An impact absorber includes an energy absorbing member that is formed of a composite material and absorbs impact energy by crushing in a predetermined crush direction, an outer tube member surrounding the periphery of the energy absorbing member over the energy absorbing member along the crush direction to prevent foreign objects from entering or impacting the energy absorbing member, and a pressing member in contact with the front end of the energy absorbing member and the front end of the outer tube member to press the energy absorbing member and the outer tube member simultaneously in the crush direction to thereby crush them. The outer tube member formed in a shape in which tubular portions are coupled in the crush direction, and is crushed in the crush direction while the tubular portions are regularly folded when the outer tube member is pressed by the pressing member in the crush direction.

The present invention relates to a front bumper system for a vehicle. A pair of front side members is arranged along a front-rear direction of the vehicle and arranged on opposite sides of the vehicle and on opposite sides of a cross member structure of the vehicle. Pair of crash box units are mechanically fixated to the front side members. A front bumper is laterally disposed and mechanically fixated to each of the crash box units. A lateral push element is mechanically fixed to one of the crash box units and being arranged to provide a load transfer path via the cross member structure towards the opposing front side member such that at least the front side member on the side of the lateral push element is moved towards the opposing front side member in the event of a crash.

A vehicle body structure includes a reinforcing material layer formed of a fiber reinforced resin and a vehicle skeleton member having a closed sectional structure formed of metal. The reinforcing material layer is bonded to a surface of the vehicle skeleton member having a recessed portion recessed toward an inside of the closed sectional structure. An adhesive is disposed at least between the recessed portion and the reinforcing material layer.

An impact absorbing portion and a bumper reinforcement are formed in one piece, so an intermediate member for connecting the impact absorbing portion to the bumper reinforcement is no longer necessary. Therefore, the generation of stress concentration is able to be inhibited. As a result, load transmission efficiency with which a load is transmitted from the bumper reinforcement to the impact absorbing portion is able to be improved.

A bumper beam includes an outer portion and an inner portion each extending between a top end and a bottom end. At least one of the outer portion or the inner portion includes a pair of geometrical features each of which are disposed in spaced relationship to one another and adjacent a respective one of the top or bottom ends. A top wall and a bottom wall each extend from one of the geometrical features to the other of the outer portion or the inner portion to interconnect the outer and inner portions of the bumper beam. The geometrical features can be varied in size and shape to change and tune the energy absorption properties of the bumper beam and ultimately provide for a bumper beam that is adaptable and flexible over a range of vehicle applications.

A crossmember for a bumper includes an extruded profile base frame with at least two connecting areas, for attaching the crossmember to a vehicle structure, and which are set at a distance from each other along a longitudinal direction. An extruded reinforcing element is fixedly secured to a rear side of the extruded profile base frame between the at least two connecting areas. The crossmember is weight-optimized and which can be produced in a cost-effective manner.

A beam configured to couple to a vehicle includes end areas comprising end midpoints that are equidistant from a top face and a bottom face on a vertical axis when the beam is positioned on a vehicle, and a central area positioned between the end areas, the central area having a central area midpoint that is equidistant from the top face and the bottom face on the vertical axis when the beam is positioned on a vehicle and that is positioned in the center of the beam along the longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axis of the beam passes through the end area, wherein the central area is capable of rotating about the longitudinal axis when the beam is impacted by an applied force.

A vehicle hood covering an underhood object includes an inner surface of the vehicle hood facing the underhood object and spaced from the underhood object, and an outer surface of the vehicle hood opposite the inner surface. A local energy absorber is operatively attached to the inner surface of the vehicle hood. The local energy absorber is a multiply-connected structure. The local energy absorber includes a wall defining an interior surface having symmetry about a central plane normal to the inner surface of the vehicle hood. A plurality of apertures is defined in the wall symmetrically about the central plane to initiate buckling and fracture in the wall during an impact applied to the outer surface defining an impact event having a duration of less than 20 milliseconds.

An impact absorbing device may include a support beam with a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The first side may be designed to be closer to a passenger compartment of a vehicle than the second side. The support beam may also define a first aperture extending through the support beam from the first side to the second side. The impact absorbing device may also include an energy absorbing member associated with the second side of the support beam, which may defines a second aperture that is substantially aligned with the first aperture of the support beam. The first and second apertures may be configured to provide flow communication through the impact absorbing device.

A method of extruding a component includes: creating a first design of a component, wherein in the first design the component comprises a member and is configured for an implementation; adding at least one radial fin to the member in the first design, the member and the radial fins being a second design of the component; extruding a piece that conforms to the second design and has at least one extruded radial fin; and altering the extruded radial fin on the extruded piece, the alteration adding or enhancing a structural property of the component in the implementation.