JP2001508376A - Impact energy absorbing body and its combination with body parts - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] The body (1) for absorbing impact energy is designed as a flexible pipe, the wall of which is formed of several layers, at least one metal layer and at least one paper or plastic. Consists of layers. The cross section of the absorbent body (1) has at least a part of its wall substantially linear and extends substantially parallel to the direction of impact.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Combination technical background the present invention with the impact energy absorbing body and the body and the body parts which concern the combination of the impact energy absorbing body and the body and the body part thereof. A shock-absorbing body in the form of a prior art flexible pipe (or tube) is described in German Patent Application No. 19504659 A1 and is used as it is fitted between two border areas, for example between the surfaces of body parts. As is generally known, passenger safety requirements exist for vehicles such as cars and commercial vehicles, and in order to ensure safety, the metal sheet used for the body must be increased in thickness, It is known that a design should be made with rigidity so that passenger safety is improved when a force is applied to a vehicle. However, this method increases vehicle weight, thereby increasing fuel economy and materials as well as production costs. For economic reasons, therefore, rigid methods that always ensure passenger safety, such as increasing the thickness of the metal sheet, are not readily available for vehicle design. There are also places in the vehicle where it is not possible to increase the thickness of the metal sheet due to geometric conditions or the presence of other components. The impact energy absorbing body of the present invention is used to produce a vehicle body that enhances the safety of the occupant, but rationally increases the vehicle weight. Known absorbent bodies are composed of flexible pipes having a grooved wall surface and a circular cross section, and when the impact energy acts on the components around which it is located, the majority of the impact energy is absorbed in its annular form. It becomes absorbed by the deformation of the sexual body. As a result, the impact energy is significantly reduced to such an extent that it reaches the components inside the occupant's space (cell) to ensure passenger safety. Known absorbent members may be in the form of a corrugated type (or tube) and are composed of multiple layers of aluminum sheet. European Patent 0 266 084 B1 describes an absorbent member constituted by a plate member, which has a box shape with a cross section orthogonal to the cross section, and a plate portion running parallel to the direction of impact has a wavy shape. Is formed. Other variants are described in German Patent Application 3038252C2. This member consists of a plurality of pipes parallel to each other and has a single layer of metal or plastic wall. German Patent Application 2606640C2 also discloses a corrugated pipe (or tube), which functions as a deformable member located in the impact area of the driver's knee, the surface of which is intended to be corrugated. are doing. German Patent Application A12312202 discloses an annular deformable member mounted on a support below a vehicle instrument panel. German Patent Application No. 4003952 A1 describes the use of a hexagonal deformable member for absorbing energy applied to the knee pad in the event of a collision. It is an object of the present invention to provide an impact energy absorbing body in the form of a flexible type exhibiting improved absorption and processing properties. Summary of the invention This object is solved by an absorbent body according to claim 1. The flexible type wall surface forming this absorbent body is formed of several layers. The absorbent body has at least one metal layer and at least one paper or plastic layer. With respect to its cross-section, the absorbent body is also designed such that at least one largely parallel wall to the direction of force exerts a largely straight wall. In the absorbent body according to the invention, this metal layer in particular ensures that the body exhibits a deformation characteristic which is suitable for absorbing the impact energy acting on the vehicle body components in the event of a collision. Also, by using at least one suitable layer of paper or plastic, these material properties are advantageous with respect to the production of the absorbent body and its attachment to its components. According to the invention, particularly advantageous deformation properties of the absorbent body can be obtained by at least one wall extending in the cross-section, which is mainly linear. When a certain force acts on this linear wall portion, it is parallel to the path of the force, so that good energy absorption is performed even with a relatively small deformation. According to the method of the present invention, it is possible to obtain better absorption characteristics than those exhibited by annular absorbent bodies having a substantially circular cross-section as known in the prior art. Such an absorbent body is not advantageous in terms of safety because it is very widely deformed when absorbing the acting force. