Vehicle bumper beam with improved crush force distribution

Abstract

Crush elements and vehicle bumper beams having improved crush force distribution are described. According to some embodiments, a vehicle bumper and at least one crush element are provided. The vehicle bumper has a generally planar, forward facing central portion and rearwardly curved lateral end portions. The crush element is mounted to the rearward facing sides of the vehicle bumper adjacent the lateral end portions. The crush element includes a plurality of stacked cells adapted to sequentially collapse under the action of increasing forces generated during a vehicle bumper impact with an obstacle.

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 599,969, filed November 16, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to the field of vehicle bumper beams, and more particularly, to the field of crushing elements for vehicle bumper beams. Background Technology

[0003] Modern motor vehicles are designed to absorb the forces of a collision by deforming in specific ways, thus absorbing the energy of the impact. This provides safety for vehicle occupants and reduces damage from collisions with obstacles. In some relatively minor collisions, energy can be transferred to the vehicle frame, causing costly damage. In vehicle-pedestrian collisions, the driver's or passenger's airbags may deploy, posing a risk of injury to the driver and passengers.

[0004] Typical modern vehicle bumpers include crush elements (sometimes called crush boxes) to absorb specific impact forces. These crush boxes are usually hollow and oriented so that the face opens in the direction facing the impact force. These crush boxes are typically constructed to collapse evenly in an accordion-like manner under constant force. When fully crushed, the vehicle frame will begin to deform, and airbags may deploy.

[0005] It would be advantageous to provide a vehicle bumper that can overcome the problems of conventional bumpers—including the limited ability to tune the crush response of vehicle bumpers. Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to some embodiments, a vehicle bumper beam with improved crush force profile is provided, the vehicle bumper beam including a vehicle bumper and at least one crushing element. The vehicle bumper has a generally flat, forward-facing central portion and rearward-curving lateral ends. At least one crushing element is mounted to the rearward-facing side of the vehicle bumper, adjacent to the lateral ends, and the at least one crushing element includes a plurality of stacked units adapted to sequentially crush under the action of escalating forces generated during a collision between the bumper and an obstacle.

[0007] According to some implementations, at least one crushing element is formed from extruded aluminum.

[0008] According to some implementation methods, the width of each unit increases sequentially from the frontmost unit to the backmost unit.

[0009] According to some implementation methods, the width of each unit decreases sequentially from the foremost unit to the last unit.

[0010] According to some implementations, the crushing element has a truncated triangular, trapezoidal, or truncated conical shape.

[0011] According to some implementations, the crushing element is configured to absorb forces without causing deformation of the longitudinal frame beams (rails).

[0012] According to some implementations, the cross-sectional shape of one or more stacked units is rectangular, trapezoidal, square, elliptical, or circular.

[0013] According to some embodiments, the crushing element is oriented such that at least one face of the stacked unit is open in a direction perpendicular to the applied impact force.

[0014] According to some implementations, the thickness of the wall of at least one stacked unit in the stacked unit is different from the thickness of the wall of another stacked unit in the stacked unit.

[0015] According to some embodiments, a crushing element for a vehicle bumper beam is provided, the crushing element including a first end and a second end remote from the first end, and a plurality of stacked units formed between the first end and the second end. The stacked units are adapted to crush sequentially under the action of an increasing force generated during a collision between the vehicle bumper and an obstacle. When mounted on a vehicle bumper, at least one facet of the stacked unit is open in a direction perpendicular to the applied impact force.

[0016] According to some embodiments, the crushing element further includes a mounting element connected to a second end. The crushing element is configured to be connected to a vehicle bumper at a first end and to a longitudinal frame beam via the mounting element at a second end.

[0017] According to some implementations, the plurality of stacked units include at least two columns of stacked units arranged adjacent to each other and spaced apart.

[0018] According to some implementations, the plurality of stacked units include at least two columns of stacked units arranged adjacent to each other and continuously.

[0019] According to some implementations, the crushing element is formed from extruded aluminum.

[0020] According to some implementation methods, the width of each unit increases sequentially from the frontmost unit to the backmost unit.

[0021] According to some embodiments, the crushing element has a truncated triangular, trapezoidal, or conical shape. According to some embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of one or more stacked units is rectangular, trapezoidal, square, elliptical, or circular. According to some embodiments, at least one of the stacked units differs from another of the stacked units in one or more aspects of shape and size.

