A longitudinal assembly

Abstract

A longitudinal assembly 200 of a vehicle has a unitary member 300 with a first region (302, Figure 3) for collapsing axially under a first axial load and a second region (304, Figure 3) for bending in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of longitudinal assembly 200 under a second axial load. At least one insert 400 is positioned within unitary member 300 and extends at least partially along the second region 304. A bend initiator 36, such as an indent, may be provided on a side wall of unitary member 300 to provide preferential bending. Unitary member 300 may have at least two internal cavities and insert 400 may be positioned within at least two of the cavities. A vehicle with longitudinal assembly 200 is also provided.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a longitudinal assembly for a vehicle. Aspects of the present invention relate to a longitudinal assembly for a vehicle, and a vehicle comprising at least one longitudinal assembly. BACKGROUND Longitudinal assemblies are often used in vehicles in order to minimise structural damage during a vehicle collision, the longitudinal assemblies being configured to deform in a define manner so that energy may be reliably and predictably absorbed. In many vehicles, the longitudinal assemblies are designed to deform in different ways such as a crush mechanism, a bend mechanism, or a combination of both. Vehicle designers continue to try and optimise the energy absorption of a vehicle during a collision. However, manufacturing longitudinal assemblies that absorb enough energy during the bending phase of a collision can be very complex, especially given manufacturing difficulties, cost, weight requirements etc. It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a longitudinal assembly, and a vehicle comprising at least one longitudinal assembly, as claimed in the appended claims. The disclosure provides a longitudinal assembly for a vehicle, the longitudinal assembly comprising a unitary member having a region configured to bend in a direction perpendicular to longitudinal axis of the longitudinal assembly, and an insert positioned within the unitary member that is configured to increase the bending resistance in said region. According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a longitudinal assembly of a vehicle, the longitudinal assembly may comprise one or more of: a unitary member, comprising:a first region configured to collapse axially under a first axial load; and a second region configured to bend in a first direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the longitudinal assembly under a second axial load; and at least one insert positioned within the unitary member, the insert extending at least partially along the second region. In doing so, a reinforced longitudinal assembly for a vehicle is provided, that has an improved energy absorption profile in the case of a vehicle collision. The unitary member is provided with a first region configured to crush during a collision, and a second region configured to bend during a collision. The insert is positioned within the bending region of the unitary member such that it provides strengthening both parallel and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. In doing so, the insert helps to absorb more energy in both the initial crush phase and the subsequent bending phase, whilst also controlling the amount by which the unitary member bends to thereby minimise damage to the surrounding longitudinal members of the vehicle. For example, the longitudinal assembly may be configured to absorb at least 2kJ of energy per degree of bend in the second region. As such, the insert member is arranged so as to increase a strength of at least the second region of the unitary member. It will be appreciated that the second axial load is greater than the first axial load. That is to say, the axial load required to initiate the crush face is less than the axial load required to initiate the bending phase. The second region may comprise a bend initiator located on a side wall of the unitary member, which may thereby provide preferential bending of the unitary member under the second axial load. The bend initiator is a point of designed weakness in the unitary member. This enables the bending phase to begin at a predetermined force and in a predetermined direction once the initial crush phase has occurred. As such, the bend initiator provides a controlled bending of the longitudinal member in the second region, such that the longitudinal assembly begins to bend in a predefined direction once a threshold of axial load is reached. In some examples, the bend initiator may be located in a longitudinal midpoint of the second region, that is the region configured to bend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal assembly. The bend initiator may comprise an indent in the side wall of the unitary member. As such, the indent may be provided on one side of the unitary member such that the longitudinal assembly bends in the desired direction. The depth of the bend initiator may be selected according to the second axial initiation load. As such, the depth of the bend initiator may be configured to facilitate preferential bending in the desired direction without causing the second region of the unitary member to bend at an axial load less than the second axial initiation load. As one example, the bend initiator may have a depth of 7mm. The at least one insert may be positioned and secured within the unitary member such that a lateral gap is be provided between the at least one insert and one or more internal walls of the unitary member. As such, the insert is effectively retained in free space within the unitary member. In doing so, the insert does not affect the initiation of the crush phase and subsequent bending phase during a collision. Instead, the insert will