Energy-absorbing deformation element for vehicles
AssigneeAlcan Technology & Management Ltd.
InventorsOliver Liebhard, Markus Gehrig
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
AssigneeAlcan Technology & Management Ltd.
InventorsOliver Liebhard, Markus Gehrig
Estimating the term…
A deformation element having a single or multi-chamber hollow section with a longitudinal axis to accommodate energy of impact acting in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the section. The deformation element contains outer section walls that form inner and outer section wall faces. The outer section walls are divided into section wall end lengths and lengths and section wall intermediate lengths, whereby the abutting section wall end lengths of a pair of outer section walls form corner regions with corners. The wall thicknesses of the section wall end lengths are greater than the wall thickness of the section wall lengths neighbouring the section wall end lengths, with the result that a thickening of the section wall is provided in the corner region.
1-12 (Canceled).
A deformation element comprising a hollow section with a longitudinal section axis to accommodate impact energy acting in a direction of the longitudinal axis of the section by compressing the deformation element in a longitudinal direction, the hollow section having outer section walls that form inner and outer section wall faces, the section walls having section end lengths and corner regions forming corners, the corner regions being formed by two abutting section wall end lengths, the section wall end length in at least one corner region having a wall thickness that is thicker, than a wall thickness of a section wall length neighbouring the section wall end length so that there is a thickening of the section wall in the corner region, the corner region with the thicker wall thickness extending at least over a longitudinal section length measured in the longitudinal direction of the section, whereby, in comparison to a deformation element with uniform wall thickness but of an equal shape and overall mass, higher specific energy absorption is achieved, the section wall end length of a corner region having a length that corresponds to at least 5% and at most 45% of a length of a related section wall.
(Canceled)
(Canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.