Support assembly having a deformation element with radial deformation limiters
AssigneeEMITEC Gesellschaft fuer Emissionstechnologie mbH
InventorsRolf Brück, Carsten Kruse, Raimund Strigl
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Abstract
A support assembly includes a deformation element for use in a motor vehicle for absorbing kinetic energy in case of an impact. The deformation element can be deformed to a residual block length. The deformation element is connected to a supporting structure and includes a honeycomb matrix body. The honeycomb matrix body of the deformation element is self-supporting and has at least one radial deformation limiter whose axial stiffness is lower than that of the matrix body. This allows using the deformation element without a supporting jacket, so that the properties of the deformation element can be determined independently of those of a jacket.
Claims49
A support assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:
- a supporting structure;
- a deformation element for absorbing kinetic energy during an impact, said deformation element being connected to said supporting structure and being deformable as far as a residual length, and said deformation element including a honeycomb matrix body;
- said honeycomb matrix body being a self-supporting configuration and having at least two axial partial regions spaced from one another;
- said honeycomb matrix body including at least one radial deformation limiter disposed in said at least two axial partial regions of said matrix body;
- and
- said honeycomb matrix body having a first axial rigidity and said at least one radial deformation limiter having a second axial rigidity smaller than the first axial rigidity.
In combination with a motor vehicle, a bumper system, comprising:
- a supporting structure;
- a deformation element for absorbing kinetic energy during an impact, said deformation element being connected to said supporting structure and being deformable as far as a residual length, and said deformation element including a honeycomb matrix body;
- said honeycomb matrix body being a self-supporting configuration and having at least two axial partial regions spaced from one another;
- said honeycomb matrix body including at least one radial deformation limiter disposed in said at least two axial partial regions of said honeycomb matrix body;
- and
- said honeycomb matrix body having a first axial rigidity and said at least one radial deformation limiter having a second axial rigidity smaller than the first axial rigidity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.