Brakes – Plastic deformation or breakage of retarder element
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-07
2002-10-08
Rodriguez, Pam (Department: 3683)
Brakes
Plastic deformation or breakage of retarder element
C188S377000, C293S102000, C293S132000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06460667
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a support assembly, in particular for a motor vehicle, for absorbing kinetic energy during an impact, including a supporting structure and a deformation element for oblique introduction of force. The deformation element is supported at least at one end at a support at the supporting structure and has a honeycomb matrix body with a longitudinal axis and cavities formed by walls. The invention also relates to a vehicle bumper system and a method of producing a support assembly.
Deformation elements for absorbing kinetic energy are used in various areas of engineering. One particular area of application for elements of that kind is in motor vehicles. Technical and safety standards require that, in the case of minor impacts, impact energy should be absorbed in an essentially elastic manner by corresponding elements. In the case of more severe impacts, e.g. in the case of accidents, the kinetic energy should be absorbed by elements and converted into deformation of the latter. Thus, for example, the prior art includes deformation elements which are used for longitudinal members of a vehicle and which remain undamaged in the event of an impact up to 4 km/h and, in the case of an impact up to 15 km/h, absorb the entire kinetic energy and convert it into deformation. In general, such deformation elements are integrated into the longitudinal member to form a unitary supporting structure, with the result that the entire longitudinal member has to be replaced in the event of damage. The requirement that essentially the entire kinetic energy should be absorbed by the deformation elements without a significant proportion of that deformation energy being transmitted to the other structures of a motor vehicle, is one that must also be satisfied with a view to increasing the survival chances of people in vehicles that are involved in an accident.
Honeycomb structures are used in many different ways for various applications in engineering. For example, honeycomb structures are used in the construction of aircraft, where requirements for lightweight construction and high strength, in particular, are important. Honeycomb structures are also known from areas where it is not so much the strength of such a honeycomb structure as increasing the surface area which is important. For example, they are used in the case of catalyst substrates in the exhaust system of a motor vehicle for removing the noxious exhaust components that remain in the exhaust after combustion in the engine.
German Utility Model G 89 00 467 U1, European Patent Application 0 389 750 A1, UK Patent Application GB 2 029 720 A, German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 40 24 942 A1, German Patent DE 38 09 490 C1 and German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 44 45 557 A1, corresponding to U.S. application Ser. No. 08/879,594, filed Jun. 20, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,981, have disclosed various configurations and structures for honeycomb bodies. In general, those honeycomb bodies that have been described are used to improve flow characteristics in the channels of the matrix body, which are constructed as flow channels, in order to obtain improved chemical reactions. The jacketing configurations surrounding the actual matrix body are used to absorb high thermal loads, to which catalyst substrates of that kind are exposed in the exhaust system of a motor vehicle.
German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 196 50 647 A1 has disclosed a deformation element for a motor vehicle, in which a honeycomb body that is known per se and disposed in a jacketing tube is used as a deformation element.
The disadvantage of the known deformation elements is that they are either integrated completely into the supporting structures, necessitating replacement of the entire supporting structure in the event of damage or, where deformation elements with a honeycomb structure are used, a steep initial rise in a curve describing a deformation force/deformation path profile (F,s profile) occurs relatively quickly if high kinetic energy is introduced. That can lead to high deformation forces that occur being transmitted directly into the supporting structure and the latter being deformed plastically as a result.
Summary of the Invention:
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a support assembly having a supporting structure and a deformation element for oblique introduction of force and absorption of kinetic energy, which ensures a desired F,s profile, in accordance with a respective application-specific construction, as compared with a conventional deformation element, as well as a vehicle bumper system and a method of producing a support assembly, which overcome the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a support assembly, in particular for a motor vehicle, for absorbing kinetic energy during an impact, comprising a supporting structure having a support; and a deformation element having a honeycomb matrix body with a longitudinal axis and walls forming cavities, the walls having a main direction of extension, the deformation element having at least one end supported at the support of the supporting structure, and the deformation element secured at the supporting structure for introducing at least some forces developed during an impact into the walls at an angle to the main direction of extension.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the matrix body is made up of at least one at least partially structured layer of sheet metal by looping, winding or stacking, preferably into a cylindrical form. A honeycomb matrix body produced in this way is made, for example, from a combination of corrugated and essentially smooth layers of sheet metal, which are disposed alternately to one another. This gives rise within the matrix body to cavities, which are bounded by the walls formed by the layers of sheet metal. The walls extend essentially in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the matrix body. The cavities are preferably constructed as channels, which extend coaxially to the longitudinal axis of the matrix body, for example. If a deformation element with a matrix body of this kind is secured on the supporting structure in such a way that the forces introduced during an impact act essentially in the direction of the walls, the deformation energy is absorbed inter alia by the fact that the walls are subjected to a buckling load, i.e. are compressed. That results in a relatively sharp rise in the deformation force/deformation path profile (F,s profile) immediately after the introduction of the kinetic energy. This steep initial rise or initial peak in the F,s profile has the effect of introducing relatively high deformation forces into the supporting structure through the deformation element before the latter is deformed and thereby absorbing kinetic energy. As a result, it is possible for the supporting structure to undergo plastic deformations due to the peaks in the deformation force. However, this is to be avoided since, in keeping with its function, the deformation element is intended to absorb the kinetic energy and prevent the supporting structure from undergoing plastic deformation.
According to the invention, provision is therefore made for the deformation element to be constructed or disposed relative to the supporting structure in such a way that the forces developed during an impact are introduced at an angle to the main direction of extension of the walls. That direction is defined in relation to the longitudinal axis. It is ensured that the walls can be deformed into the cavities more easily, in particular at the onset of deformation, by introducing the forces obliquely in this way. As a result, the initial peak in the F,s profile is at least greatly reduced. At least the initial region of the F,s profile can thus be influenced in a specifically ta
Brück Rolf
Kruse Carsten
Strigl Raimund
Emitec Gesellschaft für Emissionstechnologie mbH
Greenberg Laurence A.
Mayback Gregory L.
Rodriguez Pam
Stemer Werner H.
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