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below. According to a preferred embodiment of the absorbent body according to the present invention, the absorbent body comprises a grooved flexible tube formed by spirally winding a plurality of strips, and the wall surface of the tube is formed by a plurality of layers. ing. If the absorbent body is wound in this embodiment, the material intended to be a metal layer such as aluminum or aluminum alloy and steel is used in strip form. These strips are processed with a strip of paper or plastic, preferably extending above or below, to form a flexible tube forming the absorbent body according to the invention. By manufacturing the absorbent body according to the present invention as a grooved flexible tube, production costs can be particularly reduced. It has been found to be advantageous to use it to absorb the forces generated by the peaks or valleys of the corrugations formed on the tube wall. In the region of the wall portion according to the present invention, which is mostly linear, the absorbent bodies are arranged so that the forces acting on the wall portion run in parallel, so that the peaks of the wavy portion formed on the wall portion Or it will be parallel to where the troughs extend in the longitudinal direction. Due to the helical bend of the grooved strip in this embodiment of the absorbent body according to the invention, the peaks and valleys of the wavy part are subjected to a force acting by the helical angle of the helical bend. It extends at a slight angle. Therefore, when a force is applied, the peaks and valleys of the wavy portion are nevertheless deformed in the longitudinal direction, which is very advantageous for absorbing a large force and energy even when the deformation is considerably small. It will be. In this embodiment, the strips are wound so as to overlap in the lateral direction. In this embodiment, the structure of the absorbent body according to the invention is such that, in the case of a simple overlap where the number of papers is doubled, the plastic and metal layers are obtained at least in the overlapping area. Assuming that the absorbent body according to the preferred embodiment is manufactured as a flexible tube having two intermediate layers of metal, with the inner and outer layers being paper or plastic, this absorbent body will be of the type described above in the region of the overlap. Will be shown. The overlap formed in this embodiment can give particularly good strength to the absorbent body according to the invention. At the same time, producing an absorbent body as a flexible tube is a particularly economical production process. As regards at least one metal layer of the absorbent body according to the invention, this layer preferably consists of aluminum, aluminum alloy or steel. With respect to the first two materials, these materials offer advantages to the absorbent body due to their low density and resulting light weight. In particular, the safety of the vehicle body is improved without taking into account the considerable increase in vehicle weight. High material strength and low cost are obtained by using steel as the metal layer of the absorbent body according to the invention. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it has a layer of paper or plastic both inside and outside the wall. In particular, by forming a layer of the above-mentioned material on the outside of the absorbent body, the absorbent body can be fixed to the vehicle body part with a suitable adhesive or adhesive tape. If the outside is made of metal, one or more conventional connecting members such as screws, clips, cans can be used for this purpose. Also, the paper layer is advantageous for suppressing noise or for silencing. The absorbent body according to the invention also preferably consists of a number of metal layers that can be divided into two. If the absorbent body is designed in the form of a flexible tube, two metal strips will be wound with selective lateral overlap. The materials for the two layers can be selected in combination with aluminum, aluminum alloy and steel materials. Both metal layers of the absorbent body according to the invention may therefore consist of the same material as described above, or the material may be alternately combined with other materials to form inner and outer metal layers. it can. With respect to the direction of the force, with respect to the direction of the predominantly straight wall of the absorbent body, it is particularly advantageous that said wall does not deflect from the direction of the force by more than 15 °, preferably 10 °, especially 5 °. It has been proven. In the examples, particularly advantageous absorption properties could be measured. For most straight wall sections, it has proved to be preferred that the wall sections rise in the middle of their length, not more than 1/5 when viewed in cross section. Preferably, the raised portion