act to strengthen the bending region and absorb more energy during the later stages of the bending phase as the lateral gap is closed and the internal face of the unitary member contacts the insert. The at least one insert may be coupled to one or more internal walls of the unitary member, wherein a distal end of the at least one insert is located by a first locating means and a proximal end of the at least one insert is secured by a second locating means. The first locating means may comprise one or more baffles. The second locating means may be any means suitable for fixedly coupling the insert to the unitary member. As such, one end of the insert may be fixedly coupled to the unitary member, whilst another end may be held in place by baffles positioned between the insert and the internal walls of the unitary member, to thereby prevent the insert from moving about or vibrating within the cavity. The unitary member may comprise two or more internal cavities, wherein an insert may be positioned within at least two of the internal cavities, each insert extending at least partially along the second region. As such, the bending region of the unitary member can be further strengthened through the use of multiple inserts, thereby increasing the amount of energy that can be dissipated by the bending region and providing further control of the bending phase. The unitary member may comprise walls of substantially constant thickness along its length. For example, the unitary member may comprise a single extrusion. As such, the unitary member can be more easily manufactured, with the insert providing a varying strength profile along its length. The first region of the unitary member may comprise a plurality ofcrush initiators. The crush initiators provide areas of designed weakness at one end of the unitary member that are configured to cause the first region to collapse axially under the first axial load. The plurality of crush initiators may comprise two or more rows of crush initiators. Each crush initiator may comprise an indent in a side wall of the unitary member. The amount ofcrush initiators can be varied to facilitate the crush zone to axially compress at different axial forces. According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a vehicle, the vehicle comprising at least one longitudinal assembly as described above. The vehicle may comprise two longitudinal members. The at least one longitudinal assembly may be positioned between a bumper and a bulkhead of the vehicle. The first region of the unitary member may be positioned proximate to the bumper. As such, the longitudinal assembly may be arranged in the vehicle such that, in the case of a front end collision, the crush phase of the longitudinal assembly will occur before the bend phase, with the second region being strengthened by the at least one insert to thereby dissipate more energy and provide controlled bending during the bending phase. Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and / or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and / or features of any embodiment can be combined in anyway and / or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and / or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic illustration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows a schematic illustration of a longitudinal assembly comprising a unitary member and an insert according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 shows a schematic illustration of a unitary member according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 shows a schematic illustration of an insert according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 shows a further schematic illustration of the insert of Figure 4; Figure 6 shows a further schematic illustration of the longitudinal assembly of Figure 2; Figure 7 shows yet a further schematic illustration of the longitudinal assembly of Figure 2; Figure 8 shows yet a further schematic illustration of the longitudinal assembly of Figure 2; Figure 9 shows yet a further schematic illustration of the longitudinal assembly of Figure 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION A longitudinal assembly of a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is described herein with reference to the accompanying Figures 1 to 9. As shown in Figure 1, one or more longitudinal assemblies 200 may be installed in a vehicle 100. In some, but not necessarily all examples, the vehicle 100 is a passenger vehicle, also referred to as a passenger car or as an automobile. In other examples, embodiments of the invention can be implemented for other applications, such as commercial vehicles. Vehicle 100 may be a known human-controlled vehicle or an EGO vehicle, i.e., a vehicle that is equipped with autonomous or semi-autonomous driving technology and is capable of sensing and navigating its environment without direct input from a human driver. Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the vehicle 100 and illustrates a longitudinal x-axis between the front and rear of the vehicle 100 representing a centreline, an orthogonal lateral y-axis between left and right lateral sides of the vehicle, and a vertical z-axis. A forward / fore direction typically faced by a driver’s seat is in the negative x-direction; rearward / aft is +x. A rightward direction as seen from the driver’s seat is in the positive y-direction; leftward is -y. These are a first lateral direction and a second lateral direction. The vehicle 100 of Figure 1 comprises one or more longitudinal assemblies 200, to which other components of the vehicle 100, such as a vehicle suspension and / or powertrain mount may be attached. It may therefore be appreciated that the longitudinal assembly 200 may comprise features (for example circular holes, mounting points etc) that are provided to permit other components such as those related to vehicle