to cause the cutting mechanism to cut a channel in the road surface
Implementation Method 2
transferring the force of stopping into the road surface... anchor the body of the vehicle relative to the road surface
Data Source
AI summary
A rapid deceleration mechanism for a vehicle is provided herein. The rapid deceleration mechanism includes a cutting mechanism configured to be coupled to a body of the vehicle, e.g., via a tether. An actuating mechanism is configured to selectively actuate (e.g., release or propel) the cutting mechanism towards a road surface on which the vehicle is driving to cause the cutting mechanism to cut a channel in the road surface. The channel defines a bollard area in the road surface. At least a portion of the cutting mechanism is disposed at least partially within the channel, against the bollard area, to anchor the body of the vehicle relative to the road surface.