does not exceed 1/20 of the length of the raised portion. These values are obtained when there is a deformation characteristic of the absorbent body for the forces at which the above-mentioned advantageous effects are absorbed. Particularly, when the protrusions are 1/10 and 1/15 (the length of the wall), particularly effective characteristics can be obtained. For the absorbent body according to the invention, advantageous properties have been obtained when the body has a polygonal cross section. The corner may be rounded. With regard to its cross-section, the absorbent body is advantageously attached to the component or mounted between the components. It is planned to use symmetrically shaped scenes, such as square, rectangular, diamond, hexagonal or octagonal cross sections. This cross-sectional shape makes it possible, in particular, to conveniently adapt the shape of the absorbent body to the surrounding components. In a corresponding adaptation, the cross section of the absorbent body is preferably asymmetric, such as triangular, trapezoidal or pentagonal. For particular applications, at least one side of the absorbent body has a polygonal cross section and is designed to be concave or convex. In certain applications, it is particularly advantageous if the absorbent body extends in a cross-sectional shape that curves inward to form a negative angle at at least one location (see FIG. 9). According to another aspect of the invention, a combination of an absorbent body with at least one body component is conceivable. In such a combination, the preferred use of the absorbent body according to the invention can be made. When the absorbent body according to the present invention is arranged between the components of the vehicle body, the absorbent body is preferably fixed to one inner wall, one outer wall or between them. As a result, the absorbent body increases occupant safety in a particularly advantageous manner in which the impact forces acting on the outer wall are absorbed to a considerable extent by the absorber located below. With respect to combining at least one body component with the absorbent body of the present invention, the mostly straight wall portion of the absorbent body extends parallel to the direction of force and the length of the pipe. Preferably, the absorbent body is mounted such that the direction axis is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the force. When mounted on a vehicle body, the absorbent body can be used for best effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Specific examples shown in the drawings of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an absorbent body according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the absorbent body shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal partial sectional view of the absorbent body shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a detailed view of X in FIG. FIG. 5a is a schematic diagram showing a characteristic test of a specific example of the absorbent body according to the present invention. FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram illustrating a characteristic test of a comparative example. FIG. 6 is a graph showing the results of the characteristic test. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an automobile showing a position where the absorbent body according to the present invention is attached. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a part of a vehicle body including the absorbent body according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view showing a specific example of the absorbent body. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION As shown in FIG. 1, the absorbent body (1) is formed from a flexible, elongated pipe having grooved walls. In this case, the pipe has a square, in particular square, cross section. The manufacture of the absorbent body, shown as a flexible, flexible tube of corrugated strip material, creates grooves both on the outside and inside of the pipe, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. Have been. This structure is shown in detail with reference to FIG. A substantially square cross section of the illustrated absorbent body (1) is shown in FIG. As described below, the length L was tested in a characteristic test of the absorbent body (1) and is shown in a front view. As can be seen from the side view of FIG. 3, the partial longitudinal section shows a groove formed on the front side of the absorbent body (1) on the outside, which slopes rightward from the top to the bottom. This shape is obtained by a linear winding of an absorbent body (1) made of corrugated strip material. The wall structure of the absorbent body (1) is shown in detail in FIG. From the outside to the inside, the multilayer wall of the absorbent body (1) has an outer layer 2, which in this particular case consists of paper, e.g. crust paper, furthermore a metal sheet, iron or hard aluminum foil And an inner layer 4 made of paper again. In the axial direction, the thus laminated wall portions have a wavy shape, and the protruding portions 5 and the lowered portions 6 alternate. As is