suspensions and / or powertrain mounts to be connected to the longitudinal assembly 200. The relative positioning of the longitudinal assembly 200 within the vehicle 100, can be seen in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows two longitudinal assemblies 200, also known as a pair of front longitudinal assemblies 200, positioned in the front section of the vehicle 100. The longitudinal assemblies 200 extend in the negative x direction from a bulkhead (shown generally at 102) between the powertrain compartment and the passenger compartment towards the front of the vehicle 100 (i.e., the bumper system shown generally as 104). A requirement of the vehicle 100 may be that it shall provide a measure of protection for its occupants in the event of a crash and in a range of different scenarios. The longitudinal assembly 200 may therefore be configured to plastically deform in a crash, as plastic deformation of the longitudinal assembly 200 absorbs energy. For example, the longitudinal assembly 200, when it is aligned in the x-direction, may be configured to deform in the event of a frontal or substantially frontal crash. A frontal crash is one in which the front of the vehicle 100 is in contact with an obstacle (for example, another vehicle or a stationary obstacle such as a wall) in front of the vehicle 100. During the frontal crash, the front of the vehicle 100 may be pushed rearwards in the positive x direction. Hence, during a frontal crash, longitudinal assemblies 200 that run substantially longitudinally forward in the negative x direction from the bulkhead between the passenger compartment and engine compartment may be deformed. It may be appreciated that under crash conditions, it is desirable that the structure of the vehicle deforms in a reliable and predictable manner, such that energy may be reliably and predictably absorbed, whereby the structural integrity of the vehicle cabin is maintained as designed, and the acceleration loads are controlled and limited. In modern vehicles, a longitudinal is designed to deform in multiple ways in a controlled manner. This deformation is likely to involve a period of axial crushing deformation and also a period of perpendicular bending deformation. Axial crushing deformation is considered more controllable and much more efficient than perpendicular bending deformation. This is the case, as providing the necessary levels of bending resistance to a longitudinal such that adequate levels of energy dissipation occur during a crash scenario, is very difficult. This difficulty is heightened considering the plurality of design constraints that designers have to consider such as weight, footprint, manufacturing processes, design complexity, cost and the like. In an ideal scenario, a longitudinal would be designed and manufactured as a single extrusion with varying wall thickness, in particular, so that the bending region is configured to bend in a defined and controlled manner. The wall thickness of the longitudinal would be thinner towards the front of the vehicle and thicker towards the passenger compartment, wherein the thicker region helps to increase the bending resistance in the bending region. However, it is extremely complex (close to infeasible) to manufacture a longitudinal as a single extrusion of varying thickness along the extruded length, and alternative solutions are required to reinforce the local area of a longitudinal. As will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 9, the present invention seeks to address this problem by providing a longitudinal assembly 200 comprising a unitary member 300, wherein at least one insert 400 is positioned within the unitary member 300 (i.e., a component with constant wall thickness), such that the structural integrity can be varied across the length of the longitudinal assembly 200, to thereby provide controlled bending. In this respect, as will be described further below, the insert 400 acts to increase the bending resistance of the longitudinal assembly 200 and thereby absorb more energy during the period of perpendicular bending deformation. Figure 2 provides a first perspective view of the longitudinal assembly 200. Figure 3 shows the unitary member 300 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, and Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the insert 400 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Figure 6 provides a cross-sectional side view of the longitudinal assembly 200. Figure 7 provides a further perspective view of the longitudinal assembly 200, wherein the walls of the unitary member 300 are shown as substantially transparent so that the internal components can be seen. Figures 8 and 9 provide cross-sectional end views at different points along the length of the longitudinal assembly 200. The unitary member 300 comprises a first region (shown generally as 302 in Figure 3) configured to collapse axially under a first axial initiation load, and a second region (shown generally as 304 in Figure 3) configured to bend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal assembly 200 under a second axial initiation load. The load required to initiate the secondary bending deformation in the second region 304 is higher than the load required to start the initial axial collapse phase in the first region 302. That is to say, the second axial initiation load is greater than the first axial initiation load. The at least one insert 400 is positioned within the unitary member 300 such that it extends at least partially along the second region 304. This can be seen, for example, in Figure 6, which shows a cross-sectional view of the longitudinal assembly 200. In this example, the insert 400 is coupled to the unitary member 200 at two ends, however, the insert 400 is not in direct contact with any of the side walls 32’ 32", 34’ 34” or internal walls 35’, 35” of the unitary member 300 between