[0022] According to some implementations, the crushing element is configured to absorb forces without causing deformation of at least one longitudinal frame beam.

[0023] According to some implementations, the thickness of the wall of at least one stacked unit in the stacked unit is different from the thickness of the wall of another stacked unit in the stacked unit. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To better understand the various embodiments described herein and to clearly demonstrate how these embodiments can be put into practice, reference will now be made only to the accompanying drawings by way of example, wherein: Figure 1A A graph depicting the impact force (FC) versus displacement (D) of a vehicle element using a vehicle bumper beam according to a non-limiting embodiment is presented. Figure 1B depicts a graph of the impact force (FC) versus displacement (D) of a vehicle component using a vehicle bumper beam and a conventional crush box, according to the prior art. Figure 1C A crushing box according to the prior art is depicted; Figure 2 A vehicle bumper beam having at least one crushing element is depicted according to a non-limiting embodiment; Figure 3A and Figure 3B Depicted respectively Figure 2 Top view and perspective view of the vehicle bumper beam; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a vehicle having a bumper beam with at least one crushing element, according to a non-limiting embodiment, is depicted. Figures 5A to 5C A crushing element according to a non-limiting embodiment is depicted; Figures 5D to 5F Cross-sectional views of crushing elements with different unit shapes according to a non-limiting embodiment are depicted; Figure 6 An enlarged view of a crushing element mounted to a vehicle bumper according to a non-limiting embodiment is depicted. Figure 7A A crushing element according to a non-limiting embodiment is depicted; Figure 7BA cross-sectional view of a crushing element having at least two rows of stacked units arranged adjacent to each other in a continuous manner, according to a non-limiting embodiment; and Figures 8A to 8F A vehicle bumper beam with improved crush distribution that withstands impact forces, according to a non-limiting embodiment, is depicted.

[0025] The embodiments, examples, and alternatives described in the foregoing paragraphs, claims, or the following description and drawings—including any of their aspects or corresponding individual features—may be used independently or in any combination. Unless a feature described in connection with one embodiment is incompatible with other embodiments, that feature applies to all embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Compared to conventional bumper beams and crush boxes, the described crush element, and the vehicle bumper beam including the crush element, typically provides a different, beneficial force corridor. This force corridor offers the advantage of adjustability. In a preferred embodiment of the aluminum extrusion, the crush element can be customized and optimized for each vehicle model to provide the ideal force corridor. The shape, thickness, and number of units of the extrusion can be varied according to the needs for optimal performance.

[0027] It has been found that generating a stepped, progressive crushing force through the vehicle's bumper system is beneficial for handling different vehicle collision scenarios. (Refer to...) Figure 1A , Figure 1A A graph (shown by line X) depicts the force (FC) versus displacement (D) during a vehicle collision scenario utilizing the described crushing element. The preferred “crushing zone” is defined between upper zone 1 (line UC) and lower zone 3 (line LC). The first segment 5 represents the response to a low-speed collision event. During a low-speed collision, it is desirable to deform only the vehicle bumper beam system without deforming the vehicle's longitudinal frame beams (e.g., see...). Figure 4 The longitudinal frame beam 122 of the vehicle 124 depicted in the image. Preventing buckling of the longitudinal frame beam generally avoids signaling a collision event and triggering the deployment of (one or more) airbags. This configuration also prevents airbag deployment during pedestrian collisions. As the collision force increases ( Figure 1A In section 7), the longitudinal frame beams begin to buckle. However, this slope results in the desired deceleration, which is detected by safety system sensors (e.g., airbag sensors). Figure 1A As shown in the graph, according to at least some embodiments, the crushing distribution of the described crushing element and the vehicle bumper beam generally falls within the desired "crushing interval" of segments 5 and 7.

[0028] In contrast, the crush distribution of typical prior art crush boxes does not fall within the expected "crushing range" (see Figure 1B, which depicts...). Figure 1C The typical crush box 11 shown has a crush distribution. As depicted in the graph of Figure 1B, in the section 7 where the impact force increases, the crush distribution slope (line Y) greatly exceeds the crush distribution slope defined by the upper section 1. The crush force also forms a sharp peak, far exceeding the force defined by section 5, which can cause premature buckling of the longitudinal frame beams compared to the described crush element.