evident in connection with FIGS. 1 and 3, the lowered portion and the projecting portions 6 and 5 extend helically. In this case, the kraft paper strip used as the outer layer 2 and the inner layer 4 has a thickness of at least 0.2 mm and a width of 3.0 mm. The intermediate layer 3 is formed using a metal strip having a thickness of 0.05 mm and a width of 30 mm or more. 5A and 5B are conceptual diagrams showing a setup for testing the properties of the absorbent member according to the present invention and a setup of a comparative example having a circular cross section. While the absorbent body (1) shown in FIGS. 1-3 is shown in FIG. 5A, the absorbent body (1) having a circular cross section is tested in the setup shown in FIG. 5B. The outer shape of the absorbent body (1) corresponds to the outer lateral length of the absorbent body shown in FIGS. Therefore, the same mounting height is required. The two absorbent bodies (1) and 10 are identical in axial length and also have the same thickness of material layer and the same number of turns and distance of the coil. As part of the property test, pressure is applied to the two absorbent bodies (1) and 10 using a pressing device consisting of a hemisphere 11 with a radius of 165 mm. The change in the inner diameter L is measured (see FIG. 2). The hemisphere 11 is moved at a speed of 50 mm / min or 100 mm / min as the pressing force increases. The result of this test is shown quantitatively in FIG. Line A is the result for absorbent body (1) and line B is for absorbent body 10. At equal pressures, the rectangular absorbent body (1) shows a smaller deformation in the first stage compared to the circular absorbent body 10, but in this first stage the energy given by the external pressure is less. To a large extent it has been absorbed. The deformation increases rapidly when the pressure reaches a certain magnitude. Conversely, the circular absorber 10 exhibits load / deformation dependent properties, rising mostly linearly. That is, it shows a relatively large deformation under a relatively small load. As part of these tests, the load required to reduce, ie, reduce, the lateral length L shown in FIG. 2 to zero, ie, the load necessary to at least partially completely compress the absorbent body, is used. Confirmation was made for two types of absorbent bodies according to the invention. The dimensions and materials for each type are shown in the table below. A pressure of approximately 220 kgf (= 2.16 KN) is here for type 1 and a pressure of about 460 kgf (= 4.51 KN) can be calculated as type 2. This allows the absorbent body to be completely compressed, as described above. The data on the weight of both types of absorbent body (1) according to the invention make it clear that this body does not increase the vehicle weight. As part of the test described above, it has been discovered that the resistance to deformation of the absorbent body (1) under load can be varied by chamfering and rounding the ends. The greater the radius of curvature, the greater the deformation under the applied load. The absorption characteristics of the absorbent body (1) can also be controlled by the quality, thickness and width of the material used and the distance between the protruding positions, ie the distance of the corrugated peaks (see FIG. 4). FIG. 7 shows the mounting positions of these absorbers 1 in the automobile 11, which are designed to absorb the energy when the automobile 11 collides. The position where this absorbent body can be attached is, for example, along the front strut of the vehicle body, ie, A-bost 12, the central strut, ie, B-post 13, the shoulder members 14, 15 of the door immediately below the window, and the height direction of the door panel. Around the struts 18, 17 around the front of the roof, around the struts 19 in the lateral area of the roof, around the struts 20 at the rear of the roof, and around the area 21 around the sunroof. The absorbent body (1) facilitates its beneficial effects when it is mounted in the aforementioned position, especially with respect to increasing passenger safety inside the cabin. FIG. 8 shows how the absorbent body (1) is attached to a separate component of the vehicle body. In this illustrated case, the absorbent body (1) is mounted on the front strut rail 12 in two positions. The absorbent body (1) is attached to a component 13 of the B post and a component 19 on the side of the roof. In this special case, the absorbent body (1) has a rectangular shape, so that it is easy to fix it directly to the respective wall with an adhesive. The absorbent body (1) according to the present invention is of a flexible type and has flexibility, so that it can be attached to a curved position such as the member 13. Since the absorbent body (1) is attached to the above-mentioned position of the above-mentioned components 12, 13, 19, respectively, these components 12, 13 and 19 are welded to the side body parts 22. This member is an outer wall member of an automobile. When the illustrated body components are assembled, the absorbent bodies (1) are each located between the outer and inner walls of the vehicle, and when pressure is applied to the outer walls, the absorbent bodies (1) are deformed and this region is deformed. In this case, the impact energy is reduced. As is clear from FIG. 6, the absorbent body (1) can absorb a large force even with a relatively small deformation, thereby enhancing the safety of passengers in the vehicle. Despite the considerable energy absorption, the absorbent body as well as the components inside the car do not undergo significant deformation in the early stages of the impact. A specific embodiment of the absorbent body (1) according to the invention is shown in FIG. 9 as a schematic sectional view. