# US 11,077,813 B2 · Impact energy absorbing structure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,077,813 B2 - Document ID: US11077813B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/075,872 - Filed: 2017-01-24 - Published: 2019-03-14 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-09 - Assignees: Gordon Murray Design Limited - Applicants: Gordon Murray Design Limited - Inventors: Frank Coppuck - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077813B2 ## CPC - B60R 19/34: destroyed upon impact, e.g. one-shot type - B62D 21/15: having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or temporarily change shape or dimension upon impact with another body (bumpers B60R19/02; shock absorbers in general F16F) - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) ## Abstract An axially compressible energy absorbing member for a vehicle comprising a thin-walled tube having at least two adjacent, substantially parallel, axially-extending passageways defined by tube walls and separated where they are adjacent by a wall section, wherein the wall section includes one or more apertures of predetermined shape(s) and/or size(s), and wherein the thickness of the tube walls and of the wall section is substantially constant and the same. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A longitudinally compressible energy absorbing member for a vehicle comprising an elongate thin-walled tube having at least two adjacent, substantially parallel, longitudinally-extending passageways defined by tube walls and separated where they are adjacent by a wall section, wherein the wall section includes one or more apertures of predetermined shape(s) and/or size(s), and wherein the thicknesses of the tube walls and of the wall section are substantially constant and the same, and wherein there are no overlapping edges. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A member according to claim 1 wherein the passageways have the same cross-sectional area. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A member according to claim 1 wherein the cross-sectional shape of the passageways is rectangular. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A member according to claim 1 wherein the apertures are the same shape and/or size. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A member according to claim 1 wherein the tube comprises two longitudinal portions which are in use releasably connected to each other end to end, wherein the two portions differ in at least their lengths. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A member according to claim 5 wherein the two sections differ in that the thickness of the wall section and the remainder of the thin-walled tube in each portion is substantially the same, but the thicknesses of the two portions are different. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A member according to claim 1 made of ferrous or non-ferrous material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A member according to claim 1 made of steel, aluminium or aluminium alloy. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A member according to claim 1 wherein the tube comprises a plurality of notches, dents and/or creases each of which extends transversely around a minor proportion of the outer circumference of the tube and is located along the outer vertices of the tubes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A member according to claim 9 wherein the notches, dents and/or creases are disposed in a set which is located at the same longitudinal position on the member. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A member according to claim 10 comprising a plurality of longitudinally-spaced sets of notches, dents and/or creases. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A member according to claim 11 wherein the notches, dents and/or creases in each set are aligned in a plane transverse to the longitudinal member. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A member according to claim 1 wherein the wall section is substantially planar. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A member according to claim 1 wherein each aperture is rectangular. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A vehicle comprising a longitudinally compressible energy absorbing member according to claim 1.