these two points. The external cross-section profile of the unitary member 300 may be, but is not limited to, a quadrilateral crosssection. It will of course be appreciated that the unitary member 300 may have any suitable cross-section. As one example, the external cross-section profile of the unitary member 300 may be substantially rectangular, that is, the external cross-section profile may comprise two pairs of substantially parallel side walls, in which the first pair of parallel side walls 32’, 32” and second pair of substantially parallel side walls 34’, 34” are substantially orthogonal to each other. In Figure 3, the first pair of substantially parallel side walls comprises a first side wall 32’ and a second side wall 32” of the unitary member 300, and the second pair of substantially parallel side walls comprises a third side wall 34’ and a fourth side wall 34” of the unitary member 300. To provide the first region 302, the unitary member 300 may be provided with a plurality ofcrush initiators 38, as shown for example in Figure 3. The plurality of crush initiators 38 are configured to aid in the unitary member 300 deforming via axial crushing at a predetermined force. In this respect, the plurality of crush initiators 38 may be formed as indents in one or more sidewalls 32 and 32 of the unitary member 300. In the example shown in Figure 3, the first region 302 comprises two or more rows of crush initiators 38, however, it will be appreciated that the geometry and configuration of the first region 302 may be determined by the energy to be absorbed by the first region 302 (i.e., the first axial initiation load). As such, the number of crush initiators 38 can be varied to facilitate the first region to axially compress at different axial forces. The crush initiators 38 therefore provide areas of designed weakness at one end of the unitary member 300 that are configured to cause the first region 302 to collapse axially under the first axial initiation load. In this respect, it will be appreciated that first region 302 may be adapted in any suitable way to facilitate axial deformation. To provide the second region 304, the unitary member 300 may be provided with a bend initiator 36, as shown in Figure 3. The bend initiator 36 may be located in a longitudinal midpoint of the second region and be configured to aid in the unitary member 300 deforming via perpendicular bending at a predetermined force. The bend initiator 36 may be formed as an indent in a sidewall 32’, 32” of the unitary member 300, to thereby provide preferential bending of the unitary member 300. For example, the bend initiator 36 may be a single indent in the first side wall 32’ of the unitary member 300, the indent extending from the third side wall 34’ to the fourth side wall 34” of the unitary member 300. The bend initiator 36 therefore provides an area of designed weakness along the unitary member 300 that enables the bending phase to being at a predetermined force and in a predetermined direction once the initial crush phase has occurred. As such, the bend initiator 36 provides a controlled bending of the longitudinal assembly 200, such that the longitudinal assembly 200 begins to bend in a predefined direction once a threshold of axial initiation load is reached. The depth of the bend initiator 36 may be selected according to the desired axial load required to initiate the bending mode, to thereby help minimise structural damage to surrounding components. As will be described further below, the insert 400 is provided to increase the bending resistance of the longitudinal assembly 200, such that the bending phase will only begin once a threshold of axial initiation load is reached and so that more energy can be absorbed once bending phase has been initiated. In this respect, the depth of the indent of the bend initiator 36 may be configured such that it facilitates preferential bending of the longitudinal assembly 200 in the desired direction without causing the bending phase to begin before the threshold of axial initiation load is reached . As one example, the bend initiator 36 may have a depth of 7mm. The unitary member 300 may be optimised for high stiffness and low weight. To further optimise the component for strength and weight, the unitary member 300 may comprise at least one internal cavity 35 defined by one or more internal walls 35’, 35” that connect a pair of side walls. In the example of Figure 3, three internal cavities defined by two internal walls are shown, however, it will be appreciated that any number of cavities may be provided within the unitary member 300. In the illustrative example of Figure 3, the internal walls 35’, 35” connect the first side wall 32’ and second side wall 32”, and is parallel to the third side wall 34’ and fourth side wall 34” of the second pair of side walls 34. It will however be appreciated that other arrangements are also possible. The unitary member 300 may be formed by an extrusion process, such that the unitary member 300 comprises walls 32’, 32”, 34’, 34” of substantially constant thickness along its length. For example, the unitary member 300 may be formed by extruding aluminium or alloys comprising aluminium and / or magnesium. As can be seen from Figure 2, the insert 400 is positioned within the internal cavity 35 of the unitary member 300 (as shown further in Figures 6 to 9), to form the longitudinal assembly 200. As noted above, the insert 400 is positioned within the unitary member 300 such that it extends at least partially along the second region 304. In doing so, the second region 304 of the unitary member 300 is reinforced by the insert 400, thus providing the effect of a region of the longitudinal assembly 200 having an increased wall thickness, and thus increased bending resistance in the second region 304. Thus, it can be considered that the insert 400 provides a designed structural reinforcement