MULTI-STAGE ENERGY ABSORBER AND METHOD OF MAKING AND USING THE SAME

• US 20130175128A1
• Filed: 01/05/2012
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SABIC Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Sabic Innovative Plastics IP BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Mana, Dinesh, Marks, Matthew Douglas, Kumar, Subramanian Muthu, Tremblay, Gregory Everett
• Application Number:
  US13/343,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20130175128A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 188/377
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/18 characterised by the cross-section; Means within the bumper to absorb impact
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2019/186 Additional energy absorbing means supported on bumber beams, e.g. cellular structures or material
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2019/1893 comprising a multiplicity of identical adjacent shock-absorbing means
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/12 using plastic deformation of members F16F9/30 takes precedence; yieldable means for mounting bumpers on vehicles B60R19/26; yieldable or collapsible steering columns B62D1/192

Abstract

In one embodiment, a multi-stage energy absorbing system can comprise: a base; and an energy absorber comprising elements, wherein the energy absorber elements comprise a pair of outer sidewalls having a narrow section with a narrow section angle and a wide section with a wide section angle, wherein the narrow section and the wide section are connected by a diverging section with a diverging section angle, wherein the diverging section angle is less than 90°; a connecting wall between the outer sidewalls; a pair of inner sidewalls; and an inner connecting wall, wherein the energy absorbing elements are in a nested arrangement creating an open area between adjacent sidewalls and adjacent connecting walls.

Claims

1. A multi-stage energy absorbing system, comprising:

a base; and

a plurality of energy absorbers, wherein each energy absorber individually comprises energy absorbing elements in a nested arrangement, wherein the energy absorbing elements comprise a pair of sidewalls and a connecting wall, wherein the sidewalls and the connecting wall of subsequent, adjacent energy absorbing elements are shorter creating a space between adjacent sidewalls and adjacent connecting walls.

2. The multi-stage energy absorbing system of claim 1, wherein a pair of outer sidewalls have a non-uniform thickness.

3. The multi-stage energy absorbing system of claim 1, comprising a material selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, polybutylene terephthalate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene;

polycarbonate/polybutylene terephthalate blends;

polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene blends;

copolycarbonate-polyesters;

acrylic-styrene-acrylonitrile;

acrylonitrile-(ethylene-polypropylene diamine modified)-styrene;

phenylene ether resins;

blends of polyphenylene ether/polyamide;

polyamides;

phenylene sulfide resins;

polyvinyl chloride;

high impact polystyrene;

low density polyethylene;

high density polyethylene;

polypropylene; and

combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing.

4. The multi-stage energy absorbing system of claim 3, comprising a blend of polybutylene terephthalate and polycarbonate.

5. The multi-stage energy absorbing system of claim 1, wherein the shape of the sidewalls is selected from the group consisting of straight, curved, parabolic, circular, cubic, brazier, bowed, corrugated, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing.

6. The multi-stage energy absorbing system of claim 1, wherein a packaging space of the system after crushing is less than or equal to 5 millimeters.

7. The multi-stage energy absorbing system of claim 1, wherein the system absorbs greater than or equal to 60% more energy than a single-stage energy absorber for an equivalent packaging space.

8. The multi-stage energy absorbing system of claim 1, the system absorbs greater than or equal to 70% more energy than a single-stage energy absorber for an equivalent packaging space.

9. A multi-stage energy absorbing system, comprising:

a base; and

an energy absorber comprising elements, wherein the energy absorber elements comprise

a pair of outer sidewalls having a narrow section with a narrow section angle and a wide section with a wide section angle, wherein the narrow section and the wide section are connected by a diverging section with a diverging section angle, wherein the diverging section angle is less than 90°

;

a connecting wall between the outer sidewalls;

a pair of inner sidewalls; and

an inner connecting wall, wherein the energy absorbing elements are in a nested arrangement creating an open area between adjacent sidewalls and adjacent connecting walls.

10. The multi-stage energy absorbing system of claim 9, wherein the diverging section angle is less than or equal to 45°

.

11. The multi-stage energy absorbing system of claim 9, wherein the sidewalls and/or connecting walls have a thickness that is less than or equal to 1.75 millimeters.

12. The multi-stage energy absorbing system of claim 9, wherein the sidewalls and/or connecting walls have a thickness that is less than or equal to 1.5 millimeters.

13. A method of making a multi-stage energy absorbing system, comprising:

extruding a base and an energy absorber, wherein the energy absorber comprises energy absorbing elements in a nested arrangement, wherein the energy absorbing elements comprise pairs of sidewalls and a connecting wall, wherein the sidewalls and the connecting wall of subsequent, adjacent energy absorbing elements are shorter creating a space between adjacent sidewalls and adjacent connecting walls.