Patent ID: 6019419
Filing Date: 2000-02-01
Classification: B60R,B62D

Abstract:
A vehicle subject to full frontal and offset frontal impacts and having a pair of spaced hollow longitudinal composite side frame rails each having a peripheral wall, characterized by a crush control system for controlling the crush force of each rail as a function of the type of vehicle impact, comprisinga crush controller normally spaced from the front end of each rail including a body insertable into the rail, a plurality of crush initiators having an inoperative retracted position and an operative deployed position for initiating controlled crushing of the frame wall upon vehicle impact at a reduced force level, and an actuator operable to move the crush initiators between positions, andan impact sensor for each side of the vehicle and associated with only the actuator on the opposite side of the vehicle and operable when sensing a vehicle impact on the side of the vehicle having that impact sensor to operate its associated actuator on the opposite side of the vehicle to move the crush initiator between positions.