Collision energy dissipation device for a vehicle
OwnerJason Bareinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An energy dissipation device for dissipating energy imparted from a collision with a vehicle includes an impact member configured to mount to a perimeter of a body of the vehicle, a frame configured to mount to an underside of the body, and a plurality of energy transfer members movably mounted in the frame. The frame has an engagement portion lying adjacent to and extending inwardly from an inner side of the impact member. The energy transfer members are positioned along a path extending along a length of the engagement portion. Adjacent energy transfer members are positioned near enough to each other along the path that the adjacent energy transfer members may be moved to collide with each other.
Claims14
An energy dissipation device for use on a body of a vehicle, the energy dissipation device comprising:
- an impact member configured to mount to a perimeter of the body;
- a frame configured to mount to an underside of the body, the frame having an engagement portion lying adjacent to and extending inwardly from an inner side of the impact member;
- and
- a plurality of energy transfer members movably mounted in the frame, the plurality of energy transfer members being positioned along a path extending along a length of the engagement portion, adjacent energy transfer members of the path being positioned near enough to each other that the adjacent energy transfer members may be moved to collide with each other.
An energy dissipation device for use on a body of a vehicle, the energy dissipation device comprising:
- a plurality of impact members configured to mount to a perimeter of the body, the plurality of impact members including a front impact member configured to mount to a front side of the body, a rear impact member configured to mount to a rear side of the body, and a plurality of lateral impact members, each lateral impact member of the plurality of lateral impact members being configured to mount to an associated lateral side of a pair of lateral sides of the body, the front impact member having a shape such that the front impact member is configured to conform to a shape of the front side of the body, the rear impact member having a shape such that the rear impact member is configured to conform to a shape of the rear side of the body, each lateral impact member of the plurality of lateral impact members comprising a magnetic material for removably mounting the lateral impact member to the body;
- a frame configured to mount to an underside of the body, the frame having a plurality of engagement portions, each engagement portion of the plurality of engagement portions lying adjacent to and extending inwardly from an inner side of an associated impact member of the plurality of impact members, the frame comprising a pair of longitudinal members which extends from the front impact member to the rear impact member, the frame further comprising a pair of lateral members, each lateral member of the pair of lateral members being configured to extend between the pair of lateral sides of the vehicle from one associated lateral impact member of the plurality of lateral impact members to another associated lateral impact member of the plurality of impact members;
- a plurality of energy transfer members movably mounted in the frame, the plurality of energy transfer members being positioned along a plurality of paths, each path of the plurality of paths extending along a length of an associated engagement portion of the plurality of engagement portions, adjacent energy transfer members of each path being positioned in abutment with each other, each energy transfer member of the plurality of energy transfer members having a spherical shape;
- and
- a plurality of pendulum arms, each pendulum arm of the plurality of pendulum arms pivotably coupling an associated energy transfer member of the plurality of energy transfer members to the frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.