VEHICLE ENERGY-ABSORBING DEVICE

• US 20170355332A1
• Filed: 12/12/2016
• Published: 12/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Pingston, Stephen Noel, Bhattacharjee, Sudip Sankar, Shenaq, Mohammed, Rethinam, Ray Hari Manala
• Granted Patent: US 10,000,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/18 characterised by the cross-section; Means within the bumper to absorb impact
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/44 Bumper guards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2019/1846 comprising a cellular structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2019/1893 comprising a multiplicity of identical adjacent shock-absorbing means

Abstract

An energy-absorbing device includes a beam having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of lobes attached to and positioned sequentially along the beam. The lobes are spaced from each other, deformable relative to the beam, and configured to contact adjacent lobes when deformed. The size and spacing of the lobes is such that if a single lobe is deformed, the lobe will not contact adjacent lobes, but if adjacent lobes are deformed, the lobes will contact each other.

Claims

1. An energy-absorbing device comprising:

a beam; and

a plurality of lobes attached to and positioned sequentially along the beam;

wherein the lobes are spaced from each other and deformable relative to the beam, and wherein adjacent ones of the lobes are configured to contact each other when both adjacent ones of the lobes are deformed.

2. The energy-absorbing device of claim 1, wherein each lobe extends from the beam transverse to a longitudinal axis of the beam.

3. The energy-absorbing device of claim 1, wherein each lobe has a first end, a second end, a bore extending through the first and second ends, and a side extending from the first end to the second end and surrounding the bore, wherein the side of each lobe is fixed to the beam.

4. The energy-absorbing device of claim 3, wherein the bores each have a bore axis spaced from a longitudinal axis of the beam.

5. The energy-absorbing device of claim 4, wherein the bore axes are generally parallel to each other.

6. The energy-absorbing device of claim 4, wherein the bore axes are generally vertical, and the longitudinal axis of the beam is generally horizontal.

7. The energy-absorbing device of claim 1, wherein each lobe is deformable from an initial position to a deformed position, wherein adjacent ones of the lobes are spaced from each other when at least one of the adjacent ones of the lobes is in the initial position.

8. The energy-absorbing device of claim 7, wherein adjacent ones of the lobes contact each other when both of the adjacent ones of the lobes are in the deformed position.

9. The energy-absorbing device of claim 1, wherein the lobes are tubular.

10. The energy-absorbing device of claim 9, further comprising a gap between adjacent lobes, wherein each gap has a width that is greater than one fourth of a perimeter of each lobe adjacent the gap.

11. The energy-absorbing device of claim 10, wherein each gap has a width that is less than one fourth the combined perimeters of the lobes adjacent the gap minus one half the combined widths of the lobes adjacent the gap in the longitudinal axis.

12. The energy-absorbing device of claim 9, wherein each lobe has a hexagonal cross-sectional shape.

13. The energy-absorbing device of claim 1, further comprising a strip fixed relative to the beam, the strip having a plurality of corrugations forming the lobes.

14. The energy-absorbing device of claim 13, wherein the corrugations each have a corrugation axis spaced from a longitudinal axis of the beam, and the corrugation axes are generally parallel to each other.

15. A bumper assembly comprising:

a bumper beam;

a fascia spaced from the bumper beam; and

an energy-absorbing device supported by at least one of the bumper beam and the fascia between the bumper beam and the fascia;

the energy-absorbing device including a beam and a plurality of lobes attached to and positioned sequentially along the beam, the lobes being deformable relative to the beam, and adjacent ones of the lobes are configured to contact each other when both adjacent ones of the lobes are deformed.

16. The bumper assembly of claim 15, wherein the beam is connected to the bumper beam.

17. The bumper assembly of claim 15, wherein the lobes are spaced from each other along the beam.

18. The bumper assembly of claim 15, wherein each lobe extends from the beam transverse to a longitudinal axis of the beam.

19. The bumper assembly of claim 15, wherein each lobe of the plurality of lobes is configured to deform without contacting a first adjacent lobe when contacted only by a second adjacent lobe.

20. The bumper assembly of claim 19, wherein each lobe is deformable from an initial position to a deformed position, wherein adjacent ones of the lobes are spaced from each other when at least one of the adjacent ones of the lobes is in the initial position.