Impact energy absorber
US5680886A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 27, 1996 |
| Grant date | Oct 28, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 27, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF16F7/12
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An object of the present invention is to efficiently absorb the energy of an external force applied to a vehicle body without an appreciable increase in weight of an automobile. To achieve the object, the present invention provides an impact energy absorber made of a composite in which kraft paper is placed on the outside and inside of a metal sheet such as iron foil or hard aluminum foil. The impact energy absorber is a flexible pipe having a substantially quadrangular cross section and provided with spiral-shaped concaves and convexes on the outside and inside of hard aluminum foil. The energy absorber is bonded to the room-side surface of an outer panel of the vehicle body using an adhesive. When an external force is applied to the energy absorber, the energy absorber can absorb the energy of the external force by being deformed plastically.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.