[0029] It should be understood that, for the sake of brevity and clarity of illustration, reference numerals may be repeated in the figures where deemed appropriate to indicate corresponding or similar elements. Furthermore, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary aspects of this application described herein. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the exemplary aspects described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the exemplary aspects described herein. Moreover, this description should not be construed as limiting the scope of the exemplary aspects described herein. Any system, method step, method block, component, component portion, etc., described herein in the singular should be construed as including descriptions of such systems, method steps or tasks, components, component portions, etc., in the plural form, and vice versa.

[0030] Reference Figures 2 to 3B The image depicts a vehicle bumper beam 100 according to a non-limiting embodiment. The vehicle bumper beam 100 includes a vehicle bumper 102 and at least one crushing element 104. The vehicle bumper 102 includes a generally flat, forward-facing section 106 and lateral ends 108 (lateral ends 108A and lateral ends 108B, respectively). Figure 3B (F indicates forward direction, and R indicates rearward direction). At least one crushing element 104 is mounted to the rearward-facing side 110 of the vehicle bumper 102, adjacent to the lateral end 108. For example, according to some embodiments, the vehicle bumper beam 100 includes two crushing elements 104, one for each of the lateral ends 108A and 108B. According to some embodiments, the vehicle bumper beam 100 includes four crushing elements 104, two for each of the lateral ends 108A and 108B.

[0031] like Figures 5A to 5CAs shown, each crushing element 104 includes a plurality of stacked units located between its distal ends, such as unit 112 stacked between a first end 114 and a distal second end 116. As discussed further below, unit 112 is adapted to sequentially crush under the action of the escalating force generated during a bumper-obstacle collision. When mounted on a vehicle bumper 102, at least one facet of the stacked unit 112 is open in a direction perpendicular to the applied impact force FC, or at least one facet of the stacked unit 112 is open in a direction at least away from the applied impact force FC. Figure 5B Conversely, a typical "crushing box" (e.g., Figure 1C The crush box 11) is oriented such that one or more units face the applied impact force and is configured to crush along a direction longitudinal to the opening face rather than along a direction transverse to the opening face.

[0032] The crushing element 104 can take various forms. According to some embodiments, the cross-section of the crushing element 104 has a truncated triangular, trapezoidal, or conical shape (see, for example, [reference needed]). Figure 5D According to some implementation methods, such as Figure 5C As shown, the side profile of the crushing element 104 may include a composite shape. It should be understood that any suitable shape or combination of shapes of the crushing element 104 is conceivable.

[0033] Furthermore, as described above, the crushing element 104 may include one or more stacked units. For example, such as Figure 7A As shown, the crushing element 104 may include at least two rows of stacked units arranged adjacent to each other and spaced apart. According to some embodiments, the crushing element 104 includes at least two rows of stacked units arranged adjacent to each other and continuously (see [link to previous embodiment]). Figure 7B ).

[0034] Unit 112 can take various shapes and configurations to help tune the vehicle bumper beam's response to impact forces. For example, according to some embodiments, the width W of each unit increases sequentially from the foremost unit to the rearmost unit (see, for example, see...). Figure 5F According to some implementations, the width W of each unit decreases sequentially from the foremost unit to the last unit. Figure 5D According to some embodiments, one or more stacked units 112 may be rectangular, trapezoidal, square, elliptical, or circular (see, for example, see...). Figures 2 to 5F According to some embodiments, the thickness T1 of the unit wall of at least one stacked unit in the stacked unit 112 is different from the thickness T2 of the unit wall of another stacked unit in the stacked unit 112 (for example, see...). Figure 5BAccording to some embodiments, at least one stacked unit in stacked unit 112 is different from another stacked unit in stacked unit 112 in one or more aspects of shape and size.

[0035] The crushing element 104 is configured to be coupled to the vehicle bumper 102 at a first end 114 and to other vehicle structural elements at a second end 116. According to some embodiments, the crushing element 104 further includes a mounting element 118 coupled to the second end 116. The crushing element 104 may be configured to be coupled to the vehicle bumper 102 at the first end 114 and to a longitudinal frame beam (e.g., [missing information]) via the mounting element 118 at the second end 116. Figure 4 The longitudinal frame beams 122 depicted are referred to as longitudinal frame beam 122A and longitudinal frame beam 122B, respectively. According to some embodiments, the mounting element 118 may include a unit end cap 120.

