Plastic crush countermeasure for vehicles

US8047603B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Sabic Innovative Plastics B.V. · NL

Inventors

• Thomas M. Goral · Oakland Charter Township, US
• Todd Korpi · South Lyon, US
• Eric D. Kowal · Chesterfield Township, US
• Prasad Satyanarayana Puvvala · Savanuru, IN

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 13, 2008
• Grant date: Nov 1, 2011
• Expiry date: Apr 14, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T29/49622
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A plastic crush countermeasure for motor vehicles that includes a plastic insert and a reinforcement structure that provides impact and/or reinforcement characteristics and an attachment interface to the vehicle in a lighter weight structure. The crush countermeasure provides a lightweight crush system that provides comparable protection to current metal crush countermeasures using, in part, a plastic material. As such, the overall weight of a vehicle is reduced without any reduction in safety to passengers.