Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Composite prefabricated panel including adjunctive means – Sandwich or hollow with sheet-like facing members
Patent
1982-08-09
1985-10-08
Murtagh, John E.
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Composite prefabricated panel including adjunctive means
Sandwich or hollow with sheet-like facing members
280784, 296189, 52728, B62D 2100, E04C 232
Patent
active
045451729
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
This invention relates to energy absorbing structures.
Energy absorbing structures are used in assemblies which are susceptible to impact loads to control the amount of damage suffered by the assembly or to protect the occupants or contents thereof. For example energy absorbing structures are incorporated in motor vehicles to absorb impact energy and thereby reduce the risk of injury to passengers; in containers for cargo to protect the cargo from damage by impact loads; and in air landing pallets to absorb ground impact loads when the pallet has been dropped from an aircraft, thereby protecting the load carried by the pallet.
In a paper presented by Porsche at the 8th International Technical Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles in Wolfsburg in October 1980 there is disclosed a vehicle body panel supporting a front road wheel suspension assembly and incorporating two plane parallel tubes arranged longitudinally of the vehicle. The tubes collapse under longitudinal impact loads thereby absorbing the energy of the impact load and reducing the amount of damage suffered by the rest of the vehicle.
We have observed that in energy absorbing structures which include a wall which is designed to buckle or fold under impact loads, thereby absorbing energy, the buckling or folding usually proceeds in a relatively uncontrolled manner, particularly where the wall is not in the form of a tube. For example the wall may form an initial fold which then acts as a hinge around which the whole structure can then bend. After such large scale bending of the structure has started to occur the structure offers little resistance to the applied load and the amount of additional energy absorbed by the structure is relatively small.
According to the present invention there is provided an energy absorbing structure comprising a wall having a plurality of ridges extending in longitudinal direction, and at least one reinforcement secured to the wall on or adjacent each ridge at one or more points along the length of the wall. By providing appropriate spacing between the said points and the ends of the wall and by choosing appropriate dimensions for the ridges, the structure undergoes a progressive collapse, without bending, when a load is applied in the horizontal direction.
The precise spacing of the points at which the or each reinforcement is secured to the wall in relation to the ends of the wall, and the precise dimensions of the ridges used will depend upon the material used for the wall, and the thickness and shape of the wall. However, the optimum spacing and the dimensions can easily be established by routine experiment.
The ridges may be formed by bending or moulding the sheet material of the wall, so that at least one ridge is formed by one or more folds of the longitudinally extending U-shaped ridge. For example the ridges may be generally U-shaped or V-shaped.
Alternatively, a ridge may be formed by two mutually inclined surfaces each having a flange along one longitudinally extending edge, the flanges of the two surfaces being secured together in abutment with each other. It may be appropriate to use both these constructions in a single wall.
The wall of the structure may be of any shape. For example it may be tubular of alternatively it may be planar or curved. In general, however, the corrugations should extend along straight lines in the direction in which an impact load is expected to be applied. In one construction, which is particularly useful in the manufacture of structural members for motor vehicles, the wall has a square or rectangular cross-section.
The reinforcements may generally take the form of straps. Where the wall is tubular, the reinforcements may be in the form of a plate extending diametrically across the tube or, preferably, a tube coaxial with the wall and secured thereto along its length. The tube may lie outside, or preferably, within the tubular wall.
Any deformable material may be used for the wall. In some cases where only light impact loads are expected, a flexible plastics m
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patent: 164566 (1875-06-01), Kissam
patent: 1618476 (1927-02-01), Rick
patent: 2493562 (1950-01-01), Yarman
patent: 3466733 (1969-09-01), Pajak
patent: 3482367 (1969-12-01), Curran
patent: 3831997 (1974-08-01), Myers
patent: 4227593 (1980-10-01), Bricmont
Ford Kathryn
Ford Motor Company
Murtagh John E.
Sadler Cifford L.
Stock Daniel M.
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