Vehicle Retention System with Tilting Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle restraint systems fail to prevent the catapult-like ejection of spacer brackets when a vehicle collides with a post, leading to high forces on fixing screws, potential destruction, and subsequent injury or damage.
Innovation Solution
The integration of disk-like tilting elements with central recesses and vertically extending beads between spacer brackets and crash barriers, allowing for sideways movement and reducing tensile forces, combined with high-strength fixing screws and optional reinforcement profiles for enhanced stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If rigid fixing screws are used to connect spacer brackets to guard rails, then structural stability is improved, but the risk of sudden failure and catapult-like ejection of spacer brackets increases when a vehicle impacts a post
Solution Approach 1:
The tilting element is designed to allow the spacer bracket to rotate dynamically about a pivot axis during impact events. This dynamic movement capability transforms the rigid connection into a semi-rigid one, enabling the system to adapt to impact forces while maintaining structural integrity, thereby preventing sudden failure and catapult-like ejection
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing screw connection is changed from a purely rigid parameter to a semi-rigid parameter by introducing the tilting element with a pivot axis. This parameter change allows the connection to maintain stability under normal conditions while providing controlled movement during impact, reducing the risk of sudden failure
2Reliability
If high-strength fixing screws are used to prevent spacer bracket ejection, then safety is improved, but the complexity of the coupling area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tilting element acts as an intermediary component between the fixing screw and the spacer bracket. It simplifies the overall coupling design by providing a built-in pivot mechanism that reduces tensile forces on the fixing screw, thereby enhancing safety while maintaining relatively simple construction through the integration of the pivot function into the tilting element itself
3Strength
If the spacer bracket is rigidly fixed to the guard rail line, then structural integrity is improved, but the tensile force on the fixing screw increases significantly when a vehicle impacts a post
Solution Approach 1:
The tilting element enables the spacer bracket to rotate dynamically about a pivot axis during impact, converting part of the impact force into rotational movement. This dynamic response reduces the tensile force transmitted to the fixing screw while maintaining structural integrity through the controlled movement mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The tilting element with its pivot axis provides a pre-designed movement path that cushions the impact force before it reaches the fixing screw. This beforehand cushioning mechanism reduces the peak tensile force on the fixing screw by allowing controlled rotation during the impact event
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
Prevents the ejection of spacer brackets, reduces the risk of injury and damage by distributing impact forces and enhancing the structural integrity of the system.
Implementation Method 1
the spacer bracket can move sideways about the vertical pivot axis due to the tilting element
Implementation Method 2
This flexibility behavior of the spacer bracket significantly reduces the tensile force
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
The vehicle restraint system (1) has a protection plank (4) with W-shaped cross section detachably interconnected to the protection plank train (3). The protection plank train is connected with a box-shaped spacing console (32) having two opposite end plates (37,38) by a fixing screw (46). The tilting element (33) is penetrated by fixing screws, and is detachably integrated between the spacing consoles and the protection planks. The tilting element is configured in disk-shape. The tilting element has central recesses and a vertically extending bead on the side facing the protection planks.