Patent ID: 6648384
Filing Date: 2003-11-18
Classification: B60R,F16F

Abstract:
An energy-absorbing crush tower adapted to support a bumper on a vehicle, comprising:a tube made of a continuous contiguous material and that has first and second ring sections connected by an interconnecting section, at least one of the first and second ring sections being heat-treated to a different material strength than the other of the first and second ring sections so that, upon receiving an end impact parallel a length of the tube, the first and second ring sections telescopingly collapse with a predictable and consistent multi-phase deformation sequence, the first and second ring sections each being cylindrically-shaped and defining diameters, and the interconnecting section having at least one transverse cross section that is circular and that defines a diameter different than the diameters of the first and second ring sections, and wherein the diameter of the interconnecting section is smaller than the diameter of the first and second ring sections, whereby the crush tower is configured to absorb optimal levels of energy at particular telescopingly-collapsed distances.