# US 7,610,821 B2 · Side impact dynamic intrusion simulator > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,610,821 B2 - Document ID: US7610821B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/780,201 - Filed: 2007-07-19 - Published: 2008-01-24 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2006-07-19 - Assignees: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Reinhold S. Klein - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610821B2 ## CPC - G01M 17/0078: {Shock-testing of vehicles} - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A side impact simulator includes a primary sled connected to an actuator. A platform for supporting a vehicle seat and crash test dummy is slidably supported on the primary sled. A support is mounted to the platform, with a plurality of thrust rods slidably mounted therein. The primary sled includes a strike plate for striking an end of the thrust rods. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle impact simulator comprising: a primary sled including a strike plate; a platform movably supported on the primary sled for supporting a crash test dummy; a support fixed to the platform; and a plurality of thrust rods slidably supported by the support such that each thrust rod can be contacted by the strike plate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle impact simulator of claim 1 further including the crash test dummy positioned adjacent a first end of each of the thrust rods, the opposite second end of the thrust rods directed toward the strike plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle impact simulator of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of thrust rods is slidably supported by the support and each thrust rod has a first end protruding from the support and a second end extending from the support toward the strike plate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vehicle impact simulator of claim 3 wherein each of the plurality of thrust rods has a different length. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The vehicle impact simulator of claim 3 further including a plurality of catch mechanisms on the strike plate for latching to the second ends of the thrust rods upon contact of the strike plate with the thrust rods. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicle impact simulator of claim 5 wherein one of each catch mechanism and the associated thrust rod includes at least one biased latch member. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vehicle impact simulator of claim 6 wherein the at least one biased latch member includes a plurality of biased latch members, further including a latch release that biases the plurality of latch members to release the thrust rod from the catch mechanism. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The vehicle impact simulator of claim 3 further including a plurality of door trim plates each mounted on one of the first ends of plurality of thrust rods. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle impact simulator of claim 8 further including a door trim panel mounted over the plurality of door trim plates. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vehicle impact simulator of claim 9 further including a seat having a lateral side facing toward the support. ### Claim 11 A vehicle impact simulator comprising: a primary sled including a strike plate; a platform movably supported on the primary sled for supporting a crash test dummy; a crushable member between the primary sled and the platform; a support fixed to the platform; and a plurality of thrust rods slidably supported by the support such that each thrust rod can be contacted by the strike plate. ### Claim 12 A vehicle impact simulator comprising: a primary sled including a strike plate; a platform movably supported on the primary sled for supporting a crash test dummy; a support fixed to the platform; a plurality of thrust rods slidably supported by the support such that each htrust rod can be contacted by the strike plate; and an actuator for moving the primary slide such that the inertia of the platform causes the at least one thrust rod to strike the strike plate. ### Claim 13 A method for simulating a vehicle impact including the steps of: a) mounting a plurality of thrust rods slidably to a support, each of the thrust rods having a first end mounted to a trim plate and an opposite second end; and b) contacting the second ends of the plurality of thrust rods in order to move the trim plates to simulate the vehicle impact. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the support is slidably supported by a sled which fixedly supports a strike plate, and wherein said step b) includes the step of driving the strike plate into the second ends of the thrust rods. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein said step a) further includes the step of selecting from among different lengths of thrust rods. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the plurality of thrust rods each have different lengths. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein said step b) further includes the step of contacting the second ends of the plurality of thrust rods with a strike plate, the method further including the step of connecting the second ends of the thrust rods to the strike plate during said step b).