Energy absorber and bumper structural body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016264083-A1
Application number	US-201615064414-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 8, 2016
Priority date	Mar 10, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An energy absorber includes a main body of a closed cross-sectional structure formed by injection-molding a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic and having a weld line formed thereon. The main body has openings defined in opposite ends thereof, each of the openings being of a polygonal shape. The weld line is formed on a side surface of the main body. A tilt angle of the weld line is set to a value in a range from −35° to 35° with respect to a reference line interconnecting midpoints on opposite sides of the side surface that are located at the opposite ends of the main body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An energy absorber including a main body of a closed cross-sectional structure formed by injection-molding a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic, the energy absorber having a weld line formed thereon, wherein:
the main body has openings defined in opposite ends thereof, each of the openings being of a polygonal shape; and the weld line is formed on a side surface of the main body, and a tilt angle of the weld line is set to a value in a range from −35° to 35° with respect to a reference line interconnecting midpoints on opposite sides of the side surface that are located at the opposite ends of the main body.

2 . The energy absorber according to claim 1 , wherein the main body includes at least a portion having a horizontal cross section, the horizontal cross section having a first side and a second side adjacent to the first side, the first side has a thickness t and a length b, the thickness t and the length b having a relationship of t/b≧0.045, and the first side and the second side form therebetween an angle equal to or smaller than 150°.

3 . The energy absorber according to claim 1 , wherein the tilt angle is 0°.

4 . The energy absorber according to claim 1 , wherein either one of the opposite ends of the main body is attached to a bumper beam.

5 . An energy absorber including a main body of a closed cross-sectional structure formed by injection-molding a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic, the energy absorber having a weld line formed thereon, wherein:
the main body has openings defined in opposite ends thereof, each of the openings being of a circular shape; and a tilt angle of the weld line is set to a value in a range from −35° to 35° with respect to a reference line extending along an axial direction of the main body.

6 . The energy absorber according to claim 5 , wherein the tilt angle is 0°.

7 . The energy absorber according to claim 5 , wherein either one of the opposite ends of the main body is attached to a bumper beam.

8 . A bumper structural body including a bumper beam extending along a transverse direction of a vehicle body and an energy absorber having a main body of a closed cross-sectional structure formed by injection-molding a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic, the energy absorber having a weld line formed thereon, the energy absorber being mounted on the bumper beam, the main body extending along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, wherein:
the weld line has an end and another end disposed respectively on a front end and a rear end of the energy absorber in the longitudinal direction; and a tilt angle of a layout line with respect to a first imaginary line is equal to or less than 30°, wherein: the first imaginary line is defined as an imaginary line that passes through a first midpoint which is a midpoint between upper and lower ends, in a vertical direction of the vehicle body, of an opening defined in a front end of the main body which faces the bumper beam, and extends along a direction in which the bumper beam extends: the layout line is defined as an imaginary line that passes through an intersection between the first imaginary line and a second imaginary line, and through the end of the weld line; and the second imaginary line is defined as an imaginary line that passes through a second midpoint which is a midpoint between an end and another end of the opening in the direction in which the bumper beam extends, and extends along the vertical direction of the vehicle body.

9 . The bumper structural body according to claim 8 , wherein the layout line extends along the direction in which the bumper beam extends.

10 . The bumper structural body according to claim 8 , wherein the weld line extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ishitsuka Yuji

Classifications

• B60R19/34 Primary

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

• B60R19/03

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

• B60R2019/247

  Fastening of bumpers' side ends · CPC title