Energy absorber
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An energy absorber comprising:
- a first housing having a first cavity and having a first arm extending generally radially therefrom;
a second housing disposed adjacent said first housing having a second cavity and having a second arm extending generally radially therefrom;
one of said first and second housings having a pair of spaced apart yoke portions including aligned, facing yoke cavities, the other of said housings being received intermediate said yoke portions;
a non-elastic deformable torsion member having axial portions thereof received in said first and second cavities;
means for preventing relative rotation between said torsion member and said first and second housings; and
,said torsion member being hollow and at least one of said first and second cavities including a partial filling portion closely received in the interior of said torsion member.
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Abstract
An energy absorber system utilizing a pair of housings having facing cavities and with a hollow deformable torsion member interconnecting the housings. One portion of the torsion member is received in the cavity of one housing and another portion of the torsion member is received in the cavity of the other housing. The housing cavities have cross-sectional conformations which receive the torsion member in such a manner that relative rotation therebetween is prevented. Rotation of one housing relative to the other deforms the torsion member elastically and/or plastically. Such deformation absorbs the energy of forces tending to rotate the housings.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An energy absorber comprising:
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a first housing having a first cavity and having a first arm extending generally radially therefrom; a second housing disposed adjacent said first housing having a second cavity and having a second arm extending generally radially therefrom; one of said first and second housings having a pair of spaced apart yoke portions including aligned, facing yoke cavities, the other of said housings being received intermediate said yoke portions; a non-elastic deformable torsion member having axial portions thereof received in said first and second cavities; means for preventing relative rotation between said torsion member and said first and second housings; and
,said torsion member being hollow and at least one of said first and second cavities including a partial filling portion closely received in the interior of said torsion member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An energy absorber comprising:
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a first housing; a second housing operatively disposed in adjacent, facing relation to said first housing; a deformable torsion member substantially completely received in said first and second housings and interconnecting said housings axially of each other; first means for retaining said torsion member in substantially fixed relation with said first housing; second means for retaining said torsion member in substantially fixed relation with said second housing; third means for retaining said first and second housings in fixed axial position relative to one another whereby relative rotation between said first and second housings requires torsional deformation of said torsion member; and
,rotational guide means for maintaining said housings in aligned, rotative relationship during imposition of torsional forces thereto. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An energy absorber comprising:
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a first housing having a first cavity; a second housing in axial abutting relation to said first housing, said second housing having a second cavity in facing, mating relation with said first cavity; means for retaining said first housing in substantially fixed axial relation relative to said second housing; and
,a torsion member having an axial length completely received in said housings, said torsion member including first and second opposed ends, said first end operatively received in said first cavity for substantially non-rotative relation therewith, said second end operatively received in said second cavity for substantially non-rotative relation therewith, rotation of said first housing relative to said second housing being opposed by said torsion member, and said torsion member ends remaining substantially fixed relative to said respective housings as said torsion member undergoes one of elastic and plastic deformation. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification