IMPACT ENERGY ABSORBING APPARATUS

Abstract

An impact energy absorbing apparatus includes: a base, an axial crush component, a top plate, and an energy transfer component. The base is fastened to a protected object, and a tapered hole is provided on a top surface of the base. A bottom end face of the metal hollow rod of the axial crush component is joined with the top surface of the base. The energy transfer component includes a force bearing plate and a guiding rod extending outwards, where the force bearing plate is superimposed on a top surface of the metal hollow rod, the guiding rod is inserted to a position corresponding to the tapered hole in the metal hollow rod, an outer diameter of the guiding rod is less than a greatest diameter of the tapered hole, an inner diameter of the guiding rod is greater than a smallest diameter of the tapered hole.

Claims

1. An impact energy absorbing apparatus, adapted to reduce an impact on a protected object, wherein a structure of the impact energy absorbing apparatus comprises at least: a base, fastened to the protected object, wherein a tapered hole is provided on the base, and a greatest diameter of the tapered hole is on a top surface of the tapered hole; an axial crush component, comprising a metal hollow rod, wherein a bottom end face of the metal hollow rod is joined with a top surface of the base on a periphery of the tapered hole; and an energy transfer component, comprising a force bearing plate and a hollow guiding rod perpendicularly protruding outwards from the force bearing plate, wherein the force bearing plate is superimposed on a top end face of the metal hollow rod, the guiding rod is inserted to a position corresponding to the tapered hole in the metal hollow rod, an outer diameter of the guiding rod is less than a greatest diameter of the tapered hole, an inner diameter of the guiding rod is greater than a smallest diameter of the tapered hole, and an end of the guiding rod is at a part of the tapered hole having the greatest diameter or passes through the tapered hole.

2. The impact energy absorbing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of corrugated folding guiding portions is disposed in an encircling manner on a pipe wall between the top end face and the bottom end face of the metal hollow rod at intervals.

3. The impact energy absorbing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein deformation resistance rigidity of the folding guiding portion of the axial crush component is less than those of the base and the guiding rod, and deformation resistance rigidity of the guiding rod is less than deformation resistance rigidity of the tapered hole of the base.

4. The impact energy absorbing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein rigidity of the folding guiding portions of the axial crush component gradually decreases from a diameter of the bottom end face of the metal hollow rod to the top end face.

5. The impact energy absorbing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the metal hollow rod of the axial crush component is a tapered pipe having a greater diameter at the bottom end face than at the top end face.

6. The impact energy absorbing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bottom end face of the metal hollow rod of the axial crush component or the top end face of the metal hollow rod comprises an end plate portion extending inwards or outwards.

7. The impact energy absorbing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the folding guiding portions are formed by pipe walls of the metal hollow rod protruding outwards or recessed inwards.

8. The impact energy absorbing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the folding guiding portions are formed by pipe walls of the metal hollow rod protruding outwards or recessed inwards.

9. The impact energy absorbing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tapered hole of the base is formed by stamping a plate metal of the base.

10. The impact energy absorbing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tapered hole of the base is formed by cutting a plate thickness of the base.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are schematic diagrams of an impact energy absorbing system before and after impact absorption in the related art;

[0016] FIG. 2 is an exploded side view of an impact energy absorbing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 3 is a side view of assembly of the impact energy absorbing apparatus in FIG. 2;

[0018] FIG. 4 is a side view of assembly of an impact energy absorbing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

[0019] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of structural deformation of the impact energy absorbing apparatus in FIG. 4 under an impact of an external force.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The embodiments of the present invention are described below in detail with reference to drawings. The accompanying drawings are mainly simplified schematic diagrams, and only exemplarily show basic structures of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings show only components related to the present invention. Displayed components are not drawn based on quantities, shapes, sizes, proportions, and the like during implementation, and specifications and sizes thereof during actual implementation are optionally designed, and arrangement and forms of the components thereof may be more complex.

[0021] First, refer to FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5. An impact energy absorbing apparatus 2 in an embodiment absorbs external impact energy by deformation, to reduce deformation and damage degrees of a protected object B. A structure of the impact energy absorbing apparatus 2 includes: a base 21, an axial crush component 22, and an energy transfer component 23. The base 21 may be fastened to the protected object B (usually an extending structure such as front, rear, and lateral beams outside a vehicle member cabin) by using a common thread-connected fastening technology. A tapered hole 2111 is provided on a top surface 211 of the base 21, a greatest diameter of the tapered hole 2111 is on a top surface of the tapered hole 2111, and a smallest diameter of the tapered hole 2111 may be provided on a bottom surface of the tapered hole 2111 or between the top surface and the bottom surface of the tapered hole 2111. The axial crush component 22 includes a metal hollow rod 221, and a bottom end face 2213 of the metal hollow rod 221 is joined with the top surface 211 of the base 21 on a periphery of the tapered hole 2111. The energy transfer component 23 includes a force bearing plate 231 and a hollow guiding rod 232 perpendicularly protruding outwards from the force bearing plate 231. The force bearing plate 231 is superimposed on a top end face 2211 of the metal hollow rod 221. The guiding rod 232 is inserted to a position corresponding to the tapered hole 2111 in the metal hollow rod 221 of the axial crush component 22, and the guiding rod 232 is a straight pipe. An outer diameter 2321 of the guiding rod 232 is less than a greatest diameter 21111 of the tapered hole 2111, an inner diameter 2322 of the guiding rod 232 is greater than a smallest diameter 21112 of the tapered hole 2111, and an end of the guiding rod 232 is at (or abuts against) a part of the tapered hole 2111 having the greatest diameter 21111 or passes through the tapered hole 2111. Particularly, in the foregoing components, deformation resistance rigidity of a folding guiding portion 22121 of the axial crush component 22 is less than those of the base 21 and the guiding rod 232, and deformation resistance rigidity of the guiding rod 232 is less than deformation resistance rigidity of the tapered hole 2111 of the base 21.

