Motion damper

• US 7,182,191 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Parks, Brent, Scott, John, Macari, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Kramer; Devon
• Application Number:
  US10/701,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20040089988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 188/371, 188/372, 188/377, 267/122, 267/64.11, 267/64.28, 267/64.25, 267/64.23, 267/64.24
• US Class Current: 188/372
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/231 by hydraulic actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4214 longitudinal
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42745 of the back-rest B60N2/433 takes precedence; higher part of the back-rest moving together with the headrest B60N2/888
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/162 the hydraulic system itself
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; devices, apparatus or methods for life-saving in general A62B; safety devices for propulsion unit control specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles B60K28/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19; harnessing in aircraft B64D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/34 Protecting non-occupants of a vehicle, e.g. pedestrians B60R19/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/38 using means for lifting bonnets
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/10 the motor being of diaphragm type
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/16 of the telescopic type
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/19 Pyrotechnical actuators
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/123 Deformation involving a bending action, e.g. strap moving through multiple rollers, folding of members F16F7/125, F16F7/128 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/125 Units with a telescopic-like action as one member moves into, or out of a second member F16F7/124, F16F7/127, F16F7/128 take precedence

Abstract

The motion damper includes a damper wall, damper stages, and a damper head. The damper wall and damper stages are successively smaller in size and have a nested relationship. The damper wall and damper stages are each flexibly attached to an adjacent damper stage or the damper wall such that the damper stages may deploy in a telescopic fashion away from the damper wall. The damper head is attached to a smallest damper stage. As a result, the damper stages change in position relative to the damper wall and relative to each other to absorb the kinetic energy of objects attached to the damper head and damper wall.

Claims

1. A dampened actuator, comprising:

a first wall having a first end;

at least two first stages, each first stage being flexibly attached to at least one adjacent first stage, one of the first stages being flexibly attached to the first end of the first wall, wherein the first wall and first stages are of successively smaller size and wherein the first wall and first stages define an interior chamber;

a fluid generator in fluid communication with the interior chamber, wherein upon deployment of the fluid generator, at least one of the first stages expands such that at least one of the first stages is accelerated;

a second wall having a first end;

at least two second stages, each second stage being flexibly attached to at least one adjacent second stage, one of the second stages being flexibly attached to the first end of the second wall, wherein the second wall and second stages are of a successively smaller size, wherein the acceleration of the at least one of the first stages causes the inertial movement of the second wall and subsequently at least one of the second stages deploys to decelerate the inertial movement of the second wall, thereby controlling the direction and velocity of the dampened actuator.

2. The dampened actuator of claim 1, wherein upon the application of a force, at least one second stage changes in position relative to an adjacent second stage.

3. The dampened actuator of claim 1, wherein each second stage is flexibly attached to an adjacent second stage such that the second stages upon the application of a force, telescopically extend away from the second wall.

4. The dampened actuator of claim 1, wherein the second stages are made from an energy absorbing material.

5. The dampened actuator of claim 4, wherein the energy absorbing material is plastic.

6. The dampened actuator of claim 4, wherein the energy absorbing material is metal.

7. The dampened actuator of claim 1, wherein at least one second stage is sized to fit within an adjacent second stage.

8. The dampened actuator of claim 1, wherein the second wall and second stages have a nested relationship prior to deployment.

9. The dampened actuator of claim 1, wherein the second wall and second stages are integrally formed.

10. The dampened actuator of claim 1, wherein the second stages are single-acting second stages.

11. A dampened actuator comprising:

a first convoluted member having a fluid generator, a first wall, at least two first stages, a first head, and an interior chamber defined at least in part by the first wall and first stages, each first stage being flexibly attached to at least one adjacent first stage, one of the first stages being flexibly attached to the first wall and another first stage being attached to the first head, the first wall and the first stages being of a successively smaller size, and the fluid generator being in fluid communication with the interior chamber, wherein upon deployment of the fluid generator, the first convoluted member expands such that the first head is accelerated; and

a second convoluted member having a second wall, at least two second stages, and a second head, each second stage being flexibly attached to at least one adjacent second stage, one of the second stages being flexibly attached to the second wall and another second stage being attached to the second head, the second wall and second stages being of a successively smaller size, and the second head being attached to the first head, such that the first convoluted member and the second convoluted member are attached together in series, wherein the acceleration of the first convoluted member causes the inertial movement of the second convoluted member and subsequent expansion of the second convoluted member to decelerate the inertial movement of the second convoluted member, thereby controlling the direction and velocity of the dampened actuator.

12. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein upon the application of a force, at least one second stage changes in position relative to an adjacent second stage.

13. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein each second stage is flexibly attached to an adjacent second stage such that upon the application of a force, the second stages telescopically extend away from the second wall.

14. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein the second stages are made from an energy absorbing material.

15. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein the first stages deploy in response to activation of the fluid generator.

16. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein at least one second stage is sized to fit within an adjacent second stage.

17. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein the second wall and second stages have a nested relationship prior to deployment.

18. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein the first convoluted member is a single-acting convoluted member.

19. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein the second convoluted member is a single-acting convoluted member.

20. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein the second wall, second stages, and second head are integrally formed.

21. The dampened actuator of claim 11, wherein the first wall, first stages, and first head are integrally formed.

22. A dampened actuator for use in a vehicle comprising:

a first convoluted member having a fluid generator, a first wall, at least two first stages, a first head, and an interior chamber defined at least in part by the first wall and first stages, each first stage being flexibly attached to at least one adjacent first stage, one of the first stages being flexibly attached to the first wall and another first stage being attached to the first head, the first wall and first stages being of a successively smaller size, the fluid generator being in fluid communication with the interior chamber, and the first convoluted member being connected to a first part of a vehicle; and

a second convoluted member having a second wall, at least two second stages, and a second head, each second stage being flexibly attached to at least one adjacent second stage, one of the second stages being flexibly attached to the second wall and another second stage being attached to the second head, the second wall and second stages being of a successively smaller size, the second head being attached to the first head, such that the first convoluted member and the second convoluted member are attached together in series;

wherein upon deployment of the fluid generator, the first convoluted member expands such that the first head is accelerated; and

wherein the acceleration of the first convoluted member causes the inertial movement of the second convoluted member and subsequent expansion of the second convoluted member to decelerate the inertial movement of the second convoluted member, thereby controlling the direction and velocity of the dampened actuator, and the second convoluted member being connected to a second part of the vehicle.

23. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein upon the application of a force, at least one second stage changes in position relative to an adjacent second stage.

24. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein each second stage is flexibly attached to an adjacent second stage such that upon the application of a force, the second stages telescopically extend away from the second wall.

25. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein the first stages deploy in response to activation of the fluid generator.

26. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein at least one second stage is sized to fit within an adjacent second stage.

27. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein the second wall and second stages have a nested relationship prior to deployment.

28. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein the second convoluted member is a single-acting convoluted member.

29. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein the first convoluted member is a single-acting convoluted member.

30. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein the first convoluted member and second convoluted member are coaxial.

31. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein the first part of the vehicle is pivotally attached to the vehicle.

32. The dampened actuator of claim 31, wherein the first part of the vehicle is a seat.

33. The dampened actuator of claim 31, wherein the first part of the vehicle is a hood.

34. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein the second wall, second stages, and second head are integrally formed.

35. The dampened actuator of claim 22, wherein the first wall, first stages, and first head are integrally formed.