JP2022543707A - Collision shock absorber system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A crash absorber system for use at the front of a fixed structure is initially positioned in spaced relationship along the length of said rail with a rail extending along the length of said crash absorber system. and a plurality of bulkheads. Each of the plurality of bulkheads moves along the rail, and when the front end of the crash absorber system receives an impact force from a vehicle, one of the bulkheads moves rearward along the rail and the bulkhead moves along the rail. and the first and second bulkheads move further back along the rail, sustaining the other one in the process until the impact force is completely damped. use as intended. The tearing member of the crash cushioning system is bonded to the material forming the tearable member of the crash cushioning system, the tearing member tearing the material forming the tearable member, thereby Attenuation of impact force increases. [Selection drawing] Fig. 2

Description

The present invention relates generally to crash shock absorbers, and more particularly to guardrails with anchoring systems that protect against leading edges of motor vehicles and abutments and other fixed road obstacles. It relates to a collision shock absorber.

Vehicle accidents on highways are a major problem worldwide and are one of the greatest causes of suffering, inflicting economic and human loss on developing nations today. Protective barriers, crash mitigation devices, on-board crash shock absorbers, crash barrels, etc. have already been developed to reduce casualties, especially from these tragic accidents, to avoid rigid, immovable obstacles such as vehicles and abutments. reduces the impact of

These types of crash attenuators must absorb vehicle impact energy without exceeding vehicle deceleration limits. It should also be applicable to heavy and light vehicles at the same time. The lightest vehicles have low decelerations that limit the maximum force generated by shock absorbers and heavy vehicles, thereby determining the total impact deformation required. Since the forces do not exceed the limits of light vehicles, initial forces and decelerations are low, limiting energy absorption. Increased crash resistance when the vehicle goes from "slow" to zero impact velocity is a very important feature of a crash shock absorber system that meets stringent government safety standards. The present invention achieves this goal in an innovative, inexpensive, and very simple but effective manner.

The invention and its additional features and advantages are best understood by reference to the following accompanying drawing depictions.

In an exemplary embodiment, the invention comprises a crash absorber system for use on the front of a fixed structure, such as an abutment. The system includes a rail extending along the length of the crash absorber system and a plurality of bulkheads initially positioned in spaced relationship along the length of the rail. Each one of the plurality of bulkheads has a proximal end adapted to be movably joined to a rail such that if the forward end of the crash absorber system is subjected to an impact force from a errant vehicle, the plurality of one of the bulkheads moves rearward along the rail and collides with a second one of the plurality of bulkheads, the first and second bulkheads moving further rearward along the rail; In the above process, more partitions among the plurality of partitions are continuously used until the impact force is completely reduced. The system further comprises a tear member overlying the crash absorber system, said tear member adapted to be joined to the material forming the tearable member of the crash absorber system. When an impact force is applied to the crash shock absorber system, the tearing member and the tearable member move relative to each other and the tearing member tears the tearable member, thereby increasing the attenuation of the impact force.

In an exemplary embodiment, the tear member comprises a bolt and may be located on one of the multiple septums, eg, on the proximal end of one of the multiple septums. The tearing member may comprise multiple tearing members.

The tearable member extends along at least a portion of the length of the crash shock absorber and includes a plurality of apertures disposed therein, said plurality of apertures extending along the length of the tearable member. and are spaced longitudinally from each other. The tear member is bonded to one of the plurality of holes such that relative motion is generated between the tearable member and the tear member when an impact force is applied to the crash shock absorber, the relative motion causing The tear member tears the material between adjacent ones of the plurality of holes, thereby forming a continuous gap, and the tearing of the material acts to attenuate the impact force.

In some embodiments of the invention, the plurality of holes along the length of the tearable member having a plurality of holes are not evenly spaced. For example, an adjacent hole among the plurality of holes that are proximate to one of the front end and the rear end of the crash shock absorber is proximate to the other end of the front end and the rear end of the crash shock absorber. They are more closely spaced than adjacent ones of the plurality of holes. In some situations, the pores are of different sizes. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the foremost one of the plurality of holes is larger than the one of the plurality of holes positioned closer to the rear end of the crash attenuator. , more elongated. Depending on the application and required damping characteristics, the directions can be reversed based on the specific situation.

