An energy absorbing assembly for attachment to a vehicle, comprising: a beam, wherein the beam comprises a curved portion contiguous with and oriented between a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the curved portion comprises a front side and a back side; a first crash can extending from the first end portion of the beam, the first crash can including cavity formed by sides extending from a first attachment face, with a first protrusion projecting forward from the attachment face toward the front side of the beam, and the first crash can extending behind the back side of the beam at the first end portion; wherein the first protrusion extend from the first attachment face by an amount that is greater than or equal to 110% of a distance that the first sides extend from the first attachment face.

The present invention is about a bumper beam comprising: a first end portion and a second end portion, a center beam contiguous with and oriented between the first end portion and the second end portion, wherein the center beam comprises a front face and a back face; wherein the center beam has a center section and end sections at opposite ends of the center section, the end sections being adjacent to the end portions, respectively, wherein the center beam comprises horizontal and vertical ribs extending from the front face and the back face and/or between the front face and the back face, wherein the bumper beam is made of a plastic material.

An energy absorber for a vehicle, comprising: a continuous beam to extend across a width of vehicle, the beam defining a plurality of inward facing cavities in a center section, with adjacent inward facing cavities separated from one another by an inward facing rib, and at each end portion a plurality of outward facing cavities, with adjacent outward facing cavities separated from one another by an outward facing rib, wherein the center section includes a panel that is continuous on its outward side, and that forms a relative bottom of each of the plurality of inward facing cavities with its inward face.

Polymeric shock absorbing element for a vehicle including a substantially honeycomb structure having a plurality of channels which has a lateral external surface extending from a first open frontal end to a second open rear end, the shock absorbing element insertable and securable within an internal lateral cavity of a chassis of said vehicle, the internal lateral cavity being defined by at least two metallic plates. The lateral external surface includes at least one substantially planar face positioned on one side of the polymeric shock absorbing element and the additionally includes at least one metallic fixing element having a central portion which in turn includes a first central wall which is made integral with a corresponding substantially planar face of the lateral external surface, the at least one metallic fixing element additionally includes a plurality of side stiffeners which are weldable or made integral with the two metallic sheets.

An electrically powered motor vehicle includes a main frame, a front axle assembly, and a rear axle assembly. The main frame includes a front frame subassembly, a floor-panel subassembly, a rear frame subassembly, and a top frame subassembly. Each of these frame subassemblies includes a lattice structure including steel box-section elements, preferably high-strength steel elements. Each of the frame subassemblies is prearranged for being pre-assembled separately and then subsequently assembled together with the other subassemblies to constitute the main frame. The structure is such as to afford high flexibility of production, and presents at the same time considerable safety characteristics, thanks to a high capacity of absorption of impact energy. In one embodiment designed for transport of goods, the motor vehicle is equipped with a transporting body having a hollow-walled body made of plastic material, filled with foamed plastic material, preferably obtained with the rotational-moulding technique.

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.

An energy-absorbing device includes a beam having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of lobes attached to and positioned sequentially along the beam. The lobes are spaced from each other, deformable relative to the beam, and configured to contact adjacent lobes when deformed. The size and spacing of the lobes is such that if a single lobe is deformed, the lobe will not contact adjacent lobes, but if adjacent lobes are deformed, the lobes will contact each other.

An energy absorbing assembly for attachment to a vehicle, comprising: a beam, wherein the beam comprises a curved portion contiguous with and oriented between a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the curved portion comprises a front side and a back side; a first crash can extending from the first end portion of the beam, the first crash can including cavity formed by sides extending from a first attachment face, with a first protrusion projecting forward from the attachment face toward the front side of the beam, and the first crash can extending behind the back side of the beam at the first end portion; wherein the first protrusion extend from the first attachment face by an amount that is greater than or equal to 110% of a distance that the first sides extend from the first attachment face.

A bumper module for a vehicle includes at least one shaped part that is unitarily deep-drawn from a sheet material. The shaped part has two connecting flanges facing a back side for fastening to side members of the vehicle and an arch which is pre-curved towards a front side connecting the connecting flanges. At least in lateral portions of the arch, the sheet material is laid into folds, which are elongated from the back side towards the front side.

An approach to designing lightweight metal-polymer composite structures in a manner that decomposes the structure into at least two parts. In one specific embodiment, the approach is a manufacturing process for a vehicle that includes attaching an impact beam to a vehicle structure. The process includes providing a vehicle structure including a back plate of the impact beam being made of a suitable material, such as a metal, that can withstand high temperature processes. A front part of the impact beam including a front plate and a polymer core is attached to the back plate. The back plate is designed to provide structural integrity that allows the vehicle structure to go through the high temperature processes and/or the vehicle structure provides structural integrity that allows the back plate to go through the one or more processes. The back plate is also designed to provide desired functional characteristics of the beam.