Shock absorbing member for car body

• US 5,033,593 A
• Filed: 12/15/1989
• Issued: 07/23/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tube Forming Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Kokan KAKO C0 Limited, Mitsui & Company Limited
• Inventors: Kazuhito, Fukazawa
• Primary Examiner(s): HALVOSA, GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US07/449,418
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 188/371, 188/372, 188/377, 293/133, 296/188, 296/189, 428/119, 428/120, 428/182, 52/729, 52/795, 52/799, 52/814
• US Class Current: 188/377
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0443 Beams
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0444 characterised by a special cross section
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24174 including sheet or component perpendicular to plane of web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24694 Parallel corrugations

Abstract

This invention relates to a reinforcement member to be mounted internally in the doors of an automobile, and more particularly to the member comprising two parallel flat members and one or two corrugated members which connect said two parallel members in such a manner as to position the ridges of folds thereof perpendicular to the surfaces of the plate members. The reinforcement member is mounted internally in car doors. When the car receives an impact from the side of the door, the corrugated surfaces of the member can distribute the impact evenly by deforming themselves into a fan-like shape to thereby prevent the door from being abruptly folded at one point.

Claims

1. A reinforcing member for resisting an impact against a car body, comprising an integral one-piece box-like shaped member which resists the impact and which includes

a pair of parallel opposing spaced apart corrugated metal plate portions, and

a pair of parallel opposing spaced apart flat metal plate portions for receiving the impact, extending perpendicularly to said corrugated metal plate portions so as to join opposing edges of said corrugated metal plate portions,

said box-like shaped member being formed without seams between the corrugated metal plate portions and the flat metal plate portions, wherein the corrugated metal plate portions have ridges extending perpendicularly to said flat metal plate portions.

4. A reinforcing member as in claim 1, wherein said corrugated metal plate portions include corrugations which have opposite ends joining opposite edges of said flat metal plate portions.

5. A reinforcing member as in claim 1, wherein the ridges of said corrugated metal plate portions have an inter-ridge interval which is substantially less than a distance between said corrugated metal plate portions.

6. A reinforcing member as in claim 1, wherein the corrugations of said corrugated metal plate portions have an amplitude which is substantially less than a distance between said corrugated metal plate portions.

7. A reinforcing member as in claim 1, wherein the ridges of said corrugated metal plate portions have an inter-ridge interval which is substantially less than a width of said corrugated metal plate portions.

8. A reinforcing member as in claim 1, wherein the ridges of said corrugated metal plate portions have an inter-ridge interval which is a small proportion of a distance between said corrugated metal plate portions.

9. A reinforcing member as in claim 1, wherein the corrugations of said corrugated metal plate portions have an amplitude which is a small proportion of a distance between said corrugated metal plate portions.

10. A reinforcing member as in claim 1, wherein the ridges of said corrugated metal plate portions have an inter-ridge interval which is a small proportion of a width of said corrugated metal plate portions.

2. A reinforcing member for resisting an impact against a car body, comprising an integral box-like shaped member which resists the impact and which includes

a pair of parallel opposing spaced apart corrugated metal plate portions, and

a pair of parallel opposing spaced apart flat metal plate portions for receiving the impact, extending perpendicularly to said corrugated metal plate portions so as to join opposing edges of said corrugated metal plate portions,

said box-like shaped member being formed from a single one-piece square metal tube by bulging a pair of opposite sides thereof into a corrugated shape without seams between the corrugated metal plate portions and the flat metal plate portions, wherein the corrugated metal plate portions have ridges extending perpendicularly to said flat metal plate portions.

3. A reinforcing member as in claim 2, wherein the metal plate portions have a thickness of 0.8 mm, outer surfaces of the corrugated opposite sides are spaced by 20 mm, each of the sides of corrugated shape have a width of 27 mm, the corrugations of the corrugated sides have an amplitude of 3 mm, and the corrugations are spaced by an interval of 6.3 mm.