In another variation, the material forming said tearable member towards one of the front and rear ends of the crash cushion may be thinner and the front and rear ends of the crash cushion may be thinner. The material directed to the other end of it is thicker. In any or all of the above embodiments and variations, used alone or in various combinations, the tearable member extends from one of the front and rear ends of the crash cushion to the other. may comprise a plurality of stages, a first stage directed toward one of the front and rear ends of the crash attenuator being one of the front and rear ends of the crash attenuator. It is even softer than the second stage, which is directed at the other end of the .

In the illustrated embodiment, one of the front and rear ends of the crash attenuator is the front end of the crash attenuator, and the other of the first and second ends of the crash attenuator is the crash shock absorber. This is the rear end of the shock absorber.

Because the material forming the first stage is thinner than the material forming the second stage, the first stage may be softer. because the holes of the plurality of holes provided in the first stage are more closely spaced than the holes of the plurality of holes provided in the second stage; , the first stage may also be softer. Since the size of the holes of the plurality of holes provided in the first stage is larger than the size of the holes of the plurality of holes provided in the second stage, It may be even softer.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the rail comprises first and second outer rails that are laterally spaced apart, and the tearable member comprises a center rail. A plurality of fender panels are positioned on each side of the crash attenuator along the length of the crash attenuator. When the collision shock absorber is hit by a vehicle, the foremost fender panel among the plurality of fender panels is adapted to slide in parallel with the rearmost fender panel among the plurality of fender panels. . The nose box is installed at the forefront of the collision shock absorber. In certain embodiments, the tearable member is stationary and the tearable member moves in response to impact forces, which can also vary based on design goals.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a crash absorber system for use on the front of a fixed structure. The system has a base portion and a first outer rail extending along the length of the base portion and a first outer rail also extending along the length of the base portion. and a plurality of spaced apart transverse beams, said transverse beams extending beyond the width of said base portion and extending said first outer rail to said It is connected to the second outer rail. The upper dampener portion initially includes a plurality of bulkheads disposed in spaced relationship along the length of the base portion. Each one of the plurality of bulkheads has a proximal end adapted to be movably joined to a respective one of the first outer rail and the second outer rail, and the forward end of the upper shock absorber portion When receiving an impact force from an erroneous vehicle, one of the plurality of bulkheads moves rearward along the first and second outer rails and collides with a second of the plurality of bulkheads; Both the first and second bulkheads of the plurality of bulkheads move further rearward along the first and second outer rails, until the impact force is completely damped against more bulkheads of the plurality of bulkheads. Continue this process. A tearing member is mounted on the upper damper portion, said tearing member being adapted to be bonded to the material forming the tearable member of the upper damper portion to apply an impact force to the crash shock absorber system. When applied, the tearing member and the tearable member move relative to each other and the tearing member tears the tearable member, thereby increasing the attenuation of the impact force.

Yet another aspect of the present invention discloses a method of attenuating a crash impact force applied by an errant vehicle, which otherwise collides with a stationary object. The method includes the following steps. impact force by a front end of a crash shock absorber having a base portion and an upper damper portion, and one or more members of the upper damper portion reacting to the impact force rearwardly along the base portion; Moving. A further step is that as the one or more members of the upper damper portion move rearwardly, the tearing member mounted on the crash damper tears the tearable material mounted on the crash damper. , the tearing of the material creates an impact-attenuating force.

In some variations of the above method, the tear member is a protrusion provided on one of the one or more members of the upper shock absorber portion that initially joins a hole formed in the tearable material. It is The tearable material has a plurality of perforations longitudinally arranged in a spaced relationship, and the tearing step is performed between the initially joined perforation and an adjacent one of the plurality of perforations. Including tearing the material to form a gap. One or more members of the upper shock absorber portion comprise one or more bulkheads and the tearable material includes rails forming part of the base portion.

