Deformable impact absorbing device for vehicles
AssigneeMitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsTomoyuki Hirano, Akira Yamanaka, Koichi Tonai
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Abstract
An impact absorbing device comprising a hollow polyhedral body formed with a plurality of elongated cutouts in each of its side walls. These cutouts extend in parallel relation in a direction substantially orthogonal with respect to the longitudinal axis of the polyhedral body, and each cutout has one of its longer edges protruding outward and the other longer edge protruding inward. The polyhedral body is subjected to deformation or partial breakage to absorb an impact imparted to a vehicle as when the vehicle collides against another. The device may be combined with a conventional shock absorber to enhance the effect of impact absorption.
Claims15
An impact absorbing device comprising a hollow polyhedral body having planar side walls and a longitudinal axis, a plurality of elongated cutouts formed in each of the side walls of said polyhedral body and extending in parallel relation in a direction substantially orthogonal with respect to the longitudinal axis of said polyhedral body, said cutouts each having a pair of opposed longer edges extending substantially orthogonal of said longitudinal axis, and means for guiding continuous deformation of said polyhedral body on its longitudinal axis including each said cutout having one of its longer edges protruding outwardly relative to the other longitudinal edge of the same cutout whereby the energy of impact imparted in an axial direction of said polyhedral body can be absorbed by the deformation of the side walls of said polyhedral body.
An impact absorbing device comprising a hollow polyhedral body having planar side walls and a longitudinal axis, a plurality of elongated slots formed in each of the side walls of said polyhedral body, said slots extending in parallel relation in a direction substantially orthogonal with respect to the longitudinal axis of said polyhedral body, and each having a pair of opposed longer edges extending in the same orthogonal direction and means for guiding continuous deformation of said polyhedral body on its longitudinal axis including each said slot having one of its longer edges protruding outwardly relative to the plane of the side wall and with corresponding longer edges of all of the slots being similarly positioned to facilitate absorption of impact energy in an axial direction by telescopic deformation of the side walls of said polyhedral body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.