Motion damper

• US 20040089988A1
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Scott, John, Parks, Brent, Macari, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,182,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 267/140.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/231 by hydraulic actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4214 longitudinal
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42745 of the back-rest B60N2/433 takes precedence; higher part of the back-rest moving together with the headrest B60N2/888
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/162 the hydraulic system itself
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; devices, apparatus or methods for life-saving in general A62B; safety devices for propulsion unit control specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles B60K28/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19; harnessing in aircraft B64D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/34 Protecting non-occupants of a vehicle, e.g. pedestrians B60R19/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/38 using means for lifting bonnets
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/10 the motor being of diaphragm type
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/16 of the telescopic type
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/19 Pyrotechnical actuators
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/123 Deformation involving a bending action, e.g. strap moving through multiple rollers, folding of members F16F7/125, F16F7/128 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/125 Units with a telescopic-like action as one member moves into, or out of a second member F16F7/124, F16F7/127, F16F7/128 take precedence

Abstract

The motion damper includes a damper wall, damper stages, and a damper head. The damper wall and damper stages are successively smaller in size and have a nested relationship. The damper wall and damper stages are each flexibly attached to an adjacent damper stage or the damper wall such that the damper stages may deploy in a telescopic fashion away from the damper wall. The damper head is attached to a smallest damper stage. As a result, the damper stages change in position relative to the damper wall and relative to each other to absorb the kinetic energy of objects attached to the damper head and damper wall.

Claims

1. A motion damper, comprising:

a damper wall having a first end; and

at least two damper stages, each damper stage being flexibly attached to at least one adjacent damper stage, one of the damper stages being flexibly attached to the first end of the damper wall, wherein the damper wall and damper stages are of a successively smaller size.

2. The motion damper of claim 1, wherein upon the application of a force, at least one damper stage changes in position relative to an adjacent damper stage.

3. The motion damper of claim 1, wherein each damper stage is flexibly attached to an adjacent damper stage such that the damper stages upon the application of a force, telescopically extend away from the damper wall.

4. The motion damper of claim 1, wherein the damper stages are made from an energy absorbing material.

5. The motion damper of claim 4, wherein the energy absorbing material is plastic.

6. The motion damper of claim 4, wherein the energy absorbing material is metal.

7. The motion damper of claim 1, wherein at least one damper stage is sized to fit within an adjacent damper stage.

8. The motion damper of claim 1, wherein the damper wall and damper stages have a nested relationship prior to deployment.

9. The motion damper of claim 1, wherein the damper wall and damper stages are integrally formed.

10. The motion damper of claim 1, wherein the damper stages are single-acting damper stages.

11. A dampened actuator comprising:

a linear actuator having a fluid generator, an actuator wall, at least two piston stages, a piston head, and an interior chamber defined at least in part by the actuator wall and piston stages, each piston stage being flexibly attached to at least one adjacent piston stage, one of the piston stages being flexibly attached to the actuator wall and another piston stage being attached to the piston head, the actuator wall and the piston stages being of a successively smaller size, and the fluid generator being in fluid communication with the interior chamber; and

a motion damper having a damper wall, at least two damper stages, and a damper head, each damper stage being flexibly attached to at least one adjacent damper stage, one of the damper stages being flexibly attached to the damper wall and another damper stage being attached to the damper head, the damper wall and damper stages being of a successively smaller size, and the damper head being attached to the piston head.

12. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein upon the application of a force, at least one damper stage changes in position relative to an adjacent damper stage.

13. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein each damper stage is flexibly attached to an adjacent damper stage such that upon the application of a force, the damper stages telescopically extend away from the damper wall.

14. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein the damper stages are made from an energy absorbing material.

15. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein the piston stages deploy in response to activation of the fluid generator.

16. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein at least one damper stage is sized to fit within an adjacent damper stage.

17. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein the damper wall and damper stages have a nested relationship prior to deployment.

18. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein the linear actuator is a single-acting linear actuator.

19. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein the motion damper is a single-acting motion damper.

20. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein the damper wall, damper stages, and damper head are integrally formed.

21. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein the actuator wall, piston stages, and piston head are integrally formed.

22. A dampened actuator for use in a vehicle comprising:

a linear actuator having a fluid generator, an actuator wall, at least two piston stages, a piston head, and an interior chamber defined at least in part by the actuator wall and piston stages, each piston stage being flexibly attached to at least one adjacent piston stage, one of the piston stages being flexibly attached to the actuator wall and another piston stage being attached to the piston head, the actuator wall and piston stages being of a successively smaller size, the fluid generator being in fluid communication with the interior chamber, and the linear actuator being connected to a first part of a vehicle; and

a motion damper having a damper wall, at least two damper stages, and a damper head, each damper stage being flexibly attached to at least one adjacent damper stage, one of the damper stages being flexibly attached to the damper wall and another damper stage being attached to the damper head, the damper wall and damper stages being of a successively smaller size, the damper head being attached to the piston head, and the motion damper being connected to a second part of the vehicle.

23. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein upon the application of a force, at least one damper stage changes in position relative to an adjacent damper stage.

24. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein each damper stage is flexibly attached to an adjacent damper stage such that upon the application of a force, the damper stages telescopically extend away from the damper wall.

25. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein the piston stages deploy in response to activation of the fluid generator.

26. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein at least one damper stage is sized to fit within an adjacent damper stage.

27. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein the damper wall and damper stages have a nested relationship prior to deployment.

28. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein the motion damper is a single-acting motion damper.

29. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein the linear actuator is a single-acting linear actuator.

30. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein the linear actuator and motion damper are coaxial.

31. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein the first part of the vehicle is pivotally attached to the vehicle.

32. The dampened actuator of claim 31, wherein the first part of the vehicle is a seat.

33. The dampened actuator of claim 31, wherein the first part of the vehicle is a hood.

34. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein the damper wall, damper stages, and damper head are integrally formed.

35. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein the actuator wall, piston stages, and piston head are integrally formed.