Impact damper assembly for an automobile

• US 7,192,067 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2005
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Hansen, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan; D. Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLANKENSHIP, GREGORY A
• Application Number:
  US11/190,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20060022473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 293120-122, 293/132, 293/133, 293/155, 188/371, 188/374, 188/376, 188/377, 296/187.03, 296/187.09, 296/187.11
• US Class Current: 293/133
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/34 destroyed upon impact, e.g. one-shot type
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0009 Oblique collision

Abstract

Impact damper assembly for an automobile, in particular for supporting a bumper 5 on an automobile chassis, with an inner tube 2 movably arranged in an outer tube 3, wherein both tubes 2, 3 have an approximately mutually parallel taper 16, 19, wherein the taper 19 of the inner tube 2 is encompassed by the taper 16 of the outer tube 3, and wherein at least one of the two tubes 2, 3 can be deformed during the movement by the taper 16, 19 of the two tubes. The invention is characterized in that the impact damper assembly includes an additional deformable stiffening element 22.

Claims

1. An impact damper assembly for an automobile, for supporting a bumper on an automobile chassis, comprising:

an inner tube movably arranged in an outer tube, and

a deformable stiffening element arranged between the inner tube and the outer tube and being indirectly or directly connected with the inner tube and the outer tube,

wherein the inner tube and the outer tube have a mutually approximately parallel taper, with the taper of the inner tube being encompassed by the taper of the outer tube, and

wherein at least one of the inner tube and the outer tube can be deformed during the movement by the taper of the inner tube and the outer tube.

2. An impact damper assembly for an automobile, for supporting a bumper on an automobile chassis, comprising

an inner tube movably arranged in an outer tube, each of the inner tube and outer tube having a mutually approximately parallel taper, with the taper of the inner tube being encompassed by the taper of the outer tube, wherein at least one of the inner tube and the outer tube can be deformed during movement of the tubes by the taper, and

a deformable stiffening element having a conical shape and surrounding at least the inner tube or the outer tube.

3. An impact damper assembly for an automobile, for supporting a bumper on an automobile chassis, comprising

an inner tube movably arranged in an outer tube, each of the inner tube and outer tube having a mutually approximately parallel taper, with the taper of the inner tube being encompassed by the taper of the outer tube, wherein at least one of the inner tube and the outer tube can be deformed during movement of the tubes by the taper, and

a deformable stiffining element supported on a mounting flange, wherein the mounting flange receives the outer tube in a recess and can be connected with a chassis component.

4. The impact damper assembly for an automobile according to claim 3, wherein the chassis component is a longitudinal chassis beam.

5. The impact damper assembly for an automobile according to claim 3, wherein the outer tube has a radially outwardly projecting collar, which is arranged at an edge of the recess on the mounting flange.

6. The impact damper assembly for an automobile according to claim 5, wherein the outer tube is connected to the mounting flange between the mounting flange and the collar formed on the outer tube by a welded connection.

7. The impact damper assembly for an automobile according to claim 5, wherein the outer tube includes a rated break point, so that the outer tube can be separated from the mounting flange.

8. The impact damper assembly for an automobile according to claim 3, wherein a gap is formed between the inner tube and the outer tube at least in a region of the recess.

9. An impact damper assembly for an automobile, for supporting a bumper on an automobile chassis, comprising

an inner tube movably arranged in an outer tube, each of the inner tube and outer tube having a mutually approximately parallel taper, with the taper of the inner tube being encompassed by the taper of the outer tube, wherein at least one of the inner tube and the outer tube can be deformed during movement of the tubes by the taper, and

a deformable stiffening element comprising at least one reinforcing fin.

10. The impact damper assembly for an automobile according to claim 9, wherein the at least one reinforcing fin is elongated or elliptical, wherein a direction of the longer dimension of the reinforcing fin is oriented essentially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of at least one of the inner tube and the outer tube.

11. An impact damper assembly for an automobile, for supporting a bumper on an automobile chassis, comprising

an inner tube movably arranged in an outer tube, each of the inner tube and outer tube having a mutually approximately parallel taper, with the taper of the inner tube being encompassed by the taper of the outer tube, wherein at least one of the inner tube and the outer tube can be deformed during movement of the tubes by the taper,

a deformable stiffening element, and

a sliding element arranged between the inner tube and the outer tube at least in a region of the taper of the inner tube.

12. An impact damper assembly for an automobile, for supporting a bumper on an automobile chassis, comprising

an inner tube movably arranged in an outer tube, each of the inner tube and outer tube having a mutually approximately parallel taper, with the taper of the inner tube being encompassed by the taper of the outer tube, wherein at least one of the inner tube and the outer tube can be deformed during movement of the tubes by the taper, and

a deformable stiffening element,

wherein an inside wall of the outer tube and an outside wall of the inner tube abut each other in a region at an end of the outer tube that faces away from the bumper.