Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-26
2001-01-09
Swann, J. J. (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S752000, C280S748000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170872
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a deformation element in a motor vehicle, especially for a dashboard, with at least one deformation body with a honeycomb cross section enclosing a cavity open on both sides, with the wall of said cross section being closed all the way around and being formed of two partial sections connected together and being deformable to absorb energy, and being subjected to impact in the vicinity of one honeycomb side of the cross section, with the partial sections overlapping in opposite connecting areas and thus forming a double layer.
A deformation element in a vehicle is described in DE-OS 2,104,388. This element has a honeycomb deformation body made of two partial sections overlapping in opposite connecting areas, thus forming a double layer. This reinforcing overlap is created in the lateral areas in which the deformation body is supposed to fold up, for which reason grooves are made in the material to facilitate bending, to overcome the reinforcing effect and allow deformation.
A deformation element for a knee impact protector is shown in the journal “AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING,” January 1997, page 139. The element there is formed of a plurality of hexagonal honeycomb aluminum elements abutting one another. The one-piece and cast form of the deformation element makes manufacturing expensive. The aluminum elements cannot be varied significantly in terms of their wall thickness, nor is it possible to produce a change that is easy to perform for a different application. Only an expensive material can be used for the special shape and deformability.
A hexagonal honeycomb deformation element that is solid and made in one piece is likewise shown in DE 40 03 952 Al. Moreover, EP 0 676 315 Al describes an impact structure in a motor vehicle in which two shaped panels enclose a cavity with a hexagonal cross section and are joined together at the sides. This double-layered structure has no effect on the deformability of the deformation body formed at the sides.
An object of the present invention is to provide a deformation element which is readily manufactured and can be economically adapted to a variety of applications.
This object has been achieved by using a connecting area to form the honeycomb side subjected to impact.
A deformation element with a deformation body of this type is composed of a honeycomb wall around a hollow chamber which is open on both sides and which is subjected to impact in the vicinity of one honeycomb side of the cross section. This arrangement makes possible energy absorption of the hexagonal honeycomb wall favorable to an occupant striking it by deformation.
This wall can convert the force of the received impact into deformation in both of the lateral abutting legs of one side of the honeycomb, which is mounted as vertically as possible with respect to the direction of stress, with the force remaining approximately constant over the deformation distance in a dynamic impact.
The honeycomb deformation body in its fully deformed state has a small overall length so that the installation space can be used approximately as the deformation distance. The direction in which the force is applied does not play an important role in the possible deformation of the deformation body. Rounded corners and sides of the deformation body which are indented toward the center contribute to this wall not bending but being continuously deformed.
Manufacture of the hexagonal honeycomb deformation from at least two partial sections joined to one another is very much simpler and more economical than making this expensive shape in one piece. Thus every partial section can be made from steel, for example by stamping or bending. The partial sections can be connected using conventional welding processes or point-fastening means.
The fact that the deformation body is made of several parts also offers the considerable advantage that its design can be varied in a simple manner, and thus can be adapted to conditions in a specific vehicle inexpensively. The shapes of the partial sections can differ from one another or their material thicknesses can differ, so that a different deformation behavior is achieved.
The overlapping parts of the partial sections, at the areas where they abut one another, can be used to control deformation behavior because of the double layer produced in these areas, and can also form the honeycomb side subjected to impact.
In addition, the cross-sectional depth of a honeycomb half close to the impact can be configured to be less than that of the honeycomb half more remote from the impact, so that the honeycomb half close to the impact, is bent and fits completely in the honeycomb half remote from the impact. Thereby, a long displacement path for the dashboard and/or the knee impact protector is. made available because the residual overall or block length is small.
During this stamping or bending process, a retaining rib can be cut out of a wall of the deformation body and bent in one workstep, e.g. for fastening the dashboard.
In order to further increase the energy absorption for extreme loads, the deformation body can be supported on the vehicle by at least one lever-type mount which is likewise made deliberately capable of being deformed. The mount offers a higher resistance to deformation than the deformation body. The mount can be connected with the deformation body, offset from the middle of the wall, so that the introduction of force into the mount results in its bending.
Another way to achieve an increase in the deformation resistance of the deformation element is to mount a plurality of deformation bodies in a row in the impact direction and fasten them to one another. The circumference of the deformation the body or bodies located in a row in the impact direction is reduced so that the deformation resistance can be steadily increased. Increasing the width of the honeycomb deformation body also results in a higher deformation resistance.
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patent: 2 104 388 (1972-08-01), None
patent: 40 03 952 A1 (1991-08-01), None
patent: 0 676 315 A1 (1995-10-01), None
patent: 405238338 (1993-09-01), None
Automotive Engineering, Jan. 1997, 3 pages.
Bair Juergen
Bauer Georg
Bossenmaier Alban
Holzapfel Bernhard
Reiter Friedrich
Daimler-Chrysler AG
Evenson, McKeown, Edwards & Lenahan P.L.L.C.
McClellan James S.
Swann J. J.
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