Patent ID: 7695052
Filing Date: 2010-04-13
Classification: B60R,B62D

Abstract:
1. A frame for a vehicle comprising: a frame defining an engine mount zone; a front bumper; a pair of energy absorbing rails disposed parallel to each other and between the frame and the bumper, the energy absorbing rails extend solely in a forward direction and each have a front end and a back end, wherein the thickness of each rail varies from the front end of the rail to the back end of the rail with the compressive strength of the rail increasing from the front end of the rail to the back end of the rail, and wherein the energy absorbing rails progressively fold along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle during a frontal impact applied to the bumper at angles from 10 to 40 degrees relative to the fore and aft vehicle direction to substantially limit bending in the energy absorbing rails in a lateral direction away from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.