U.S. patent application number 10/280867 was filed with the patent office on 2003-05-08 for deformation element, in particular for use in motor vehicles.
Invention is credited to Schonebeck, Horst.
Application Number | 20030085588 10/280867 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7704855 |
Filed Date | 2003-05-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030085588 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schonebeck, Horst |
May 8, 2003 |
Deformation element, in particular for use in motor vehicles
Abstract
A deformation element, in particular for use in motor vehicles,
comprises a first base part and a second base part. The first base
part includes at least one protrusion which tapers starting from
the first base part. The second base part includes at least one
recess which tapers from a front side to a rear side thereof and is
associated to the protrusion.
Inventors: |
Schonebeck, Horst;
(Gelnhausen, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CARLSON, GASKEY & OLDS, P.C.
400 WEST MAPLE ROAD
SUITE 350
BIRMINGHAM
MI
48009
US
|
Family ID: |
7704855 |
Appl. No.: |
10/280867 |
Filed: |
October 25, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
296/146.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16F 7/121 20130101;
B60R 2019/1873 20130101; B60R 2019/186 20130101; B60R 21/04
20130101; B60R 19/22 20130101; F16F 1/37 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
296/146.6 |
International
Class: |
B60J 005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 7, 2001 |
DE |
101 54 593.2 |
Claims
1. A deformation element, in particular for use in motor vehicles,
said deformation element comprising a first base part and a second
base part, said first base part including at least one protrusion
which tapers starting from said first base part, and said second
base part including at least one recess which tapers from a front
side to a rear side thereof and is associated to said
protrusion.
2. The deformation element according to claim 1, wherein said
protrusion has the shape of a truncated cone.
3. The deformation element according to claim 1, wherein said
protrusion has the shape of a truncated pyramid.
4. The deformation element according to claim 1, wherein said
recess has the shape of a truncated cone.
5. The deformation element according to claim 1, wherein said
recess has the shape of a truncated pyramid.
6. The deformation element according to claim 1, wherein a side
surface of said protrusion and a middle axis of said protrusion
include the same angle as a side surface of said recess and a
middle axis of said recess.
7. The deformation element according to claim 1, wherein a side
surface of said protrusion and a middle axis of said protrusion
include a larger angle as a side surface of said recess and a
middle axis of said recess.
8. The deformation element according to claim 1, wherein an angle
between a side surface of said protrusion and a middle axis of said
protrusion varies.
9. The deformation element according to claim 1, wherein an angle
between a side surface of said recess and a middle axis of said
recess varies.
10. The deformation element according to claim 1, wherein a
cross-section of a front face of said protrusion is smaller than a
cross-section of a front surface area of said recess.
11. The deformation element according to claim 1, wherein a
cross-section of a foot surface area of said protrusion is larger
than a cross-section of a front surface area of said recess.
12. The deformation element according to claim 1, wherein said two
base parts are configured like a plate and comprise a plurality of
protrusions and recesses, respectively.
13. The deformation element according to claim 1, wherein said
second base part is made of a material that is softer than a
material of said protrusions.
14. The deformation element according to claim 13, wherein at least
one of said base parts is made of a foamed plastics material.
15. The deformation element according to claim 1, wherein one of
said base parts is attached to a car body outer part.
16. The deformation element according to claim 1, wherein one of
said base parts is attached to a lining piece for a vehicle
interior space.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The invention relates to a deformation element, in
particular for use in motor vehicles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Deformation elements are used in various parts of the
vehicle body, for instance bumpers, interior linings etc., in order
to convert kinetic energy into plastic deformation of the material
of the deformation element. In this way the negative effects of a
collision, for instance between the vehicle and an obstacle, or
between a body part of the vehicle occupant and the interior lining
of the vehicle, are to be reduced.
[0003] More particularly, there are known sheet-like deformation
elements which in case of a collision have an effect across an as
large a surface area as possible. It is a disadvantage here that
the course of the deformation force as a function of the
deformation path can be influenced only to an insufficient
extent.
[0004] Therefore it is the object of the invention to provide a
deformation element in which the graph of deformation force versus
deformation path can be adapted to the respective requirements.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] According to the invention, a deformation element comprises
a first base part and a second base part. The first base part
includes at least one protrusion which tapers starting from the
first base part. The second base part includes at least one recess
which tapers from a front side to a rear side thereof and is
associated to the protrusion. This deformation element is based on
the basic idea to move two parts relative to each other for energy
conversion, with the one part penetrating the other and plastic
deformations occurring therewith. The graph of deformation force
versus deformation path can be adjusted in a very easy manner by
selecting the geometry of the protrusion of the first base part and
of the recess in the second base part. This graph can also be
influenced by the selection of the materials, of which the
protrusion and the second base part are made of.
[0006] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention it is
provided for that the protrusion has the shape of a truncated cone
and that the recess likewise has the shape of a truncated cone. The
conical shape offers the advantage that an automatic centering will
occur between the two base parts. Moreover, by a suitable selection
of the angle of taper the graph of deformation force versus
deformation path can be adjusted as desired.
