Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16F—SPRINGS; SHOCK-ABSORBERS; MEANS FOR DAMPING VIBRATION
  • F16F1/00—Springs
  • F16F1/36—Springs made of rubber or other material having high internal friction, e.g. thermoplastic elastomers
  • F16F1/37—Springs made of rubber or other material having high internal friction, e.g. thermoplastic elastomers of foam-like material, i.e. microcellular material, e.g. sponge rubber
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16F—SPRINGS; SHOCK-ABSORBERS; MEANS FOR DAMPING VIBRATION
  • F16F7/00—Vibration-dampers; Shock-absorbers
  • F16F7/12—Vibration-dampers; Shock-absorbers using plastic deformation of members
  • F16F7/121—Vibration-dampers; Shock-absorbers using plastic deformation of members the members having a cellular, e.g. honeycomb, structure
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R19/00—Wheel guards; Radiator guards, e.g. grilles; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions
  • B60R19/02—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects
  • B60R19/18—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects characterised by the cross-section; Means within the bumper to absorb impact
  • B60R2019/186—Additional energy absorbing means supported on bumber beams, e.g. cellular structures or material
  • B60R2019/1866—Cellular structures
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
  • B60R21/02—Occupant safety arrangements or fittings, e.g. crash pads
  • B60R21/04—Padded linings for the vehicle interior ; Energy absorbing structures associated with padded or non-padded linings
  • B60R2021/0421—Padded linings for the vehicle interior ; Energy absorbing structures associated with padded or non-padded linings using honeycomb structures
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
  • Y10T428/23—Sheet including cover or casing
  • Y10T428/234—Sheet including cover or casing including elements cooperating to form cells
  • Y10T428/236—Honeycomb type cells extend perpendicularly to nonthickness layer
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
  • Y10T428/24—Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.]
  • Y10T428/24149—Honeycomb-like
  • Y10T428/24165—Hexagonally shaped cavities
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
  • Y10T428/24—Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.]
  • Y10T428/24628—Nonplanar uniform thickness material
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
  • Y10T428/24—Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.]
  • Y10T428/24628—Nonplanar uniform thickness material
  • Y10T428/24661—Forming, or cooperating to form cells
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
  • Y10T428/24—Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.]
  • Y10T428/24744—Longitudinal or transverse tubular cavity or cell
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
  • Y10T428/249921—Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component
  • Y10T428/249953—Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
  • Y10T428/31504—Composite [nonstructural laminate]
  • Y10T428/31507—Of polycarbonate

