IMPACT ABSORBING UNIT FOR A VEHICLE

• US 20140305757A1
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Okuda, Nobuhisa
• Granted Patent: US 9,243,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 188/371
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/03 characterised by material, e.g. composite B60R19/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/34 destroyed upon impact, e.g. one-shot type
• 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

An impact absorbing unit for a vehicle which is subjected to an axial compressive force from the impact in the event of a traffic collision, which includes a columnar piece of wood and a metallic housing covering lateral faces of the piece of wood. The housing has an uneven configuration formed in an outer surface or an inner surface, and the housing bulges outwards when subjected to an axial compressive force.

Claims

1. An impact absorbing unit for a vehicle which is subjected to an axial compressive force from an impact in the event of a collision, comprising:

a columnar piece of wood having an axis that extends along a grain direction; and

a metallic housing covering lateral faces of the piece of wood, wherein the metallic housing has an uneven configuration formed in an outer surface or an inner surface of the metallic housing, wherein the uneven configuration extends from a first end to a second end of the housing parallel to the axis of the piece of wood and wherein when it is subjected to an axial compressive force, the housing bulges outwards as viewed in a cross-section perpendicular to the axis of the piece of wood.

2. The impact absorbing unit for a vehicle according to claim 1, the uneven configuration comprising a plurality of concavities formed in the outer surface of the metallic housing, wherein the uneven configuration is arranged over the entire outer surface.

4. The impact absorbing unit for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the concavities are grooves that form stripes parallel to the axis of the piece of wood.

5. The impact absorbing unit for a vehicle according to claim 1, the piece of wood being shaped in a square column, and the uneven configuration comprising ribs protruding at right angles from at least a pair of opposite walls, wherein the ribs extends the entire length of the housing along the axis of the piece of wood.

6. The impact absorbing unit for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the ribs have a protrusion height to thickness ratio within a range of 5:

1 to 20;

1.

7. The impact absorbing unit for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the piece of wood and the housing have a gap therebetween.

8. The impact absorbing unit for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the ribs extend outwards from the walls of the housing.

9. The impact absorbing unit for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the ribs extend inwards from the walls of the housing.

3. (canceled)