The invention and its additional features and advantages are best understood by reference to the following accompanying drawing depictions in combination.

1 is an isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a crash attenuator constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, shown oriented in a deployment orientation; FIG. FIG. 2 is an isometric view similar to FIG. 1 , with the crash absorber oriented in partial compression, eliminating tearing by eliminating the innovative tearing member in the crash absorber shown; , and holes or holes in the center rail are visible. FIG. 3 is an isometric view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating the tear member of the present invention with tearing of the front hole 38 occurring and the impact force attenuated. Figure 3 is an isometric view similar to Figures 1 and 2 with the crash absorber oriented in full compression, but with the tear member of the present invention already eliminated so no tearing occurs; Also, holes or holes in the center rail are visible. FIG. 5 is an isometric view similar to FIG. 4 showing the presence of the tear member of the present invention and the tearing of the front hole 38 to reduce the impact force. It is the rear view seen from the front end of the collision impact attenuator.

Reference will now be made more particularly to the accompanying drawings. Figures 1-6 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the fixed impact absorber system 10 described above. The system is sacrificially designed because it is used for one-off impacts and then replaced. Therefore, although the design and structure are designed to be inexpensive and simple, they are very effective in protecting vehicle occupants.

The design of the system 10 considers that it meets the United States Federal TL (Test Level)-3 crash attenuation specification, its narrow profile, bi-directional capability, and MASH (Hardware Safety Assessment Manual) Conformable, inexpensive, and independent (of course, it does not have to be connected to a rigid body).
The system is simple in design, easy to manufacture (materials are all standard sizes and shapes, fender panels are based on standard Three Beams) and easy to assemble. , and can be shipped as a complete assembly. The base is a drill template that drills the anchor holes in the assembled condition of the unit 10 . In an exemplary embodiment, the unit is designed to be approximately 20-24 feet in length. Its width is 32 inches or even less, allowing for transportation of three wide units 10 on a truck. Height is 32-36 inches. Unit 10 may be moored on concrete, asphalt, or a mixture of both, and is anchored using standard anchors and adhesives. Suitable for use within the temperature range of -40°F to 150+°F.

In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the system 10 comprises a base portion 12 having a ladder frame design, with a plurality of transverse beams 14 and center rails supporting first and second outer rails 16 and 18, respectively. Includes rails 20 . The crossbeam 14 has anchor holes 22 through which the base is anchored to the ground using bolt anchors or other suitable mechanical fastening members. In some situations, an adhesive may be substituted or used simultaneously. In the embodiment shown, the outer and inner sides of the first and second outer rails 16 , 18 are provided with anchor holes 22 spaced along the length of each cross beam 14 .

System 10 further includes an upper shock absorber portion 24 that includes a nose box 26 , a plurality of diaphragms 28 and a plurality of fender panels 30 .
The nose box 26 may have a warning sign 32 and may have a crushable member at its front and behind the sign 32 . The nose box 26 supports the loads associated with frontal, side and angled nose crashes and is supported by rollers 34 which support the rearward movement of the front faceplate along the outer rails 16,18. Allowed. Rollers 34 are designed to prevent binding/locking during angled nose impacts. Damping is activated as the nose box 26 moves rearward after a vehicle impact.

A partition wall 28 is installed on the rear surface of the nose box 26 with a space therebetween. These are manufactured in standard shapes and sizes and have cross braces sized to match the load. Each cross brace is positioned to facilitate assembly of the fender panel 30 . As shown, each bulkhead 28 is slidably mounted on the outer rails 16, 18 at 36 base ends on each side thereof.

The fender panels 30 are standard in construction, employing standard three beams and preferably manufactured from 10 or 12-gauge steel. In the event of a vehicle crash, the shock absorber is compressed and the fender panels 30 are preferably designed to fit or overlap each other in a sliding fashion, as shown in FIGS. , as shown.
The length of the fender panel 30 is determined by the load during a side impact, and the fender panels are preferably commonly designed and interchangeable where possible. The bolts secure the frontmost fender panel 30 onto the nose box 26 and further secure the fender panel onto the bulkhead 28 . In the embodiment shown, other attachment methods may be used and the rear of fender panel 30 is secured by clips rather than slots. The system 10 design uses a standard three-beam transition piece.

