Regular and chaotic vibrations of a preloaded pendulum system

Vibrations of a single preloaded pendulum, with the impact phenomenon with a stop taken into account, are analysed in the paper. The model, under some simplification, represents a simple one-degree-of-freedom element of a vehicle latch system. The response of the system has been tested numerically for a wide range of parameters and with various excitation amplitudes and frequencies. Elastic and rigid impacts have been studied, and results for both impact models and for regular and chaotic motions have been compared. To find all possible solutions to the system, basins of attraction have been calculated as well. The final verification of the model response has been presented for the experimental signals recorded during vehicle side impact tests. It has been shown that the response of the latch element under study may lead to door opening, and that is why it has to be replaced with another design.