Measuring and testing – Testing by impact or shock – Accelerated or decelerated specimen
Patent
1995-12-20
1997-07-29
Chilcot, Richard
Measuring and testing
Testing by impact or shock
Accelerated or decelerated specimen
73 1201, 73 1207, G01M 700, G01N 308, G01N 330
Patent
active
056523750
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an apparatus for impact testing the mechanical performance of vehicle components, in particular the front load-bearing components of a vehicle body or structure, such as the front cross member, engine supporting frame and similar, but without involving total destruction of the vehicle.
The present invention also relates to a test method employing the above apparatus, and to a reusable, collapsible model-structure forming the main part of the apparatus, designed to receive the test component, and which, with the component on board, provides for standard impact testing by accurately simulating the dynamic performance of any existing front vehicle body assembly.
BACKGROUND ART
Before launching a new model on to the market, or whenever improvements or changes are made to the load-bearing components of existing models, all car manufacturers conduct "live" impact tests to determine the mechanical response of vehicle body and internal passenger compartment components to dynamic design stress. At present, these tests involve a good deal of expense in that simply determining the response of one component (e.g. the engine supporting frame, front cross member, bumper, seat guide, safety belt fasteners, etc.) involves the total destruction of vehicles identical to those for marketing. For, even though the deformation performance of the overall vehicle structure may be determined easily and cheaply by means of full-vehicle impact tests conducted for other purposes (e.g. passenger safety tests using a manikin), this is not sufficient for extrapolating the performance of individual components.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for "live" impact testing vehicle components, particularly single front vehicle body components, without requiring total destruction of the vehicle.
In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanical "model" structure for simulating, without damage, the impact performance of any front vehicle assembly, so as it may be reused in numerous tests, in order to be used in conjunction with the above apparatus for determining the resistance of vehicle body and internal passenger compartment components, providing for drastically reducing the cost of current test methods.
Finally, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a test method employing the above apparatus and wherein the above model-structure is used in lieu of the complete vehicle.
According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for impact testing vehicle components, characterized by the fact that it comprises a reusable trestle type model-structure designed, on impact, to switch from an extended to a collapsed configuration with the same dynamic performance as the front vehicle body assembly being simulated, the model-structure comprising a number of substantially rigid, load-bearing elements articulated by means of friction elements with an adjustable sliding torque; the apparatus also comprising means for supporting the model-structure; means for selectively calibrating the sliding torque of each friction element to a predetermined value above which the friction element permits relative rotation of the load-bearing elements connected by it, and hence collapse of the model-structure; and at least one actuator for restoring the model-structure, after impact, from the collapsed configuration to the same extended configuration prior to impact; the model-structure being designed, at least in the extended configuration, to receive at least one vehicle test component.
As opposed to using, and hence destroying, a high-cost production vehicle, the test apparatus according to the present invention thus provides for employing a low-cost model-structure which is in no way damaged during testing and may thus be reused for any number of tests.
The above apparatus is employed in a vehicle component impact test method, characterized by the fact that it comprises the following stages: per
REFERENCES:
patent: 3757562 (1973-09-01), Goldberg et al.
patent: 4524603 (1985-06-01), Hargunani et al.
patent: 4545236 (1985-10-01), Turczyn
patent: 5325700 (1994-07-01), Litten
patent: 5483845 (1996-01-01), Stein et al.
Chilcot Richard
Fiat Auto S.p.A.
Noori Max H.
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