The steel forming the fender panels may be galvanized and may be A36, A513 or A517, for example.

Various methods for attenuating impact/impact forces are all within the scope of the present invention. For example, a ripper plate may be used, which has varying and graduated thickness and shape and is attenuated in a graduated manner, or laser/plasma cut into patterns to provide a graduated There is a cutter that is attenuated or located on the nose box 26, for example. Shearing bolts may also be used, including, for example, a double shear method or a cutter on nose box 26 .
Expired wire rope stages include wire rope loops pulled to expiration, knotted tube arches, honeycomb cartridges (aluminum, steel, or plastic), crushable foam-filled cartridges, sand-filled cartridges, Small gravel-filled cartridge, water-filled cartridge, glass-bead-in-oil-filled cartridge, metal strip pulled by offset roller, friction brake pulled by wire rope, friction brake on bar stock , or velocity magnets (magnetic damping) are all potentially possible examples.

1-6 illustrate the damping method, which comprises a center rail 20. FIG. As shown, the rails 20 are mounted to be vertically fixed on the cross beams 14 of the base portion 12 . As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a plurality of holes or holes 38 are spaced along the length of rail 20 .

In the event of a vehicle collision, the upper shock absorber portion 24 will move rearward and damping will occur, thereby absorbing the impact energy of the collision. Such damping capability utilizes one or more innovative shear bolts or tear members 40 (see FIGS. 3, 5 and 6) which extend from shock absorber section 24 and into apertures 38. are spliced. Incidentally, FIGS. 3 and 5 exclude the tearing member 40 and show the hole 38, and FIGS. is. Terms such as "tear", "rip", "shear", "slice", "cut" are used interchangeably in this application, and a slit is used in the material. Any process that occurs to dissipate and dampen the impact energy is identified. The terms "tear", "tearing", "tearable", etc. are used in the text and appended claims as alternatives to any of the above terms, and are used in place of longitudinal gaps in the crash shock absorber member. is used to attenuate the impact energy and includes any of these terms with a sufficiently broad scope.

In the embodiment shown, the tear member 40 is placed on the frontmost diaphragm 28 . As shown, a plurality of tear members 40 may be employed within the scope of the present invention, spaced laterally on a single bulkhead 28 to tear corresponding structural members, e.g. , rail 20 , or opposing sides of rail 20 , or alternatively employ one or more tearing members 40 in one or more of the plurality of partitions 28 .
As shown in Figures 2b and 3b, as the dampener portion 24 moves rearwardly, the holes 38 are torn by the tear member 40, tearing the material forming the rails 20 between the holes 38, thereby , forming a gap 42 in the hole 38 to absorb most of the impact force. By modifying the spacing of the holes 38 in different stages of the rail 20 and/or modifying the size of the holes, the holes 38 can be adjusted to optimize tearing, thereby optimizing the damping effect. do. For example, by spacing or making the holes 38 in the forward portion of the rail 20 more closely spaced or elongated, the rail becomes "softer" when compressed, and the holes 38 in the more rearward portion of the rail 20 become "softer" when compressed. They may be made smaller, stretched less, and spaced farther apart in order to dampen higher forces by making these portions of the shock absorber "harder" as they are squeezed.
Also, if desired, the rail 20 could be made of thinner material (gauge) at the front and thicker material (gauge) at the rear for similar reasons. This enhances the "adjustability" of rail 20 . Also, if desired, the material of the rail itself may be modified by proceeding along the rail from front to back, from one stage to the next, along with the shock absorber. Of course, in the illustrated embodiment the soft part is preferably in front and the hard part is in back, although different design considerations dictate different directions, e.g. You can put the hard part in front.

The bulkhead 28 transfers lateral impact loads from the bulkhead to the road surface by way of the cross beams 14 and anchor members 22 . This makes the road surface itself a structural member of the shock absorber system 10 as opposed to the road surface anchor.