to a portion of the unitary member 300, such that the longitudinal assembly 200 can have regions of designed variance in structural integrity. Therefore, during a crash scenario the longitudinal assembly 200 of the vehicle 100 will deform in a controlled and sequential manner. Firstly, the longitudinal assembly 200 will axially crush over a first region 302, for example, aided by the crush initiators 38. As such described previously, the crush initiators 38 provided are an area of designed weakness to ensure that axial crush deformation of the longitudinal assembly 200 occurs first. As such, the insert 400 provides an increased structural strength such that the longitudinal assembly 200 will continue to axially crush over the first region 302 until bending in the second region 304 provides the path of least resistance. In a second phase of the crash scenario, the second region 304 of the longitudinal assembly 200, including the unitary member 300 and the insert 400, will bend perpendicularly, for example, aided by the bend initiator 36. As such, a reinforced longitudinal assembly 200 for a vehicle 100 is provided, that has an improved energy absorption profile in the case of a vehicle collision. The unitary member 300 is provided with a first region 302 configured to crush during a collision, and a second region 304 configured to bend during a collision. The insert 400 is positioned within the bending region 304 of the unitary member 300 such that it provides strengthening both parallel and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. In doing so, the insert 400 helps to absorb more energy in the subsequent bending phase, whilst also controlling the amount by which the unitary member 300 bends to thereby minimise damage to the surrounding components of the vehicle. As one example, by including the insert 400, the longitudinal assembly 200 may be configured to absorb at least 2kJ of energy per degree of bend in the second region 304. The insert 400 positioned within the unitary member 300 therefore provides structural strengthening such that the longitudinal assembly 200 deforms via axial crushing before it deforms via perpendicular bending, and such that the longitudinal assembly 200 dissipates more kinetic energy during the perpendicular bending phase of the crash response. In Figure 2, a single insert 400 is shown within one internal cavity 35 of the unitary member 300. Optionally, however, two or more inserts 400 may be positioned within two or more internal cavities of the unitary member 300. Similarly, in Figure 2, a single insert 400 is positioned within a middle cavity 35 of the unitary member 300, however, it will be appreciated that insert 400 may be positioned in any of the internal cavities within the unitary member 300. As such, the bending region 304 of the unitary member 300 can be further strengthened through the use of multiple inserts 400, thereby increasing the amount of energy that can be dissipated by the bending region 304 and providing further control of the bending phase. The insert 400 may be optimised for high stiffness and low weight. For example, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the insert 400 may be configured as a substantially hollow beam. In this regard, the external cross-section profile of the insert 400 may be a quadrilateral, however, it will be appreciated that the insert 400 may have any suitable cross-sectional shape. For example, the external cross-section profile of the insert 400 may be substantially rectangular, that is, the external cross-section profile may comprise two pairs of substantially parallel side walls, in which the first pair of parallel side walls and second pair of substantially parallel side walls are substantially orthogonal to each other. In the example of Figures 4 and 5, the first pair of substantially parallel side walls comprises a first side wall 42’ and a second side wall 42” of the insert 400, and the second pair of substantially parallel side walls comprises a third side wall 44’ and a fourth side wall 44” of the insert 400. It will however be appreciated that the insert 400 may have any suitable profile depending on the size and shape of the unitary member 300. In this respect, the cross-section of the insert 400 may substantially match the cross-section of the unitary member 300, or the cross-section of an internal cavity 35 of the unitary member 300. The insert 400 may be formed by an extrusion process or any appropriate manufacturing process. For example, the insert 400 may be formed from alloys comprising aluminium and / or magnesium, or any other suitable metal. The insert may also be made from other materials such as plastic, carbon fibre and the like. The insert 400 may further comprise one or more means for securing the insert 400 in place. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the insert 400 is provided with a first locating means 45 at a distal end of the insert 400. In this respect, it will be appreciated that the distal end may be the end of the insert 400 that is in closest proximity to the first region 302 when positioned within the unitary member 300 (as shown in Figure 6). The first locating means 45 may comprise one or more baffles. Optionally, the one or more baffles 45 may be foam expandable baffles. Optionally, the first locating means 45 may comprise a first baffle 45’ disposed on the third side wall 44’ and a second baffle 45” disposed on the fourth side wall 44”. The baffles 45’, 45” locate the insert 400 inside the unitary member 300 via pressure with contacting walls of the unitary member 300. For example, when the insert 400 is positioned within the central cavity 35, the baffles 45’, 45” push against the internal walls 35’ and 35”, to thereby hold the insert 400 in place. This arrangement is shown further in Figure 8, which shows a cross-section of the longitudinal assembly 200 at a point relating to