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wall surface of the absorbent body (1) has a cross-sectional shape that can extend inwardly curved so as to form a negative angle 23. If the inward angle is from 0 degrees to at most 180 degrees, the predominantly straight wall portion of the absorbent body (1) at the remaining corners of the illustrated polygon is in the state described above and is equal to this. The angle of the inward position 23 is greater than 180 degrees, so this angle will be denoted as negative angle 23. In this embodiment, the absorbent body (1) is configured to be particularly adaptable to the shape of the surrounding components with respect to its cross-sectional view, and has the necessary directionality to absorb impact energy. 7 and 8 show the area around the occupant cell, where an absorbent body (1) is mounted, which is suitable to be mounted in the area around the engine compartment, and so on. The initial small deformation in this area absorbs considerable impact forces. Although the grooves of the helical pattern shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 result from the fact that the illustrated embodiment relates to a flexible tube, the grooves and ridges may also be formed by pipes if obtained from a corresponding manufacturing process. Is designed as a rectangle that rotates outside the The required flexibility can be provided by the deformed shapes of the ridges and grooves.

[Procedure of Amendment] Article 184-8, Paragraph 1 of the Patent Act [Submission date] January 16, 1998 (Jan. 16, 1998) [Correction contents]                               The scope of the claims 1. Impact energy absorbing body, flexible pipe or tube Formed by   The wall surface of the pipe is formed by a plurality of layers, and at least one metal layer (3) And at least one paper or plastic layer (2, 4),   The absorbent body (1) has a small cross-section that is substantially parallel to the direction in which force is applied. At least one major part is to form a straight wall part,   The absorbent body (1) is deformable to absorb impact energy. Energy absorbing body. 2. A flexible tube in which the absorbent body is formed by spirally winding a plurality of strips. The energy-absorbing body according to claim 1, wherein the body comprises a metal. 3. 3. The energy according to claim 2, wherein the strip is wound side by side. Absorbent body. 4. Any of the preceding claims wherein the metal layer comprises aluminum, aluminum alloy or steel. The energy absorbing body according to any one of the above. 5. The absorbent body is made of paper or plastic on both the inner and outer surfaces of the wall. An energy absorbing body according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a layer. 6. The absorbent body comprises a number of divisible metal layers, two adjacent The material of the layer to be arbitrarily bonded is selected from aluminum, aluminum alloy and steel. An energy absorbing body according to any one of the preceding claims. 7. When the absorbent body (1) is attached, the direction of the mostly linear wall portion is The direction in which the force is applied is 15 °, preferably not exceeding 5 °. An energy absorbing body according to any one of the preceding claims. 8. When the absorbent body (1) is mounted, most of the walls are straight and the cross section is In view of the above, within a range not exceeding one fifteenth, preferably one twentieth of the above wall portion, The energy according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the energy is bulged at a central portion in the longitudinal direction. Ghee absorbent body. 9. The absorbent body (1) has a polygonal cross section, and its corners are rounded. An energy absorbing body according to any one of the preceding claims. 10. The cross section of the absorbent body (1) is symmetrical, preferably square or rectangular. The energy according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the energy is diamond, hexagonal or octagonal. Absorbent body. 11. 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cross section of the absorbent body is asymmetric. The energy absorbing body according to any one of the above. 12. The absorbent body has at least one wall portion that is concavely or convexly curved. An energy absorbing body according to any one of the preceding claims. 13. At least one such that the absorbent body forms a negative angle (23). Any of the preceding claims comprising a cross section having an inwardly curved wall portion at a location The energy absorbing body according to one of the above. 