Energy absorbing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11052848-B2
Application number	US-201715490977-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2017
Priority date	Apr 19, 2017
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

An energy absorbing device includes a deformable elongate member that is arranged such that the device, in use, deforms in a controlled manner upon the absorption of impact energy. The invention also provides a chassis and a vehicle incorporating the energy absorbing device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An energy absorbing device comprising a plurality of deformable elongate members shaped to absorb impact energy; and a container formed to control the absorption of impact energy by the plurality of deformable elongate members, each of the plurality of deformable elongate members having a length along an axial direction and a thickness, and the container having a length and a thickness, wherein at least one of the deformable elongate members has a different length than a length of another one of the deformable elongate members, wherein the deformable elongate members are packed parallel with each other, and wherein radial deformation of the deformable elongate members causes interaction with adjacent deformable elongate members which acts as a constraint to further deformation of the deformable elongate members in the direction transverse to the axial direction of the deformable elongate members, wherein the plurality of deformable elongate members are of variable thicknesses, and wherein the plurality of deformable elongate members are shaped to form a gradient of 15 degrees with respect to a maximum length of the container.

2. An energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the plurality of deformable elongate members are of variable lengths.

3. An energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the variable lengths of the plurality of deformable elongate members are within a range of 40% to 80% of the length of the container.

4. An energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the plurality of deformable elongate members are comprised of at least a high ductile and high strength material.

5. An energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the container has a 0.2% yield strength of greater than or equal to 600 Mpa.

6. An energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the container has a 0.2% yield strength of greater than or equal to 900 Mpa.

7. An energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the container has a percent elongation greater than or equal to 20%.

8. An energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the container has a percent elongation greater than or equal to 30%.

9. An energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the container is comprised of at least a high ductile and high strength material.

10. An energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the container is comprised of at least one of a polymer, an aluminium alloy and a magnesium alloy.

11. An energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein strength and ductility properties of the container are enhanced by at least one of a chemical process and a physical process.

12. An energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the at least one of a chemical process and physical process includes at least one of a mechanical treatment, laser sintering, a temperature treatment, a pH changing treatment, solvent swelling, a magnetic technique, and the application of any one of electric current, light, and chemicals to induce oxidation.

13. An energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of deformable elongate members is hollow.

14. An energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the thickness of each of the plurality of deformable elongate members is half the thickness of the container.

15. An energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the container has a transverse cross-section which is one of a polygon shape, an orbicular shape, a triangular shape, a frustum shape and a parallelogram shape.

16. An energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a first fastening plate and a second fastening plate, the plates being attached to a first end and a second end of the container, respectively.

17. An energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 16 , wherein at least one of the first fastening plate and the second fastening plate has a thickness 1.5-2.5 times greater than the thickness of the container.

18. An energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 16 , wherein at least one of the first fastening plate and the second fastening plate includes cut-outs.

19. A chassis for a vehicle including the energy absorbing device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the energy absorbing device is mounted between a bumper and a longitudinal rail of a vehicle.

20. A vehicle including the chassis in accordance with claim 19 .

Assignees

• Univ City Hong Kong

Inventors

• Lu Jian
• Gao Yuan
• Tang Tao
• Yao Lu

Classifications

• B60R19/03

  characterised by material, e.g. composite (B60R19/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R19/34 Primary

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