Vehicle Object Restraint with Inertial Blocking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing restraint systems for transportation vehicles fail to securely retain objects under both quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions, such as during vehicle crashes, due to limitations in their design and functionality.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves an apparatus with a frame, a clamp member, and a blocking member mounted within the vehicle, where the clamp member is movable under quasi-static conditions to allow object placement and removal, and the blocking member moves under dynamic conditions to block the clamp member's movement, ensuring the object is retained between the clamp and frame ends.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the clamp member is made movable to allow easy object placement and removal under quasi-static conditions, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of object retention under dynamic loading conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp member is designed to be movable under quasi-static conditions for easy object placement and removal, but automatically locks in position under dynamic loading conditions. This is achieved through an inertial blocking member that responds to acceleration forces, transforming the system from purely static to dynamically adaptive, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and retention reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking member is configured to automatically engage and lock the clamp member in position when dynamic loading occurs, without requiring external intervention. The inertial force generated during vehicle deceleration or collision automatically activates the locking mechanism, making the system self-regulating and ensuring object retention without additional controls.
2Reliability
If a blocking member is added to prevent clamp movement under dynamic conditions, then the reliability of object retention is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blocking member acts as an intermediary element between the clamp member and the frame, mediating the interaction between them under dynamic conditions. This intermediate component simplifies the overall design by providing a dedicated locking function without requiring complex control systems, sensors, or actuators, thus improving reliability while minimizing added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking member replaces complex mechanical locking systems with a simple inertial-based mechanism. Instead of using motors, sensors, or electronic controls to detect and respond to dynamic conditions, the system uses the physical principle of inertia - the blocking member naturally engages when acceleration forces exceed a threshold, substituting complex control systems with passive mechanical response.
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 design effectively secures objects, like self-contained breathing apparatuses, within the vehicle under both static and dynamic conditions, preventing movement and ensuring retention during impacts or changes in vehicle orientation.
Implementation Method 1
The blocking member may have a mass and the biasing member may be configured to exert a biasing force on the blocking member. The mass of the blocking member may be sized to overcome the biasing force of the biasing member under the dynamic loading conditions such that the blocking member moves to the position that blocks movement of the clamp member
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for restraining an object in a vehicle may have a frame mounted within the vehicle, a clamp member movably mounted to the frame and a blocking member movably mounted to the frame. The frame may have a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The clamp member may be movable relative to the frame under quasi-static conditions to allow the object to be received between, and removed from between, the clamp member and the second end of the frame. The blocking member may be configured to move relative to the frame under dynamic loading conditions to a position that blocks movement of the clamp member sufficiently to retain the object between the clamp member and the second end of the frame under the dynamic loading conditions.