[0007] As an alternative to giving the protrusion and the recess
the shape of a truncated cone, there could be used a configuration
of a truncated pyramid or even an irregular shape.
[0008] It is preferably provided for that the side surface of the
protrusion and the middle axis of the protrusion include a larger
angle as the side surface of the recess and the middle axis of the
recess. In this way there will be produced a superproportionally
increasing deformation force during penetration of the protrusion
into the recess, because the differences in cross-section of
protrusion and recess become larger with an increasing deformation
path.
[0009] It is likewise possible that the angle of taper of the
protrusion and the recess varies. This will result in the further
possibility to vary the course of the deformation force as a
function of the deformation path.
[0010] The two base parts may be configured like a plate and
comprise a plurality of protrusions and recesses, respectively. A
sheet-like deformation element can be achieved in this way, which
is able to make available a high deformation force. The deformation
force along the base part may also change, for instance, it may be
larger on the one half than on the other. This may be used--for the
application case as an impact protection for the head of an
occupant--to the effect that there is provided a higher deformation
force for the probable contact region with the head of a tall and
correspondingly heavy vehicle occupant than for a probable contact
region with the head of a smaller vehicle occupant having a
correspondingly lower weight.
[0011] According to the preferred embodiment of the invention it is
provided for that the second base part is made of a material that
is softer than the material of the protrusions. This allows an
easily controllable deformation behavior.
[0012] Advantageous designs of the invention will be apparent from
the subclaims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 shows in a schematic sectional view a deformation
element according to the invention, in an initial state;
[0014] FIG. 2 shows the deformation element of FIG. 1 during the
energy conversion;
[0015] FIG. 3 shows in a schematic sectional view a protrusion and
a recess of the deformation element in the initial state; and
[0016] FIG. 4 shows in a schematic view the recess of FIG. 3 with
the protrusion of FIG. 3 being superimposed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] In FIG. 1 there can be seen a deformation element 5 which
comprises a first base part 10 and a second base part 12. The first
and second base parts are configured generally in the shape of a
plate and may be arranged, for example, between a body part and a
lining piece of the vehicle, or between the vehicle body and a
bumper.
[0018] The first base part 10 is provided with a plurality of
protrusions 14 in the shape of a truncated cone. Thus, they have a
foot surface area G (see FIG. 3), a front face V.sub.1 and an angle
of taper .alpha.. Six neighboring protrusions are provided in the
embodiment shown, but there may be used a greater or smaller number
of protrusions depending on the respective requirements.
[0019] The second base part 12 has a plurality of recesses 16, with
each of these recesses being associated to an opposing protrusion
14 of the first base part. The recesses 16 each have a front
surface area V.sub.2, a bottom area B as well as an angle of taper
.beta..
[0020] The angle of taper .alpha. of the protrusion 14 is chosen so
as to be larger than the angle of taper .beta. of the recess 16.
Further, the front face V.sub.1 of the protrusion 14 has a diameter
smaller than that of the front surface area V.sub.2 of the recess
16. In addition, the diameter of the bottom area B of the recess 16
is configured to be smaller than the diameter of the front face
V.sub.1 of the protrusion 14. Finally, the diameter of the foot
surface area G of the protrusion 14 is larger than the diameter of
the front surface area V.sub.2 of the recess 16.
[0021] In the initial state the first base part 10 and the second
base part 12 are arranged spaced from each other; this distance may
be distinctly smaller than the one shown in FIG. 1. The first base
part 10 can be arranged relative to the second base part 12 such
that the front face V.sub.1 of the protrusion 14 lies directly
opposite the front surface area V.sub.2 of the recess 16, or such
that it already projects slightly into the recess 16. In view of a
compact design, the protrusion will already project in the initial
state into the recess to such an extent that the front surface area
V.sub.2 of the recess contacts the region of the protrusion with
the same diameter.
[0022] If starting from the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the two
base parts are pushed into each other in the direction of the
arrows of FIGS. 1 and 2, this will be possible without any effort
until the outer surface area of the projection 14 rests on the
inner surface area of the recess 16. The first contact is in the
region of the front surface area V.sub.2 of the recess 16, due to
the specific geometry of the protrusion 14 and the recess 16 as
well as due to the differing angles of taper. As this is a linear
contact, the deformation force increases as from this linear
contact comparably gentle and not abruptly. With a further relative
movement between the first and second base parts, the deformation
force will increase in a superproportional manner, as the
difference in cross-section of the protrusion 14 and the recess 16
becomes larger and larger with an increasing penetration depth.
This difference in cross-section is shown in FIG. 4 as a hatched
area 18.
[0023] A foamed plastics material is a particularly suitable
material for the deformation element, the material for the second
base part 12 being engineered so as to be softer than the material
of the protrusions 14. The first and second base part,
respectively, may be configured as an integrated part of a foamed
component of a vehicle, for instance as part of the inner lining of
a vehicle roof or a vehicle door.
* * * * *