Vehicle Step Mounting With Crash-Guided Detachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electric vehicles, steps attached to the lower vehicle body pose a risk of damaging energy storage systems during side crashes, as they may accelerate towards the storage areas, necessitating protective measures to prevent damage.
Innovation Solution
A step holding device with dual attachment points, featuring front and rear brackets, and deflection means, including guide surfaces and a predetermined breaking point, to redirect the step's movement path during a crash, ensuring it does not hit the energy storage system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the step is rigidly attached to the vehicle structure, then the step is securely held in place, but the step can accelerate towards the energy storage system during a crash and cause damage
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is divided into two separate brackets (front and rear) positioned at different locations on the vehicle structure. This segmentation ensures that if one bracket fails or detaches during a crash, the other bracket continues to hold the step, preventing uncontrolled movement towards the energy storage system while maintaining secure attachment under normal conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
A decoupling mechanism is introduced as an intermediary element between the step and the vehicle structure. This mechanism includes a first connection element attached to the step and a second connection element attached to the vehicle structure, with a decoupling mechanism that allows controlled detachment. The decoupling mechanism acts as a mediator that separates the step from the vehicle structure in a controlled manner during a crash, preventing the step from accelerating towards the energy storage system while maintaining secure attachment during normal operation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the step is allowed to move freely during a crash, then the step may detach from the vehicle structure, but uncontrolled movement can still endanger persons and damage components
Solution Approach 1:
The decoupling mechanism is pre-configured with a defined detachment behavior that activates under specific crash conditions. The mechanism is designed in advance to detach at a predetermined point, guiding the step along a safe movement path away from the energy storage system. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when a crash occurs, the detachment happens in a controlled and predictable manner, preventing both uncontrolled movement and damage to critical components.
3Device complexity
If a single attachment point is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but complete detachment can occur during a crash leading to uncontrolled movement
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment structure is segmented into two separate brackets positioned at different locations on the vehicle structure. This segmentation increases attachment stability by ensuring that if one bracket detaches during a crash, the other bracket continues to hold the step, preventing complete detachment and uncontrolled movement. The segmented design maintains relatively simple individual components while achieving enhanced overall reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a step mounting device for a step for vehicles, in particular electric vehicles for passenger transport, comprising a step that can be attached to a vehicle structure, and at least one bearing device for attaching the step to the vehicle structure. The bearing device is designed such that, in a crash, the step is movable relative to the vehicle structure and/or partially or completely detachable from the vehicle structure, with movement guidance means for influencing the movement path of the step relative to the vehicle structure in a crash. The bearing device has at least one front bracket positioned on the vehicle structure in an outer region of the vehicle and at least one rear bracket positioned on the vehicle structure in an inner region of the vehicle.