Definitions

• the invention relates to an energy absorber for absorbing impact energy.
• PU polyurethane
• EPP elastomer modified polypropylene
• the plastic deformation of longitudinal beam structures can be cited as a further example of the energy consumption in a motor vehicle.
• the metal of the side member structures is compressed until the structure collapses under a defined load, that is, bulges out, and pushes into one another telescopically.
• the metal is plastically deformed, which leads to high energy consumption.
• the materials used so far for the energy absorber lead to a high energy absorption capability, but even when using a light metal such as aluminum there is a not inconsiderable weight of the energy absorber. Since weight reduction plays a major role, particularly in vehicle construction, there is still an intensive search for extremely light materials with high energy absorption capacity.
• the energy absorbers are not formed as solid materials, but rather that hollow structures, such as a sandwich structure, are produced which, in a preferred orientation, have a particularly high energy absorption capacity.
• the cavity structure has a plurality of honeycomb chambers which are aligned essentially in the same direction and are arranged adjacent to one another. But here too, when using metals or light metals, a certain weight cannot be exceeded.
• the invention is therefore based on the technical problem of specifying an energy absorber which has both a very low weight and a high energy absorption capacity.
• the molded part is made from extruded polycarbonate, the honeycomb chambers extending in the direction of extrusion.
• polycarbonate is a very light material that is inherently very tough and elastic.
• polycarbonate is very impact-resistant, so that in the event of a sudden impact, the material does not splinter, but deforms elastically and, if necessary, melts.
• the effect according to the invention as an energy absorption material is ensured by the polycarbonate itself, which results in a very low weight of the energy absorber.
• Polycarbonate is extruded in this way to produce the molded part.
• honeycomb chambers arranged next to one another is formed in the extrusion direction, depending on the extrusion tool used, two adjacent honeycomb chambers being separated from one another by a common wall.
• several extruded polycarbonate layers with honeycomb chambers are produced, which are connected to each other after the extrusion.
• Individual blocks can be separated from a block thus created, for example with the aid of a hot wire, which have a corresponding number of honeycomb chambers, the length of which corresponds to the thickness of the plate separated from the block.
• the honeycomb chambers have a polygonal cross section, which is preferably either square or hexagonal.
• the external dimensions of the honeycomb chambers are preferably in the range from 1 to 6 mm, and in individual cases these range limits can also be exceeded or undershot.
• honeycomb chambers have a wall thickness in the range from 50 ⁇ m to 400 ⁇ m. This results in a very low ratio of wall thickness to
• the density of the molded body is thus, for example, in the range from 30 kg / m J to 50 kg / m 3 , which is a significantly lower value in comparison to energy absorbers made of light metal.
• plates are cut off from a block composed, for example, of a plurality of extruded honeycomb chamber layers, so that the honeycomb chambers of a plate essentially have a predetermined length.
• a molded part can then also be referred to as a honeycomb panel.
• a flat design of the molded part of the energy absorber is thus also possible.
• the molded part In addition to a flat design of the molded part, it can also have a curved shape in order to also line curved surfaces with the energy absorber.
• the molded part is thus adaptable to the surface, and small radii can also be set up depending on the thickness of the molded part.
• the honeycomb chambers run essentially radially to the curvature of the surface to be clad. This means that an impact can be effectively protected even on curved inner surfaces.
• At least one of the end faces which comprise the openings of the honeycomb chambers is provided with an essentially closed layer.
• This is preferably integrally connected to the respective end face and thus serves not only to shape the molded part with respect to a flat or curved surface, but also to stabilize the molded part.
• the layer can be designed as a plate or as a film and can also be made from polycarbonate or from another plastic. It is also possible to form the layer in the form of a fabric.
• the layer should preferably be tough-elastic so as not to splinter in the event of a power surge.
• the layer serves to distribute the action of force over a larger number of honeycomb chambers, since the impact is not only absorbed by the honeycomb chambers actually hit without a layer, but also by the covering layer by honeycomb chambers arranged in the vicinity of the actual point of impact.
• the molded part is arranged on the inner surface of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, which protects the generally rigid inner surfaces of the vehicle.
• a vehicle in particular a motor vehicle
• the head in particular is reliably protected.
• the pillars necessary for the roof construction, the dashboard and the inside of the roof come into question.
• the previously described molded part can form at least part of a bumper of a vehicle. Due to the extremely lightweight construction, considerable weight savings can be achieved in the vehicle.
• the molded part can be arranged on a wall of a building.
• the energy absorber can also be used, for example, in sports facilities or kindergartens in order to provide an impact protection for people who accidentally hit a wall while doing sports.
• the use of the energy absorber for floor damping of a sports field or a sports hall is also conceivable.
• the material polycarbonate is primarily used for its translucency
• FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of an energy absorber according to the invention
• FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a second exemplary embodiment of an energy absorber according to the invention
• FIG. 3 shows the energy absorber shown in FIG. 1 in cross section
