Vehicle Front Bracket for Acceleration Sensor Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

In vehicles equipped with acceleration sensors on the front body frame, auxiliary machines mounted forward can cause misalignment during collisions, leading to inaccurate detection of longitudinal acceleration and delayed airbag deployment due to deformation of the vehicle body frame.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle front end structure with a bracket that secures a rearward extending part to the vehicle body frame, allowing it to detach when a force acts to move the frontward component rearward, maintaining the acceleration sensor's detection direction and preventing frame deformation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of moving object

If the auxiliary machine is mounted on the frontward portion of the vehicle body frame, then the auxiliary machine can be positioned farther frontward, but the vehicle body frame may undergo deformation during collision causing misalignment of the acceleration sensor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveposition of auxiliary machineVSAvoiddetection accuracy of acceleration sensor
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of moving objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The bracket is divided into a fixed portion attached to the vehicle body frame and a movable portion that can slide relative to the fixed portion. This segmentation allows the acceleration sensor to remain fixed on the vehicle body frame while the auxiliary machine is positioned farther frontward, preventing misalignment during collision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The bracket acts as an intermediary component between the vehicle body frame and the auxiliary machine. It provides a sliding connection that decouples the auxiliary machine's forward position from the acceleration sensor's position on the vehicle body frame, preventing direct transmission of collision forces that would cause misalignment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Stability of the object's composition

If the bracket rigidly fixes the rearward extending part to the vehicle body frame, then the structure is stable, but the frame deformation during collision causes sensor misalignment and delayed airbag deployment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidairbag deployment timing
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The bracket transitions from a static rigid connection to a dynamic sliding connection. The movable portion can slide along the longitudinal axis within the fixed portion, allowing the bracket to adapt its configuration during collision to prevent force transmission to the acceleration sensor, ensuring reliable airbag deployment timing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The bracket's structural parameters change during collision - the movable portion slides relative to the fixed portion, altering the bracket's effective length and stiffness. This parameter change allows the bracket to absorb collision forces without transmitting them to the vehicle body frame, maintaining sensor alignment and ensuring proper airbag deployment timing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Length of moving object

If the auxiliary machine is positioned farther frontward than the vehicle body frame, then the vehicle front end design is optimized, but the auxiliary machine will be pushed rearward during collision causing frame deformation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveposition of auxiliary machineVSAvoidcollision force transmission
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of moving objectVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The movable portion is extracted as a separate sliding component from the fixed bracket structure. This extraction allows the auxiliary machine to be positioned farther frontward while the sliding connection prevents collision forces from being transmitted to the vehicle body frame, eliminating the harmful force transmission effect.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP1972528B1Vehicle front end structure
Publication Date: 2011.10.26 NISSAN MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP1972528B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1972528B1 patent drawingFigure 2~5
  • EP1972528B1 patent drawingFigure 6~8

AI summary

A vehicle front end structure (10) is provided with a vehicle body frame forming a frontward portion of a vehicle, a longitudinal acceleration sensor (15), a frontward vehicle component (14), a rearward extending part (12) and a bracket (17). The frontward vehicle component is disposed to protrude farther forward than the vehicle body frame. The rearward extending part is connected to the frontward vehicle component and extends to a rearward position of the vehicle body frame. The bracket fixes the rearward extending part to the vehicle body frame at a connection area such that the rearward extending part is located farther rearward than the connection area of the vehicle body frame, with the bracket being constructed such that the rearward extending part releases from the vehicle body frame when a force acts to move the frontward vehicle component and the rearward extending part rearward.