Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Body shell
Patent
1997-05-30
2000-04-18
Pape, Joseph D.
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Body shell
296 391, 280751, B62D 2504
Patent
active
060506318
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to an impact energy absorbing structure for a cabin of an automotive vehicle, which is suitable for use in absorbing impact energy of an occupant of the cabin against a pillar portion in the event of a collision or the like of the vehicle so that the occupant can be protected.
BACKGROUND ART
Keeping in step with the maturation of the motorized society, there has been an ever-increasing demand for safety measures for occupants in recent years.
Especially as measures for protecting occupants in the event of a collision of an automotive vehicle, a variety of techniques have been developed.
For example, as a measure for protecting a cabin upon collision, front and rear impact absorbing structures of a vehicle body, that permits absorption of impact energy while the vehicle body itself is undergoing collapse, have found wide-spread utility.
Also, as measures for directly protecting the body of an occupant in the event of a collision, developments of air bags and the like are now under way in addition to head rests and seat belts.
Described specifically, as a form of collision, an automotive vehicle may be struck from the rear. In the event of a collision from the rear as mentioned above, an occupant is subjected to strong rearward force because of inertia force or the like. In this event, a head rest, together with a seat back, support the back and head of the occupant so that the occupant is prevented from hitting an object located rearwards while being supported by the seat back and head rest.
In the case of a frontal collision, for example, an occupant is subjected to strong forward force due to inertia force or the like. Here, a seat belt prevents forward movement of the occupant so that the occupant can avoid hitting an object located frontwards. When the occupant is subjected to extremely strong forward force, forward impact energy of the occupant is absorbed in a cushioned manner by an air bag so that the occupant can avoid hitting a steering wheel, dash panel, wind shield or the like which is located frontwards.
Among forms of collisions of automotive vehicles, a representative one is a collision from the front or the rear. As a result of further research on the forms of collisions, it has been revealed that the form in which an automotive vehicle is struck from the side is not rare. Measures which have been developed against such a collision from the side include measures to protect a cabin through enhancement of the strength of a door, for example, by adding a reinforcement to a door panel.
It is also thought that in the event of a collision of an automotive vehicle, an occupant may be subjected to such force as causing him or her to hit a side wall of the cabin under inertia force or the like acting on him or her.
Namely, when force is applied to an occupant in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle body in the event of a collision, the occupant can be protected from hitting an object located frontwards or rearwards within the cabin by a seat back, a head rest, a seat belt, an air bag and/or the like as mentioned above. There is, however, a potential danger that the occupant may hit a side wall of the cabin when the occupant is subjected to such force as being directed toward the side wall of the cabin.
It is therefore desired to prevent the occupant from hitting the side wall of the cabin especially at a part where the side wall has high strength and rigidity.
A typical example of such a high strength and rigidity part in the side wall of the cabin is a pillar.
For example, FIG. 20 is a view showing, by way of examples, a test area and a range of directions of impacts in an impact absorption test which determines whether or not an impact-absorbing structure required for a pillar part to protect an occupant meets a standard.
The drawing illustrates the testing method upon a center pillar. In a prescribed height range of a pillar inner 2 arranged on an inboard side of the pillar (namely, the center pillar), an impact absorption test is conducted in the area an
REFERENCES:
patent: 3779595 (1973-12-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 5163730 (1992-11-01), Welch
patent: 5544933 (1996-08-01), Shahab et al.
patent: 5641195 (1997-06-01), Patel et al.
Ishikawa Katsutoshi
Moriyasu Ikumasa
Nakahama Ryoji
Suzuki Naoyuki
Tsuchihara Hajime
Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Pape Joseph D.
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