Structure for the absorption of impact energy
AssigneeDaimlerChrysler AG
InventorsAnsgar Ernst, Christian Mauritz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A structure for absorbing impact energy in the interior of a vehicle that reduces a passenger's risk of injury. Said structure is disposed in the interior of a vehicle between the vehicle body and the trim and serves to protect a passenger from impacting against parts of the vehicle body. The structure exhibits, in its cross section, areas of different rigidity whereby at least one portion of the impact energy is transformed into rotational energy such that the impacting passenger is rolled off the trim in a direction away from an area of the vehicle interior posing a high risk of injury to the passenger.
Claims23
Structure for absorbing impact energy in an interior of a vehicle body,
- wherein said structure is situated between said interior of the vehicle body and a trim of the vehicle body and serves to protect a passenger from impacting against parts of the vehicle body, and
- wherein said structure has more rigid and less rigid areas, whereby when an object impacts the structure, the more rigid area opposes movement of the object causing the object to roll into the less rigid area, wherein the more rigid area is S-shaped and the S-shaped more rigid area is designed to fold together upon impact.
Structure for absorbing impact energy in a vehicle interior comprising:
- an interior structure member,
- a trim covering said interior structure member,
- a cavity between said interior structure member and said trim, and
- an absorption structure situated in said cavity and made of sheet material,
- wherein said absorption structure has a more rigid curved section and a less rigid section,
- wherein upon impact of a passenger's head on said trim, said more rigid curved section opposes movement of said passenger's head causing said passenger's head to roll into said less rigid section, wherein the more rigid area is S-shaped and the S-shaped more rigid area is designed to fold together upon impact of a passenger's head.
Method for making a structure for absorbing impact energy in a vehicle interior comprising the steps of:
- covering a vehicle body interior structure member with a trim such that a cavity is formed between said interior structure member and said trim,
- inserting an absorption structure made of sheet material in said cavity and shaping said sheet material to bend along inside contours of said trim such that the absorption structure has a less rigid planar section and a more rigid curved section, wherein the more rigid area is S-shaped and the S-shaped more rigid area is designed to fold together upon impact of a passenger's head.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.