Crash box

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10065588-B2
Application number	US-201615284722-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2016
Priority date	Oct 6, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a crash box having a plurality of hollow chambers which extend over the longitudinal extent of the crash box, a first hollow chamber being arranged offset in terms of height with respect to a second hollow chamber and a third hollow chamber in the mounted position. Here, the first hollow chamber is separated by means of a dividing wall from the second and third hollow chambers which are preferably arranged next to one another above or below the first hollow chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A crash box having a plurality of hollow chambers which extend over the longitudinal extent of the crash box, a first hollow chamber being arranged offset in terms of height with respect to a second hollow chamber and a third hollow chamber in the mounted position, wherein the first hollow chamber is separated by means of a dividing wall from the second and third hollow chambers which are arranged above or below the first hollow chamber, and the first hollow chamber extends from an inner side to an outer side of the crash box.

2. The crash box as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the dividing wall is of continuous configuration and connects the inner side to the outer side of the crash box.

3. The crash box as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the two hollow chambers which are configured offset in terms of height with respect to the first hollow chamber are separated from one another by means of a further dividing wall, the dividing further wall preferably being of continuous configuration and connecting the dividing wall which separates the first hollow chamber from the two hollow chambers which are configured offset in terms of height with respect to the first hollow chamber to a boundary wall, preferably an upper side of the crash box.

4. The crash box as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cross section of the crash box is of substantially rectangular configuration perpendicularly with respect to its longitudinal extent.

5. The crash box as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in the cross section of the crash box, the two hollow chambers which are configured offset in terms of height with respect to the first hollow chamber are arranged substantially mirror-symmetrically with respect to one another, a center axis of the dividing wall which separates the two hollow chambers which are configured offset in terms of height with respect to the first hollow chamber being configured as a mirror axis.

6. The crash box as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an outer wall of the first hollow chamber has a thickness which is greater than the thickness of the outer wall of the two hollow chambers which are configured offset in terms of height with respect to the first hollow chamber, and/or the thickness of the dividing walls, the thickness of the outer wall of the first hollow chamber preferably lying between 3 mm and 5 mm, and the thickness of the outer wall of the two hollow chambers which are configured offset in terms of height with respect to the first hollow chamber and the thickness of the dividing walls preferably lying between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm.

7. The crash box as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a connecting flange can be arranged at the one end of the crash box in order to arrange the crash box on a motor vehicle or a longitudinal carrier of a motor vehicle.

8. The crash box as claimed in claim 1 , wherein it is triggered by way of at least one preferably hole-shaped recess, preferably in at least one corner of the end regions.

9. The crash box as claimed in claim 1 , wherein it is formed from aluminum or aluminum alloy, in particular is configured as an extruded profile, and preferably has a yield strength which lies between 50 MPa and 200 MPa.

10. An energy absorption structure for a motor vehicle having a crossmember, on the outer regions of which in each case one crash box as claimed in claim 1 is arranged.

11. The energy absorption structure as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the crossmember projects at least in sections with at least one bumper barrier beyond the crash box in a manner which is offset in terms of height.

12. A motor vehicle comprising:
at least one energy absorption structure having a crossmember, wherein at least two crash boxes are connected to the crossmember, wherein the crash boxes each include a plurality of hollow chambers which extend over the longitudinal extent of the crash box, a first hollow chamber being arranged offset in terms of height with respect to a second hollow chamber and a third hollow chamber in the mounted position, wherein the first hollow chamber is separated by means of a dividing wall from the second and third hollow chambers which are arranged above or below the first hollow chamber, and a width of the first hollow chamber is distinct from a width of the second hollow chamber and is distinct from a width of the third hollow chamber.

13. The crash box as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a width of the first hollow chamber from the inner side to the outer side of the crash box is distinct from a width of the second hollow chamber and is distinct from a width of the third hollow chamber.

14. The crash box as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
an outer wall having a length extending between a first end and a second end, the outer wall having a width extending between the inner side and the opposing outer side;
wherein the first hollow chamber is at least partially defined by the outer wall, the first hollow chamber having a width extending from the inner side to the outer side;
wherein the second hollow chamber is at least partially defined by the outer wall, the second hollow chamber having a width that is distinct from the width of the first hollow chamber;
wherein the third hollow chamber is at least partially defined by the outer wall, the third hollow chamber having a width that is distinct from the width of the first hollow chamber; and
wherein the dividing wall extends between the inner side and the outer side, wherein the dividing wall at least partially defines the first hollow chamber, at least partially defines the second hollow chamber, and at least partially defines the third hollow chamber.

15. The crash box of claim 14 , further comprising:
a second dividing wall extending between the dividing wall and the outer wall, wherein the second dividing wall at least partially defines the second hollow chamber and at least partially defines the third hollow chamber.

16. The crash box of claim 14 , wherein, in a cross section of the crash box, the first hollow chamber is arranged substantially mirror-symmetrically with respect to the second and third hollow chambers about a plane extending through the dividing wall.

17. The crash box of claim 16 , wherein, in the cross section of the crash box, the second hollow chamber is arranged substantially mirror-symmetrically with respect to the third hollow chamber about a plane extending through the second dividing wall.

Assignees

• Benteler Automobiltechnik Gmbh

Inventors

• Schiller Andreas
• Handing Christian

Classifications

• B62D21/02

  comprising longitudinally or transversely arranged frame members · CPC title

• F16F7/121

  the members having a cellular, e.g. honeycomb, structure · CPC title

• B60R19/34 Primary

  destroyed upon impact, e.g. one-shot type · CPC title

• F16F7/003

  One-shot shock absorbers (using plastic deformation of members, e.g. using sacrificial, fibre-reinforced composite members F16F7/12) · CPC title

• B62D29/008

  predominantly of light alloys, e.g. extruded · CPC title