Expanded cell crash cushion
AssigneeEnergy Absorption Systems, Inc.
InventorsOwen S. Denman, George Ebersole
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An energy absorbing apparatus is provided to dissipate the energy of an impacting vehicle. An energy absorbing sheet having a plurality of expanded cells is wrapped at least partially around a rounded hazard, or an adaptor attached to a non-rounded hazard. When secured to a rounded hazard, or the adaptor, each cell defines a longitudinal space having a cross-sectional diameter that is smaller nearest the hazard or adaptor and larger away from the hazard or adaptor. A plurality of sheets may be used in a stacked relationship to provide a shear plane.
Claims32
An energy absorbing apparatus comprising:
- an energy absorbing sheet including a plura1ity of expanded cells;
- and
- adaptor means for securing said energy absorbing sheet to a nonrounded object, said adaptor means including a semicircular portion such that when said sheet is secured to said adaptor at least some of said cells define a longitudinal space having a cross-sectional diameter that is smaller nearer said adaptor and larger away from said adaptor.
An apparatus capable of absorbing at least some of the energy of an impacting vehicle comprising:
- at least one energy absorbing sheet having a plurality of intersecting walls for defining a plurality of cells;
- and
- adaptor means for securing said at least one sheet to a nonrounded hazard so that at least some of said cells define a longitudinal space having a cross-sectional diameter that is smaller nearer said adaptor and larger away from said adaptor.
An apparatus capable of absorbing the impact energy of a moving vehicle comprising:
- a plurality of energy absorbing sheets designed to be wrapped around a hazard in a stacked relationship for compressing and cutting into one another to dissipate at least some of the energy of an impacting vehicle;
- each sheet having a plurality of intersecting walls for defining a plurality of cells;
- and
- each of said cells defining a longitudinal space;
- and
- adaptor means for securing said sheets to a nonrounded hazard so that a cross-sectional diameter of said longitudinal spaces closest to said adaptor is smaller than a cross-sectional diameter of said longitudinal spaces farthest away from said adaptor.
In combination with a roadside hazard energy absorbing apparatus adapted to protect an impacting vehicle from the roadside hazard, said apparatus comprising:
- at least one energy absorbing sheet having an inner surface and an outer surface, said sheet defining a plurality of cells, each defining a respective longitudinal axis extending between the inner and outer surfaces and a respective space centered on the longitudinal axis such that the cells are arranged side by side in the sheet;
- means securing the energy absorbing sheet to the roadside hazard around a non-planar contour thereof such that the outer surface of the energy absorbing sheet assumes a position generally perpendicular to a selected plane, the longitudinal axes of at least a majority of the cells are oriented generally parallel to the selected plane and the inner surface is positioned between the outer surface and the roadside hazard;
- said energy absorbing sheet positioned around at least a portion of the roadside hazard such that at least a majority of the cells are tapered and define a smaller cross-sectional dimension nearer the roadside hazard and a larger cross-sectional dimension farther from the roadside hazard such that the impacting vehicle encounters increasing resistance as it approaches the hazard.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.