Uniform deceleration unit

• US 10,556,559 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2015
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesseract Structural Innovations, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesseract Structural Innovations, Inc.
• Inventors: Renegar, Henry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blankenship, Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US15/529,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20170274848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 296198, 29618703, 2961871, 29618709
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0461 characterised by a pre-defined mode of deformation or displacement in order to absorb impact
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0861 for covering undersurfaces of vehicles, e.g. wheel houses
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/00 Wheel guards; Radiator guards, e.g. grilles; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions reinforcement elements for side doors B60J5/0412; mudguards B62D
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2019/002 Wheel guards
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/18 Parts or details thereof, e.g. mudguard flaps

Abstract

An apparatus and method for improving the safety and performance of an automobile in crash events is disclosed. The apparatus includes a front crash pad, rear crash pad, and a connection beam. Both crash pads and the connection beam are coupled to an automobile in such fashion as to absorb and dissipate energy by converting kinetic energy into strain energy.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

first and second crash pads; and

a connection beam disposed between the first and second crash pads;

wherein the first and second crash pads and the connection beam are adapted to deform both elastically and plastically to absorb and dissipate energy by converting kinetic energy into strain energy, wherein at least ten percent of the kinetic energy of an automobile is converted into strain energy.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the first and second crash pads include forward and rear crash pads;

the connection beam connects the forward and rear crash pads to one another; and

each of the forward crash pad, rear crash pad, and connection beam absorb crash energy upon deflection.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is mounted to at least one of a wheel well and a side door of the automobile.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is an inverted “

U”

shape.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the connection beam includes one or more cutouts to allow clearance for a front shock, a spring, or other such components.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the connection beam includes multiple components.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein, during a crash, the connection beam initially absorbs energy by deforming elastically, and then further absorbs energy by deforming plastically.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second crash pads are constructed of a material having a mass per unit volume less than about 3,000 kg/m³, and yield strength of at least 180 MPa.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second crash pads are constructed of a material having a Young'"'"'s modulus of at least 500 MPa.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second crash pads are at least partially constructed of a metallic foam having a mass per unit volume of less than about 1,000 kg/m³.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second crash pads are constructed of metallic foam having a mass per unit volume of less than about 1,000 kg/m³ sandwiched between two skin layers that are attached to the metallic foam.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second crash pads are constructed as a cellular layer sandwiched between two skin layers that are attached to the cellular layer.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the connection beam is constructed as a cellular layer.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second crash pads are constructed as a composite first skin and a cellular layer covered with a second skin layer that is firmly attached to the cellular layer.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein first and second crash pads and the connection beam are integrally formed as a single structure.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the cellular layer includes a metallic foam.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second crash pads include a matrix of ribs and webs that define one or more pockets.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein, when the device is installed in the automobile, the one or more pockets extend perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the automobile.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the connection beam includes a single connection beam.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second crash pads are constructed of hollow, thin-walled tubular sections sandwiched between two skins.

21. A device comprising:

first and second crash pads, wherein each of the first and second crash pads is constructed of a matrix of ribs and webs that defines one or more pockets, the one or more pockets extending perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of an automobile when the device is installed in the automobile; and

a connection beam disposed between the first and second crash pads;

wherein the device absorbs and dissipates energy by converting kinetic energy into strain energy.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein a metallic foam is applicable to at least a subset of the one or more pockets.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the first and second crash pads and the connection beam are adapted to both elastically and plastically deform, and wherein at least ten percent of the kinetic energy of the automobile is converted into strain energy.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein the metallic foam includes a mass per unit volume of less than about 1,000 kg/m³.

25. A device comprising:

first and second crash pads, the first and second crash pads being at least partially constructed of a metallic foam having a mass per unit volume of less than about 1,000 kg/m³; and

a connection beam disposed between the first and second crash pads;

wherein at least the connection beam is adapted to deform elastically and plastically to absorb and dissipate energy by converting kinetic energy into strain energy.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the device is mounted to at least one of a wheel well and a side door of the automobile.

27. The device of claim 25, wherein each of the first and second crash pads are constructed of hollow, thin-walled tubular sections sandwiched between two skins.

28. The device of claim 25, wherein each of the first and second crash pads include a matrix of ribs and webs that define one or more pockets.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the metallic foam is applicable to at least a subset of the one or more pockets.