the end of the insert 400 within the unitary member 300, where the insert 400 is located via one or more baffles 45’, 45”. The baffles 45’, 45” are used to regulate the positioning of the insert 400 within the unitary member 300. For the insert 400 and unitary member 300 to work effectively in tandem, the insert 400 should be held centrally within the internal cavity 35 of the unitary member 300 such that a gap is maintained between the insert 400 and the walls of the unitary member 300, which may include any of the side walls 32’ 32”, 34’ 34” or the internal walls 35’, 35”, depending on where the insert 400 is positioned within the unitary member 300. The baffles 45’, 45” thus provide a locating means at one end of the insert 400 to thereby position the insert 400 within the unitary member 300. The baffles 45’ and 45” help to maintain a vertical gap between the insert 400 and the internal walls 35’, 35” of the unitary member 300. Further baffles may also be provided on the side walls 42’,42” of the insert 400 to maintain the lateral gap between the insert 400 and the side walls 32’ 32” of the unitary member 300. It will of course be appreciated that any suitable locating means may be used for maintaining a space between the insert 400 and the side walls 32’ 32”, 34’ 34” or the internal walls 35’, 35” of the unitary member 300. In doing so, the insert 400 is effectively floating in free space within the side walls 32’ 32”, 34’ 34” or the internal walls 35’, 35” of the unitary member 300, and thus the insert 400 does not affect the initiation of either the crush phase or bending phase during a collision. Instead, the insert 400 will act to strengthen the bending region 304 and absorb more energy during the later stages of the bending phase as the lateral gap is closed and the internal face of the unitary member 300 contacts the insert 400. Referring back to Figures 4 and 5, the insert 400 may be provided with a second locating means 46 at a proximal end for coupling the insert 400 to a wall of the unitary member 300. In this respect, it will be appreciated that the proximal end may be the end of the insert 400 that is positioned furthermost from the first region 302 when positioned within the unitary member 300 (as shown in Figure 6). It will also be appreciated that the second locating means may be provided at a different location along the length of the insert 400. Optionally, the second locating means 46 may be a bracket 46, or any other suitable means for securing the insert 400 to a wall of the unitary member 300. The bracket 46 may be coupled to a wall of the unitary member 300 via one or more securing means. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the bracket 46 may be coupled to an internal wall 35” of the unitary member 300 by one or more bolts 48. As such, one end of the insert 400 may be fixedly coupled to the unitary member 300, whilst another end may be located in place by baffles 45’, 45” positioned between the insert 400 and internal walls 35’, 35” of the unitary member 300, to thereby prevent the insert 400 from moving about or vibrating within the cavity of the unitary member 300. It will of course be appreciated that the insert 400 may be located within the unitary member 300 and fixedly coupled using any suitable means. For example, any suitable arrangement of bolts, brackets, adhesive, baffles or the like may be used in any location along the insert 400 within the unitary member 300. As one example, as shown further in Figures 2, 6 and 7, the longitudinal assembly 200 may be provided with a pin 62 for further securing the insert 400 in place. For example, the pin 62 may extend through the third side wall 34’ of the unitary member 300, through the insert 400 and out through the fourth side wall 34” of the unitary member 300. Optionally, the pin 62 may then be welded into place on both the third side wall 34’ and fourth side wall 34” of the unitary member 300, for example. The pin 62 therefore would help to further secure the insert 400 within the internal cavity 35 of the unitary member 300. However, it is worth noting that any fixing method and fixing location could be used. For example, the longitudinal assembly 200 may be provided without the pin 62, or the pin 62 may be positioned anywhere along the longitudinal assembly 200. In other examples, there might be a plurality of pins 62. In this case, the pins 62 may pass through the entire longitudinal assembly 200, or there may be a first pin 62 that secures the third side wall 34’ of the unitary member 300 to the upper 5 internal wall 35’ of the unitary member 300 and the third side wall 44’ of the insert 400. Similarly, in that example, there may be a second pin 62 that secures the fourth side wall 34” of the unitary member 30 to the lower internal wall 35" of the unitary member 300 and the fourth side wall 44" of the insert 400. Therefore, it should be appreciated that a plurality of differing arrangements of securing means are applicable. 10 As described above, the longitudinal assembly 200 may be positioned between a bumper 104 and a bulkhead 102 of the vehicle 100. In this respect, as shown In Figures 2, 6 and 7, the longitudinal assembly 200 may be secured to the vehicle 100 via one or more mounting interfaces including plates or brackets 202, 204 or other suitable securing means extending from the ends of the longitudinal assembly 200. 15 It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A longitudinal assembly of a vehicle, the longitudinal assembly comprising:a unitary member, comprising:a first region configured to collapse axially under a first axial load; anda second region configured to bend in a first direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the longitudinal assembly under a second axial load; andat least one insert positioned within the unitary member, the insert extending at least partially along the second region.