From the above, important features of the present invention are, for example,
1) low cost;
2) being self-contained (not a final treatment - not providing structural support with a shielded structure);
3) Easy to assemble - the 20 foot long assembly can be trucked to the job site and easily bolted to the ground - standard material lengths make transportation even easier;
4) include tunability that can be modified to accommodate different collision standards and applications.

The invention may be embodied in many other forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the above-described embodiments are merely examples in every respect and should not be construed in a restrictive manner. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims and is not restricted by the text of the specification. Furthermore, all modifications and changes within the equivalent scope of claims are within the scope of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 system 10 unit 12 base 14 cross beam 20 center rail 22 anchor hole 16 first outer rail 18 second outer rail 24 upper shock absorber section 26 nose box 28 bulkhead 30 fender panel 32 warning sign 34 roller 36 proximal end 38 hole 40 tearing member

Claims (25)

A crash shock absorber system for use in the front of a fixed structure, comprising:
a rail extending along the length of the crash shock absorber system;
a plurality of bulkheads initially arranged in spaced relationship along the length of said rail, each one of said plurality of bulkheads being adapted to be movably joined to said rail at a proximal end thereof; wherein one of the plurality of bulkheads moves rearward along the rail and the plurality of bulkheads when the front end of the crash absorber system is subjected to an impact force from a errant vehicle. , and the first and second ones of the plurality of bulkheads move further rearward along the rail, in the process until the impact force is completely damped. a plurality of diaphragms that persistently use other ones of the diaphragms;
A tear member suitable to be bonded on the crash cushion system to a material forming a tearable member of the crash cushion system, wherein an impact force is applied to the crash cushion system. a tearing member that, when pressed, moves relative to the tearing member and the tearable member, and the tearing member tears the tearable member, thereby increasing the attenuation of the impact force. do,
Collision shock absorber system. 2. The crash absorber system of claim 1, wherein said tear member comprises a bolt. 2. The crash absorber system of claim 1, wherein said tear member is located on one of said plurality of bulkheads. 4. The crash absorber system of claim 3, wherein said tear member is located on the proximal end of a first one of said plurality of bulkheads. 2. The crash shock absorber of claim 1, wherein said tear member comprises a plurality of tear members. The tearable member extends along at least a portion of the length of the crash shock absorber and includes a plurality of apertures disposed therein, the plurality of apertures running the length of the tearable member. and are longitudinally spaced apart from each other, the tear member being joined to one of the plurality of apertures and, upon application of an impact force to the crash shock absorber, tearable member and Relative motion is generated between the tear member, the relative motion causing the tear member to tear material between adjacent ones of the plurality of holes, thereby creating a continuous gap, and 2. A collision impact attenuating device according to claim 1, wherein the tearing of the material produces an effect of attenuating the impact force. 7. The crash attenuator of claim 6, wherein said plurality of apertures are unevenly spaced along the length of the tearable member in which said plurality of apertures are provided. The distance between adjacent holes that are closer to one of the front and rear ends of the crash attenuator of the plurality of holes is the front end and the rear end of the crash attenuator of the plurality of holes. 8. A collision impact attenuator according to claim 7, wherein the distance between adjacent holes closer to the other end thereof is closer than that of the adjacent holes. 7. The collision shock absorber of claim 6, wherein the plurality of holes have different sizes. The hole that is closer to one of the front end and the rear end of the collision impact attenuator among the plurality of holes is the other of the plurality of holes that is the front end and the rear end of the collision impact attenuator. 9. A crash impact attenuator as claimed in claim 8, wherein the hole is larger and more elongated than the hole closer to the end. The material forming the tearable member toward one of the front and rear ends of the crash buffer is thinner, and the material forming the tearable member is thinner toward the other of the front and rear ends of the crash buffer. 7. A crash shock absorber according to claim 6, wherein the material forming the tearable member is thicker. The tearable member extends from one of the front end and the rear end of the crash shock absorber toward the other end of the first end and the second end of the crash shock absorber, and the tearable member has a plurality of A first step directed to one of the front and rear ends of the crash attenuator and a second step directed to the other of the first and second ends of the crash attenuator. 