Patent ID: 6315350
Filing Date: 2001-11-13
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
An impact energy absorbing structure in an upper portion of a motor vehicle body, comprising:a roof side rail extending in a front-rear direction with respect to the motor vehicle body;a roof lining disposed at a compartment side of the roof side rail and spaced from the roof side rail by an interval; anda resin-made energy absorbing body disposed in the interval and having at least three longitudinal ribs that extend substantially in the front-rear direction and transverse ribs that are more in number than the at least three longitudinal ribs and that extend in a direction that substantially intersects with the longitudinal ribs, at least one of the at least three longitudinal ribs having a length different from others of the at least three longitudinal ribs so as to have a different amount of displacement relative to the others, the at least three longitudinal ribs being formed so as to compensate for the difference in displacement amount due to the length difference for a purpose of energy absorption in a section of the energy absorbing body taken on an imaginary plane extending along at least one of the transverse ribs, by varying at least one of a pitch between two longitudinal ribs provided adjacent to each other in the section, an angle formed by each longitudinal rib with respect to an imaginary horizontal plane in the section, and a thickness of each longitudinal rib.