2. The longitudinal assembly of claim 1, wherein the second region comprises a bend initiator located on a side wall of the unitary member to thereby provide preferential bending of the unitary member under the second axial load.

3. The longitudinal assembly of claim 2, wherein the bend initiator comprises an indent in the side wall of the unitary member.

4. The longitudinal assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one insert is positioned and secured within the unitary member such that a lateral gap is provided between the at least one insert and one or more internal walls of the unitary member.

5. The longitudinal assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one insert is coupled to one or more internal walls of the unitary member, wherein a distal end of the at least one insert is located by a first locating means and a proximal end of the at least one insert is secured by a second locating means.

6. The longitudinal assembly of any preceding claims, wherein the first locating means comprises one or more baffles.

7. The longitudinal assembly of any preceding claims, wherein the unitary member comprises two or more internal cavities, wherein an insert is positioned within at least two of the internal cavities, each insert extending at least partially along the second region.

8. The longitudinal assembly of any preceding claims, wherein the unitary member comprises walls of substantially constant thickness along its length.

9. The longitudinal assembly of any preceding claims, wherein the unitary member comprises a single extrusion.

10. The longitudinal assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the first region of the unitary member comprises a plurality ofcrush initiators.

11. The longitudinal assembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of crush initiators comprise two or more rows ofcrush initiators.

12. The longitudinal assembly of claims 10 or 11, wherein the crush initiators each comprise an indent in a side wall of the unitary member.

13. A vehicle, comprising at least one longitudinal assembly according to any preceding claim.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the at least one longitudinal assembly is positioned between a bumper and a bulkhead of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the first region of the unitary member is positioned proximate to the bumper.

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