7. A collision shock absorber according to claim 6, characterized in that it is softer than the two stages. One of the front end and the rear end of the collision shock absorber is the front end of the collision shock absorber, and the other end of the first end and the second end of the collision shock absorber is the collision shock absorber. 13. A crash impact attenuator as claimed in claim 12, which is the rear end of the device. 13. A crash shock absorber according to claim 12, wherein the material forming said first stage is thinner than the material forming said second stage, thereby making said first stage softer. Device. Since the holes of the plurality of holes provided in the first stage are closer than the holes of the plurality of holes provided in the second stage, the first stage 13. A crash shock absorber according to claim 12, wherein the is softer. Since a hole of the plurality of holes provided in the first stage is larger than a hole size of the plurality of holes provided in the second stage, the first stage further 13. A crash shock absorber according to claim 12, characterized in that it is soft. 2. The crash attenuator of claim 1, wherein said rail comprises a first outer rail and a second outer rail that are widthwise spaced apart, and wherein said tearable member comprises a center rail. further comprising a plurality of fender panels positioned along each side of the crash attenuator along the length of the crash attenuator, wherein if the crash attenuator is impacted by a vehicle, one of the plurality of fender panels 2. The crash attenuator of claim 1, wherein a foremost plurality of fender panels is adapted to slide over a last plurality of said fender panels. 2. The collision shock absorber according to claim 1, further comprising a nose box installed at the foremost end of the collision shock absorber. 2. A crash shock absorber according to claim 1, wherein said tearable member is stationary and said tearable member moves in response to said impact force. A crash shock absorber system for use in the front of a fixed structure, comprising:
A base portion having a first outer rail extending along the length of the base portion and a second outer rail spaced from the first outer rail and extending along the length of the base portion. a base portion comprising an outer rail and a plurality of spaced apart transverse beams extending beyond the width of the base portion and connecting said first outer rail to said second outer rail; ,
an upper shock absorber portion initially comprising a plurality of bulkheads spaced along the length of said base portion, said plurality of bulkheads all being said first outer rail and said second outer rail; said plurality of bulkheads each having a proximal end adapted to be movably joined to a respective one of the rails in the event the front end of said upper shock absorber portion is subjected to an impact force from a errant vehicle; one of the plurality of partitions moves rearward along the first and second outer rails and collides with the second of the plurality of partitions, and the first and two of the plurality of partitions An upper shock absorber that continues to use the other bulkheads of the plurality of bulkheads until the bulkhead moves further rearward along the first and second outer rails and the impact force is completely attenuated in the process. a device part;
a tear member mounted on said upper damper portion, said tear member adapted to be bonded to the material forming the tearable member of said upper damper portion, said crash shock absorber system a tearing member in which the tearing member and the tearable member move relative to each other when an impact force is applied to the tearing member, and the tearing member tears the tearable member, thereby increasing the attenuation of the impact force. characterized by
Collision shock absorber system. 1. A method of attenuating a crash impact force exerted by an errant vehicle, said errant vehicle otherwise colliding with an immovable object,
subjecting a front end of a crash shock absorber having a base portion and an upper shock absorber portion to an impact force;
one or more members of the upper shock absorber portion moving rearwardly along the base portion in response to an impact force;
when the one or more members of the upper damper portion move rearwardly, a tearing member mounted on the crash dampener tears a tearable material mounted on the crash dampener; and the tearing of the tearable material produces an effect of attenuating the impact force.
Method. Said tear member is a projection provided on one of said one or more members of said upper shock absorber portion, said projection initially joined to a hole formed in said tearable material. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein: There is a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes in the tearable material, and the tearing step comprises removing the first joined hole and an adjacent one of the plurality of holes. 24. The method of claim 23, comprising tearing the tearable material between adjacent holes to form a gap. 25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said one or more members of said upper dampener portion comprise one or more septums, and said tearable material comprises a rail forming part of said base portion. described method.

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