[0022] In configuration of the foregoing components, when the force bearing plate 231 of the energy transfer component 23 receives a pressing external impact force F, the force bearing plate 231 transfers the energy to the axial crush component 22, and the axial crush component 22 transfers the energy to the base 21. When the axial crush component 22 bears an impact of the axial external impact force F, because a bottom of the axial crush component 22 is fastened to the base 21 having relatively large rigidity, the external impact force F causes the folding guiding portion 22121 of a pipe wall 2212 of the metal hollow rod 221 of the axial crush component 22 to generate deformation, to absorb the external force transferred to the metal hollow rod 221. Besides, when the metal hollow rod 221 axially crushes and deforms, the guiding rod 232 of the energy transfer component 23 is inserted to a greatest aperture 21111 of the tapered hole 2111. In addition, because the outer diameter 2321 of the guiding rod 232 is less than the greatest diameter 21111 of the tapered hole 2111, and the inner diameter 2322 of the guiding rod 232 is greater than the smallest diameter 21112 of the tapered hole 2111, the guiding rod 232 generates pipe compression and deformation of the pipe diameter when passing through the tapered hole 2111, to provide a mechanism for absorbing the external impact force F.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, another design that can absorb the external impact force F is as follows: a plurality of folding guiding portions 22121 having relatively weak rigidity may be disposed in an encircling manner on the pipe wall 2212 between the top end face 2211 and the bottom end face 2213 of the metal hollow rod 221 at intervals. For example, a plurality of corrugated folding guiding portions 22121 is disposed in an encircling manner at intervals, so that rigidity of a trough W1 of the folding guiding portion 22121 is weaker than rigidity of a peak W2, and the trough W1 may first deform under an impact. Because a cross section of the trough W1 is relatively small and easily deforms, the trough W1 has weak rigidity (as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5). Therefore, the metal hollow rod 221 may axially bend and crush when bearing an impact of the axial external impact force F of a central axis. In this way, the present invention is a design that provides a plurality of energy absorption structures without increasing space.

[0024] In addition, to be applied to different vehicle types, a material, a thickness, a shape, a length, and an angle of the axial crush component 22 in the present invention all may change, to conform to absorption of the force F.

[0025] It should be noted that in the foregoing embodiment, the force bearing plate 231 and the guiding rod 232 of the energy transfer component 23 are joined by means of welding, but are not limited to this joining method. For example, a method of joining by using glue is used. In addition, the metal hollow rod 221 in the foregoing embodiment is a circular cylinder, or may actually be a square cylinder, as shown in the following embodiment.

[0026] In an embodiment, rigidity of the folding guiding portions 22121 of the axial crush component 22 gradually decreases from the bottom end face 2213 of the metal hollow rod 221 to the top end face 2211, so that the folding guiding portion 22121 of the top end face 2211 may first generate deformation sequentially when the metal hollow rod 221 bears an axial impact, so that a deformation direction maintains at a center of the metal hollow rod 221.

[0027] In an embodiment, the metal hollow rod 221 of the axial crush component 22 is a tapered pipe having a greater diameter at the bottom end face 2213 than at the top end face 2211, to obtain a relatively large crushing deformation stroke.

[0028] In an embodiment, the bottom end face 2213 of the metal hollow rod 221 of the axial crush component 22 or the top the end face 2211 of the metal hollow rod 221 includes end plate portions (22111, 22131) extending towards an inner side or an outer side of the metal hollow rod 221, and the end plate portion 22131 joins with the base 21.

[0029] In an embodiment, the folding guiding portions 22121 are formed by corrugated pipe walls 2212 of the metal hollow rod 221 protruding outwards or recessed inwards.

[0030] In an embodiment, the tapered hole 211 of the base 21 is formed by stamping a plate metal of the base 21 or cutting a plate thickness of the base 21.

[0031] In an embodiment, the end of the guiding rod 232 of the energy transfer component 23 includes a guiding angle, so that the diameter 2321 of the end of the guiding rod 232 compresses inwards.

[0032] Refer to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. A difference between an impact energy absorbing apparatus 2 in this embodiment and the impact energy absorbing apparatus in the foregoing embodiment includes: a tapered hole 211 of a base 21 in this embodiment is formed by cutting a plate thickness of the base 21; a metal hollow rod 221 of an axial crush component 22 in this embodiment is a square cylinder, and no end plate portion is designed on an end face of the metal hollow rod 221 in this embodiment. In a structural combination thereof, the base 21 is similarly fastened to a protected object, a guiding rod 232 of an energy transfer component 23 passes through the axial crush component 22, and an end of the guiding rod 232 is located at a tapered hole 2111. When the energy transfer component 23 transfers impact energy, the guiding rod 232 is inserted to the tapered hole 2111 and generates a pipe compression energy absorption effect. In addition, the axial crush component 22 bears energy transferred by a force bearing plate 231, so that a folding guiding portion 22121 generates a folding deformation energy absorption effect.

[0033] The foregoing implementation forms only exemplarily describe the principle, the feature, and the effect of the present invention, instead of limiting the implementable scope of the present invention, and any person skilled in the art can modify and change the foregoing implementations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Any equivalent change and modification made based on the content disclosed in the present invention shall still be subject to the appended claims. Therefore, the right protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the claims.