[0036] The crushing element 104 may comprise any suitable material or combination of materials. For example, according to some embodiments, at least one crushing element 104 is formed from extruded aluminum. Steel or an alloy of steel or aluminum may also be used for the crushing element 104.

[0037] Reference Figures 8A to 8F The image depicts a vehicle bumper beam 100 before and during the application of the impact force FC. As described above, the crushing element 104 includes a plurality of stacked units 112 adapted to sequentially crush under the action of the increasing force generated during a collision between the vehicle bumper and an obstacle. Figure 8A and Figure 8B The vehicle bumper beam 100 is depicted before the application of the collision force FC. Figure 8B A cross-sectional view of the vehicle bumper beam 100 along section AA is depicted. When a collision force is applied, the element closest to the vehicle bumper 102—that is, the foremost element—absorbs the impact load through deformation and crumpling. Figure 8C and Figure 8D At this point, the units closest to the longitudinal beam 122—that is, the rearmost units—have not yet deformed or have only slightly deformed, thus protecting the longitudinal frame beam 122 from impacts exceeding the upper interval (first section 5). In other words, the crushing element 104 is configured to absorb force without causing deformation of the longitudinal frame beam 122. For example, according to some embodiments, the crushing element 104 is configured to absorb the force of a pedestrian collision without triggering airbag deployment. As the impact force increases and exceeds the upper interval (section 7), the remaining units begin to collapse and deform, continuing to absorb at least a portion of the impact force. Figure 8E and Figure 8F During this stage, longitudinal beam 122 begins to buckle.

[0038] It should be understood that, for the purposes of this application, the phrase “at least one of X, Y and Z” or “one or more of X, Y and Z” can be interpreted as X only, Y only, Z only, or any combination of two or more of X, Y and Z (e.g., XYZ, XYY, YZ, ZZ, XX, XY).

[0039] In this application, a component may be described as being "constructed" or "capable" of performing one or more functions. Generally, it should be understood that a component constructed or capable of performing a function is constructed or capable of performing that function, or is adapted to perform that function, or is operable to perform that function, or is otherwise capable of performing that function.

[0040] Furthermore, the components in this application can be described as being "operably connected" or "operably linked" to other components. It is understood that these components are connected or linked to each other in a manner that performs a specific function. It is also understood that the terms "connection" and "linkage" used in this application include both direct and indirect connections between components.

[0041] The terms "an embodiment," "implementation," "mode of implementation," and "variation" used in this application indicate that the described embodiment, mode of implementation, or variation may include specific aspects, features, structures, or characteristics, but not every embodiment, mode of implementation, or variation necessarily includes that aspect, feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, these phrases may, but are not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment mentioned in other parts of the specification. Moreover, when a specific aspect, feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, whether explicitly described or not, the interaction or connection of that module, aspect, feature, structure, or characteristic with other embodiments is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art. In other words, unless there is an obvious or inherent incompatibility, or it is explicitly excluded, any module, element, or feature can be combined with any other element or feature in different embodiments.

[0042] It should also be noted that the claims may be drafted to exclude any optional elements. Therefore, this statement is intended as a prior basis for the use of exclusive terms such as “solely,” “merely,” etc., which relate to the statement of the claim elements or the use of “negative” limitations. The terms “preferred,” “ideally,” “optionally,” “may,” and similar terms are used to indicate that the mentioned item, condition, or step is an optional (non-essential) feature of the invention.

[0043] Unless the context clearly specifies otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents. The term “and / or” means any one, any combination, or all of the items associated with the term. The phrase “one or more” is readily understood by those skilled in the art, especially when read in the context in which the phrase is used.

[0044] The term "about" can refer to a variation of ±5%, ±10%, ±20%, or ±25% of a specified value. For example, in some embodiments, "about 50%" can have a variation of 45% to 55%. For integer ranges, the term "about" can include one or two integers larger and / or smaller than the integers mentioned at each end of the range. Unless otherwise stated herein, the term "about" is intended to include values ​​and ranges close to the enumerated ranges that are equivalent in respect of the implementation or functionality of the composition.

