Shock absorbing member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9618074-B2
Application number	US-201314419268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2013
Priority date	Aug 3, 2012
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A tubular-shaped shock absorbing member arranged at a side end portion of a vehicle, includes outer and inner wall portions each extending in a vehicle height direction and a vehicle front-and-rear direction, the inner wall portion being arranged on a center portion side of the vehicle, an upper wall portion connected to upper end portions of the inner and outer wall portions, a lower wall portion connected to lower end portions of the inner and outer wall portions, and a horizontal rib connected to the inner and outer wall portions. A distance between the upper and lower wall portions is decreased as approaching from the inner wall portion side to the outer wall portion side. A thickness of a part of the horizontal rib connected to the outer wall portion, is larger than a thickness of a part of the horizontal rib connected to the inner wall portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A shock absorbing member to be arranged at a side end portion of a vehicle and formed into a tubular shape so as to extend in a vehicle front-and-rear direction, the shock absorbing member being deformable when a load is applied to a side portion of the vehicle, to thereby absorb shock caused by the load, the shock absorbing member comprising:
an outer wall portion formed so as to extend in a vehicle height direction and the vehicle front-and-rear direction, and configured to be subjected to the load;
an inner wall portion formed so as to extend in the vehicle height direction and the vehicle front-and-rear direction, and arranged on a center portion side of the vehicle in a vehicle width direction with respect to the outer wall portion so as to be opposed to the outer wall portion;
an upper wall portion connected to an upper end portion of the inner wall portion and an upper end portion of the outer wall portion;
a lower wall portion connected to a lower end portion of the inner wall portion and a lower end portion of the outer wall portion; and
a horizontal rib formed in a space surrounded by the outer wall portion, the inner wall portion, the upper wall portion, and the lower wall portion, and connected to the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion,
wherein a length of the outer wall portion in the vehicle height direction is set smaller than a length of the inner wall portion in the vehicle height direction,
wherein a distance in the vehicle height direction between the upper wall portion and the lower wall portion becomes smaller as approaching from the inner wall portion side to the outer wall portion side,
wherein a thickness of a part of the horizontal rib, which is connected to the outer wall portion side, is set larger than a thickness of a part of the horizontal rib, which is connected to the inner wall portion side,
wherein the horizontal rib is formed having a plurality of rib portions each having a constant thickness in the vehicle front-and-rear direction,
wherein the shock absorbing member is provided below a floor panel forming a floor of a vehicle cabin of the vehicle, and
wherein the shock absorbing member comprises a connection portion which is joined to the inner wall portion and the floor panel, and wherein the connection portion is formed into a plate so as to extend from an intermediate portion of the inner wall portion in the vehicle height direction to the center portion side in the vehicle width direction.

2. A shock absorbing member according to claim 1 , wherein the distance in the vehicle height direction between the upper wall portion and the lower wall portion becomes gradually smaller as approaching from the inner wall portion side to the outer wall portion side along the vehicle width direction.

3. A shock absorbing member according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of a part of the inner wall portion, which is positioned above the horizontal rib, is set larger than a thickness of a part of the inner wall portion, which is positioned below the horizontal rib.

4. A shock absorbing member according to claim 1 , further comprising a vertical rib formed so as to extend from the horizontal rib to the upper wall portion side and the lower wall portion side, and connected to the upper wall portion and the lower wall portion.

5. A shock absorbing member according to claim 4 , wherein the vertical rib is formed perpendicularly to the horizontal rib.

6. A shock absorbing member according to claim 4 ,
wherein the plurality of rib portions each having a constant thickness in the vehicle width direction have different thicknesses from each other are connected to each other in an ascending order from the inner wall portion side to the outer wall portion side in terms of the thicknesses of the plurality of rib portions, and
wherein the vertical rib is formed so as to extend to the upper wall portion side and the lower wall portion side from a boundary between adjacent rib portions among the plurality of rib portions, and is connected to the upper wall portion and the lower wall portion.

7. A shock absorbing member according to claim 4 , wherein the inner wall portion, the outer wall portion, the upper wall portion, the lower wall portion, the horizontal rib, and the vertical rib are formed integrally with each other.

8. A shock absorbing member according to claim 1 , wherein the connection portion extends from the horizontal rib and is in alignment with the horizontal rib.

Assignees

• Kaneko Takanobu
• Sakaguchi Naoya
• Kita Kiyoichi
• Obayashi Tamaki
• Matsui Kyosuke
• Aisin Seiki
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd
• Aisin Keikinzoku Kk

Inventors

• Kaneko Takanobu
• Sakaguchi Naoya
• Kita Kiyoichi
• Obayashi Tamaki
• Matsui Kyosuke

Classifications

• B60R19/18

  {characterised by the cross-section;} Means within the bumper to absorb impact · CPC title

• B62D25/2036

  the subunits being side panels, sills or pillars (B62D21/157 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16F7/121 Primary

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

• B60R2019/1806

  Structural beams therefor, e.g. shock-absorbing · CPC title

• B62D21/157 Primary

  for side impacts · CPC title