GB1503316A - Energy absorbers - Google Patents

Abstract

1503316 Energy-absorbing devices utilizing permanent deformation IMPERIAL METAL INDUSTRIES (KYNOCH) Ltd 2 Sept 1975 [3 June 1974] 24502/74 Heading F4S An energy - absorbing device includes a cylindrical container 1 having a first end 2 at least partially open and a second end 3 which may be open or closed, an extrudable slug, 5 e.g. of a polypropylene, located at least partially within the container, and an extrusion die 10 connected to a thrust rod 8, the die being movable through the slug 5 from the first end 2 to force the material of the slug backwards through the first end as an extrudate, the slug 5 having at least one slot 7, Fig. 3, along part of or (as shown), the whole of, its length. Where the slots extend only partly along, they extend all the way through or, where the slug is tubular, to the central bore of, the slug. The thrust rod 8 may be continued as a mandrel 11, which may :be of the same diameter; the die may then be slidable on the thrust rod and abut a stop member thereon. Preferably the die incorporates splitting knife edges each coinciding in position with one of the slots 7. The extrudate is thereby split into strips which may be spread radially by a spreader 15, Fig. 2, shown as located adjacent a vehicle bumper 9 in Fig. 1.