• Fig. 4 shows the energy absorber shown in Fig. 2 in cross section, but with a curved course
• Fig. 5 is a force-displacement diagram of a head impact test.
• FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of an energy absorber according to the invention with a molded part 4 having a plurality of honeycomb chambers 2.
• the honeycomb chambers 2 are aligned essentially in the same direction and are arranged adjacent to one another.
• two adjacent honeycomb chambers 2 each have a common wall 3, so that the honeycomb structure shown in FIG. 1 results.
• the molded part 4 has been extruded from polycarbonate, the W 7 chamber 2 extending in the direction of extrusion.
• honeycomb chambers 2 In terms of production technology, it is not possible to extrude any number of honeycomb chambers 2 one above the other, so that a plurality of Layers with, for example, five rows of honeycomb chambers 2 lying one above the other can be produced.
• the layers are then connected to one another in order to enable the cross section of the molded part 4 shown in FIG. 1.
• Individual plates 4 are cut from the strand thus formed, which then have the shape shown in FIG. 1.
• the openings of the individual honeycomb chambers 2 are square in the present exemplary embodiment and the honeycomb chambers 2 extend over the entire width of the plate 4 shown, that is to say from right to left in FIG. 1.
• the high energy absorption capacity of the molded part 4 is particularly given in the longitudinal direction of the honeycomb chambers 2.
• the high energy absorption capacity is achieved.
• the energy absorber shown in FIG. 1 is only able to a small extent to absorb energy.
• the honeycomb chambers 2 are therefore to be arranged in such a way that they are aligned parallel to the direction of energy consumption.
• the honeycomb chambers 2 generally have a polygonal cross section, which in the present case is square.
• the external dimensions of the honeycomb chambers 2 are in the range from 1 mm to 6 mm, preferably from 2 mm to 5 mm and in particular from 3.5 mm to 4.5 mm.
• the exact outer dimensions are set as required by the special requirements of the energy absorber.
• the honeycomb chambers 2 have a wall thickness in the range from 50 ⁇ m to 400 ⁇ m, preferably from 100 ⁇ m to 350 ⁇ m, in particular from 150 ⁇ m to 300 ⁇ m.
• the wall thickness is set as a function of the external dimensions of the honeycomb chambers 2, so that optimum stability, energy absorption capacity and the lowest possible weight are achieved.
• the molded part has a density in the range from 30 kg / m 3 to 50 kg / m 3 , preferably from 35 kg / m 3 to 45 kg / m 3 , in particular 37 kg / m 3 to 43 kg / m 3 .
• a density in the range from 30 kg / m 3 to 50 kg / m 3 , preferably from 35 kg / m 3 to 45 kg / m 3 , in particular 37 kg / m 3 to 43 kg / m 3 .
• FIG. 3 shows the cross section of the energy absorber shown in FIG. 1.
• FIG. 4 shows a curved course of the honeycomb plate 4, the honeycomb chambers 2 running essentially radially to the curvature.
• the molded part 4 can also be used for lining curved surfaces, in particular in vehicles.
• FIG. 2 shows a further exemplary embodiment of an energy absorber according to the invention, in which the molded part 4 consisting of the honeycomb chambers 2 is provided with essentially closed layers 8 on the end faces 6, which comprise the openings of the honeycomb chambers 2.
• the layers 8 are integrally connected to the respective end face 6, the layer 8 being designed as a film.
• the layer 8 is made of polycarbonate, that is to say from the same material as the molded part 4 itself.
• the layer 8 serves, on the one hand, to stabilize the shape of the molded part 4, for example the flat shape shown in FIG. 2 or the shape shown in FIG 4 curved shape shown.
• small radii can also be achieved, so that correspondingly curved surfaces, for example on the inside of motor vehicles, can be covered with the energy absorber.
• Layer 8 also serves to distribute the impact energy to a larger one
• a spherical segment which roughly represents the shape and weight of the human head, is freely dropped from a certain height on an energy absorber.
• the reaction forces and accelerations that occur are recorded as a function of the path within the energy absorber.
• a corresponding force-displacement diagram is shown in FIG. 5.
• the molded part of the energy absorber is pressed in by approximately 17 mm, the increase in force being largely linear.
• the force dropped rapidly (see right side of the measurement curve), while the path of the spherical segment was adjusted back to approx. 12.5 mm.
• This means that the molded part of the energy absorber has been permanently plastically deformed. The reason for this is that an elastic deformation of the polycarbonate is possible up to a limit value of the energy consumption.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Vibration Dampers (AREA)
• Laminated Bodies (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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ID=7927580

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (12)

Families Citing this family (27)

Family Cites Families (13)

• 1999
  • 1999-11-02 DE DE19952570A patent/DE19952570A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2000
  • 2000-10-20 US US10/129,019 patent/US6730386B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2000-10-20 CN CNB008152470A patent/CN1166874C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2000-10-20 CA CA002389361A patent/CA2389361A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-10-20 BR BR0015187-4A patent/BR0015187A/pt active Search and Examination
  • 2000-10-20 IL IL14893500A patent/IL148935A0/xx unknown
  • 2000-10-20 MX MXPA02004336A patent/MXPA02004336A/es unknown
  • 2000-10-20 WO PCT/EP2000/010332 patent/WO2001033100A1/de not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-10-20 EP EP00974426A patent/EP1230496A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-10-20 JP JP2001534950A patent/JP2003513212A/ja active Pending
  • 2000-10-20 KR KR1020027005597A patent/KR20020065500A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-10-20 AU AU12740/01A patent/AU1274001A/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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