[0045] As those skilled in the art will understand, for any and all purposes, particularly in providing a written description, all ranges listed herein also encompass any of their subranges and all possible combinations of subranges and their subranges, as well as the individual values ​​constituting the range, particularly integer values. The listed ranges include every specific value, integer, decimal, or identity within that range. Any listed range can be readily recognized as sufficiently descriptive and such that the range can be divided into at least one-half, one-third, one-quarter, one-fifth, or one-tenth of equal parts. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be readily divided into a lower third, a middle third, and an upper third, etc.

[0046] Those skilled in the art will also understand that all terms such as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” “more than,” “or more,” etc., include the listed figures, and such terms refer to ranges that can subsequently be subdivided into subranges as described above. In the same manner, all ratios listed herein also include all sub-ratios falling within the broader ratios.

[0047] Those skilled in the art will understand that many other possible alternative implementations and modifications exist, and the examples above are merely illustrative of one or more implementations. Therefore, the scope is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle bumper beam with improved crush force distribution, the vehicle bumper beam comprising: A vehicle bumper having a generally flat, forward-facing central portion and rearward-curving lateral ends. At least one crushing element is mounted to the rearward-facing side of the vehicle bumper and adjacent to the lateral end. The crushing element comprises a plurality of stacked units adapted to sequentially crush under the increasing force generated during the collision between the bumper and the obstacle.

2. The vehicle bumper beam according to claim 1, wherein, The at least one crushing element is formed from extruded aluminum.

3. The vehicle bumper beam according to claim 1, wherein, The width of each unit increases sequentially from the frontmost unit to the backmost unit.

4. The vehicle bumper beam according to claim 1, wherein, The width of each unit decreases sequentially from the frontmost unit to the backmost unit.

5. The vehicle bumper beam according to claim 1, wherein, The crushing element has a truncated triangular, trapezoidal, or truncated conical shape.

6. The vehicle bumper beam according to claim 1, wherein, The crushing element is configured to absorb forces without causing deformation of the longitudinal frame beams.

7. The vehicle bumper beam according to claim 1, wherein, The cross-sectional shape of one or more of the stacked units is rectangular, trapezoidal, square, elliptical, or circular.

8. The vehicle bumper beam according to claim 1, wherein, The crushing element is oriented such that at least one face of the stacked units is open in a direction perpendicular to the applied impact force.

9. The vehicle bumper beam according to claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the wall of at least one of the stacked units is different from the thickness of the wall of the other unit in the stacked units.

10. A crushing element for a vehicle bumper beam, the crushing element comprising: A first end and a second end that is distant from the first end; as well as A plurality of stacked units are formed between the first end and the second end, the stacked units being adapted to collapse sequentially under the action of the increasing force generated during a collision between the vehicle bumper and an obstacle; Wherein, when the stacked unit is mounted on the vehicle bumper, at least one face of the stacked unit is open in a direction perpendicular to the applied impact force.

11. The crushing element according to claim 10, further comprising: Mounting element, the mounting element being connected to the second end; The crushing element is configured to be connected to the vehicle bumper at the first end and to the longitudinal frame beam via the mounting element at the second end.

12. The crushing element according to claim 10, wherein, The plurality of stacked units include at least two columns of stacked units arranged adjacent to each other and spaced apart.

13. The crushing element according to claim 10, wherein, The multiple stacked units include at least two columns of stacked units arranged adjacent to each other and continuously.

14. The crushing element according to claim 10, wherein, The crushing element is formed from extruded aluminum.

15. The crushing element according to claim 10, wherein, The width of each unit increases sequentially from the frontmost unit to the backmost unit.

16. The crushing element according to claim 10, wherein the crushing element has a truncated triangular, trapezoidal, or conical shape.

17. The crushing element according to claim 10, wherein, The crushing element is configured to absorb forces without causing deformation of at least one longitudinal frame beam.

18. The crushing element according to claim 10, wherein, The cross-sectional shape of one or more of the stacked units is rectangular, trapezoidal, square, elliptical, or circular.

19. The crushing element according to claim 10, wherein, The thickness of the wall of at least one of the stacked units is different from the thickness of the wall of the other unit in the stacked units.

20. The crushing element according to claim 10, wherein, At least one of the stacked units is different from another of the stacked units in one or more aspects of shape and size.

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