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US 11,992,713 B2Granted
Energy absorbing apparatus
AssigneeEddy Current Limited Partnership
InventorsAndrew Karl Diehl, Dave Walters
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described herein are energy absorbing apparatuses and methods of their use that utilize varying energy absorbing relationships between the apparatus members to absorb an energy input. The energy absorbing process occurs via a material forming process.
Claims15
An energy absorbing device, comprising:
- a line having a first end that extends and retracts from the energy absorbing device, and an opposing end of the line coupled to at least one energy absorbing member,
- wherein, when the first end of the line extends from the energy absorbing device at a rate below a predefined threshold, the first end of the line is free to move relative to the at least one energy absorbing member, and when the first end of the line extends from the energy absorbing device at a rate beyond the predefined threshold, the at least one energy absorbing member engages the line and applies a retarding force on the line, transferring kinetic energy from the line into work energy by plastic deformation of the at least one energy absorbing member, plastic deformation being by tube drawing wherein the energy absorbing member includes a tube, and
- the tube is plastically deformed during tube drawing by pulling the tube through a die.
A method of absorbing energy using an energy absorbing device comprising:
- a line having a first end that extends and retracts from the energy absorbing device, and an opposing end of the line coupled to at least one energy absorbing member,
- wherein, when the first end of the line extends from the energy absorbing device at a rate below a predefined threshold, the first end of the line is free to move relative to the at least one energy absorbing member, and when the first end of the line extends from the energy absorbing device at a rate beyond the predefined threshold, the at least one energy absorbing member engages the line and applies a retarding force on the line, transferring kinetic energy from the line into work energy by plastic deformation of the at least one energy absorbing member,
- the method comprising:
- applying a motion causing energy input on the first end of the line that exceeds the predefined threshold thereby triggering the at least one energy absorbing member to absorb at least part of a kinetic energy of the first end of the line by:
- a tube drawing process wherein the energy absorbing member includes a tube, and the tube is plastically deformed during tube drawing by pulling the tube through a die.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.