Volume filling mechanical structures for modifying crash deceleration pulse

• US 6,877,795 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2004
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Johnson, Nancy L., Browne, Alan Lampe
• Primary Examiner(s): LYJAK, LORI LYNN
• Application Number:
  US10/794,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20040169398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 296/187.03, 296/189, 296/187.02, 293/133, 293/135, 293/137, 280/728.1
• US Class Current: 296/187.02
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/00 Wheel guards; Radiator guards, e.g. grilles; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions reinforcement elements for side doors B60J5/0412; mudguards B62D
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2019/007 Means for adjusting or regulating the crash absorption capacity of the vehicle, e.g. when detecting an impending collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/121 the members having a cellular, e.g. honeycomb, structure

Abstract

A mechanical, active crash pulse management structure for providing modification of crash pulse, wherein the structure has a dormant (initial) state volume, but then in the event of a crash, timely expands into a much larger deployed volume for providing management of an expectant crash energy. The preferred crash energy management structure is a before expansion honeycomb celled material brick, wherein expansion of the honeycomb brick is in a plane transverse to the cellular axis of the cells thereof, and crash crush is intended to be parallel to the cellular axis. In the event of a crash, either an active or passive activation mechanism is provided for causing expansion of honeycomb celled material.

Claims

1. A method for filling a volume with a mechanical structure for modifying crash deceleration of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

selectively retaining a mechanical structure in a dormant state where during the mechanical structure has a first volume; and

expanding the mechanical structure to a second volume, wherein said second volume is larger than said first volume.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of expanding is responsive to a crash.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing a crash, wherein said step of expanding is responsive to said step of sensing.

4. A motor vehicle equipped with a crash energy management structure, comprising:

a body; and

a crash energy management structure connected to said body, said crash energy management structure comprising;

a mechanical structure connected to said body, said mechanical structure being expandable from a first volume to a second volume, wherein said second volume is larger than said first volume; and

an activation mechanism regulating expansion of said mechanical structure from said first volume to said second volume.

5. The motor vehicle of claim 4, further comprising a crash sensor system connected to said activation system, wherein said activation system is triggered by said crash sensor system detecting a crash.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 4, wherein said mechanical structure comprises a honeycomb celled material.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 6, further comprising a crash sensor system connected to said activation system, wherein said activation system is triggered by said crash sensor system detecting a crash.

8. The motor vehicle of claim 4, wherein said mechanical structure comprises a spring steel coil.

9. The motor vehicle of claim 8, further comprising a crash sensor system connected to said activation system, wherein said activation system is triggered by said crash sensor system detecting a crash.

10. The motor vehicle of claim 4, wherein said mechanical structure comprises a V-brace.

11. The motor vehicle of claim 10, further comprising a crash sensor system connected to said activation system, wherein said activation system is triggered by said crash sensor system detecting a crash.

12. The motor vehicle of claim 4, wherein said mechanical structure comprises an accordion.

13. The motor vehicle of claim 12, further comprising a crash sensor system connected to said activation system, wherein said activation system is triggered by said crash sensor system detecting a crash.

14. A method for filling a volume with a mechanical structure for modifying crash deceleration of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

selectively retaining a mechanical structure in a dormant state where during the dormant state the mechanical structure has a first volume of expandable interconnected cells; and

expanding the mechanical structure to a second volume, wherein the second volume comprises an epansion of the expandable interconnected cells in a plane transverse to a cellular axis.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising impacting the crash management structure at about parallel to the cellular axis;

and absorbing impact energy.

16. A method for absorbing impact energy, comprising:

deploying a crash management structure from a compact state to an expanded state, wherein the crash management structure comprises a plurality interconnected expandable cells, wherein the expanded state comprises expansion of the expandable cells in a plane transverse to a cellular axis; and

impacting the crash management structure at about parallel to the cellular axis to absorb the impact energy.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein expanding the crash management structure is in response to or prior to an impact event.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising resetting the crash management structure from the expanded state to the compact state.

19. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a body; and

a crash management structure connected to the body, wherein the crash management structure comprises a plurality of interconnected expandable cells, wherein epansion of the plurality of expandable cells in a plane transverse to a cellular axis.

20. The motor vehicle of claim 19, wherein the crash management structure is about perpendicular to a crash axis.