14． Consisting of multiple layers, at least one metal layer and at least one paper or Flexible pipes for forming walls made of plastic layers When the pipe is installed, its cross-section is used to absorb impact energy. At least one major part that is almost parallel to the direction in which force is applied as a body A flexible pipe designed to form a typical wall. 15. The direction of the mostly straight wall portion is 15 ° from the direction in which the force is applied, preferably. 15. Use according to claim 14, which extends at an angle not exceeding 5 °. 16. Absorbent body (1) according to any one of the preceding claims and its absorbent body At least one component, preferably the interior, of the vehicle body (11) to which the vehicle (1) is fixed. A combination of a wall (12, 13, 19) and an outer wall (22), wherein When the body (1) is mounted, most of the walls are straight and the force is applied. Combinations that extend almost parallel to the direction 17． The absorbent body (1) is arranged such that its longitudinal pipe axis is in a direction in which force is applied. 17. The combination of claim 16, wherein the combination is mounted to extend vertically.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) F16F 7/12 F16F 7/12 F16L 11/11 F16L 11/11 (81) Designated countries EP (AT, BE, CH, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE), OA (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (KE, LS, MW, SD, SZ, UG), EA (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, CA, CH, CN, CU, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, GB, GE, H U, IL, IS, JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, NO, NZ, PL , PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, TJ, TM, TR, TT, UA, UG, US, UZ, VN

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Impact energy absorbing body, flexible pipe or tube Formed by   The wall surface of the pipe is formed by a plurality of layers, and at least one metal layer (3) And at least one paper or plastic layer (2, 4),   The absorbent body (1) has a small cross-section that is substantially parallel to the direction in which force is applied. Impact energy, at least one of which is predominantly forming a straight wall -Absorbent body. 2. A flexible tube in which the absorbent body is formed by spirally winding a plurality of strips. The energy-absorbing body according to claim 1, wherein the body comprises a metal. 3. 3. The energy according to claim 2, wherein the strip is wound side by side. Absorbent body. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the metal layer (3) is made of aluminum, aluminum alloy or steel. Energy absorbing body according to any one of the above. 5. The absorbent body is made of paper or plastic on both the inner and outer surfaces of the wall. Energy-absorbing body according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a layer (2, 4). . 6. The absorbent body comprises a number of divisible metal layers, two adjacent The material of the layer to be arbitrarily bonded is selected from aluminum, aluminum alloy and steel. An energy absorbing body according to any one of the preceding claims. 7. The direction of the mostly straight wall portion is 15 °, preferably 5 ° Energy absorption according to any one of the preceding claims, extending at an angle not exceeding 0 °. Sex body. 8. When the mostly straight wall portion is viewed in cross section, it is one-fifteenth of the wall portion. Preferably, it protrudes at the center in the longitudinal direction within a range not exceeding 1/20. An energy absorbing body according to any one of the preceding claims. 9. The absorbent body (1) has a polygonal cross section, and its corners are rounded. An energy absorbing body according to any one of the preceding claims. 10. The cross section of the absorbent body (1) is symmetrical, preferably square or rectangular. , The energy absorber according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the energy absorber is diamond, hexagonal or octagonal. Profitable body. 11. The cross section of said absorbent body (1) is asymmetric, preferably triangular, 10. The energy-absorbing box according to claim 1, which is trapezoidal or pentagonal. Di. 12. The absorbent body has at least one wall portion that is concavely or convexly curved. An energy absorbing body according to any one of the preceding claims. 13. At least one such that the absorbent body forms a negative angle (23). Any of the preceding claims comprising a cross section having an inwardly curved wall portion at a location The energy absorbing body according to one of the above. 14． Absorbent body (1) according to any one of the preceding claims and its absorbent body At least one component, preferably the interior, of the vehicle body (11) to which the vehicle (1) is fixed. Combination with walls (12, 13, 19) and outer wall (22). 15. The absorbent body (1) has a mostly linear wall portion and a direction in which force is applied. Is installed so that it extends almost parallel to the 15. The combination of claim 14, which extends perpendicular to the direction.