Vehicle Spat Device with Elastic Transmission Link for Impact Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle spat devices do not effectively mitigate the impact of obstacles on the spat when it is deployed, as they lack a mechanism to retract the spat efficiently upon external force application, leading to potential damage and instability during vehicle travel.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle spat device incorporating a housing, a spat that adjusts airflow by moving between storage and deployed positions, a drive link, and a transmission link that rotates to retract the spat upon external force, utilizing a torsion spring to facilitate elastic deformation and controlled movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the spat is deployed in front of the front wheel to adjust airflow, then aerodynamic performance is improved, but the spat is vulnerable to impact from obstacles on the road surface
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission link is designed to be movable rather than rigid, allowing it to change its relative position between the drive link and the spat when external force is applied. This dynamic capability enables the spat to retract automatically upon encountering obstacles, resolving the contradiction between maintaining deployed aerodynamic performance and providing impact resistance through automatic retraction
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the external force from the obstacle itself to trigger the retraction mechanism. When an obstacle applies force to the deployed spat, this force causes the transmission link to move and retract the spat automatically, without requiring external sensors or control systems. The spat device protects itself using the impact force as the triggering mechanism
2Reliability
If the spat is retracted to mitigate impact, then damage prevention is improved, but airflow adjustment capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission link's movable design allows the spat to dynamically switch between deployed and retracted states based on real-time conditions. During normal operation, the spat remains deployed for optimal airflow adjustment. When obstacles are encountered, the spat automatically retracts to prevent damage, and can return to the deployed position afterward, thus maintaining airflow adjustment capability when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The external force from obstacles, which is harmful to the deployed spat, is converted into a beneficial trigger mechanism. The impact force automatically activates the retraction through the movable transmission link, transforming the harmful obstacle contact into a protective self-actuating response that prevents damage while preserving the ability to restore airflow adjustment functionality
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
The device efficiently retracts the spat upon encountering obstacles, reducing the impact on the device and preventing damage by utilizing elastic deformation of the transmission link, thereby stabilizing the spat's operation and maintaining airflow adjustment.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing a torsion spring to facilitate elastic deformation and controlled movement
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle spat device includes: a housing; a spat that adjusts an airflow toward a wheel of a vehicle by being displaced between a storage position at which the spat is stored in the housing and a deployed position at which the spat is deployed from the housing; a drive link that rotates between a position at which the spat is disposed at the storage position and a position at which the spat is disposed at the deployed position; and a transmission link that is coupled to the drive link and the spat in a relatively rotatable manner and transmits power of the drive link to the spat. When an external force acts on the spat, the transmission link moves to change a relative position between the drive link and the spat by the external force, and retracts the spat in a direction toward the housing.