Vehicle body deformation control assembly

A vehicle body assembly including a portion that is subject to deformation during vehicle impact events includes a body component, and at least one deformation control plate carried by the vehicle body assembly to engage the body component and inhibit deformation of the body component beyond a threshold amount. The deformation control plate is arranged to engage with the frame component only when the frame component is deformed beyond a first amount. Further deformation of the frame component bends or otherwise deforms the deformation control plate which provides a force resisting further deformation of the frame component and also dissipates the kinetic impact energy away from the deforming area of the frame component.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a vehicle body assembly and more particularly to an assembly for controlling vehicle structural deformation during at least certain impact events.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Motor vehicle body assemblies are constructed and arranged to support and retain vehicle components and define a passenger cabin in which the driver and one or more passengers may sit in use of the vehicle. The shape and size of vehicle bodies depends upon several factors such as the desired exterior and interior size and aesthetics, aerodynamics, the location and size of included components, and the like.

Portions of the vehicle body assembly, may become deformed in certain vehicle impact events. Among these impact events are tests conducted by governmental, insurance and other agencies to determine the effect of certain impact events on different vehicles. These impact event tests may include full frontal vehicle collisions, offset frontal vehicle collisions, side impact collisions, rear collisions, and others. Some agencies use the data collected by these tests to issue ratings of vehicle body performance and structural integrity, and these ratings purport to be an indicator of the protection afforded to passengers of the vehicle in incidents similar to the tested conditions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A vehicle body assembly with a portion that is subject to deformation during vehicle impact events includes a body component, and at least one deformation control plate carried by the vehicle body assembly to engage the body component and inhibit deformation of the body component beyond a threshold amount. In one presently preferred implementation, the deformation control plate is attached to the vehicle body assembly and extends to at least one free end that is adjacent to a frame component and becomes engaged with the frame component only upon deformation of the frame component beyond a first or threshold amount. Further deformation of the frame component bends or otherwise deforms the deformation control plate which provides a force resisting further deformation of the frame component and also a mechanism through which some of the kinetic impact energy can be dissipated away from the deforming area of the frame component, and preferably away from a passenger compartment of the vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring in more detail to the drawings,FIG. 1illustrates a portion of a vehicle10having a body assembly12with a deformation control assembly14adapted to inhibit deformation of a portion of the vehicle body12beyond a threshold amount during a vehicle impact event. The vehicle body12, only a portion of which is shown inFIG. 1, generally includes a frame16, an exterior shell18carried by the frame16, and related components. The body12typically defines an engine compartment20, passenger compartment22and usually a trunk (not shown). The vehicle frame16preferably includes a pair of spaced and generally parallel primary rails24extending generally from the area of the front end toward the rear end of the vehicle, and one or more cross members26(one of which is shown inFIG. 3) interconnecting the primary rails. The primary rails24are preferably generally symmetrical and so only the primary rail24extending along the driver's side of the vehicle is shown and described although this disclosure may equally be applied to the passenger side rail or other vehicle body components. Often the frame16is integrated with the body12to form a so-called unibody.

As best shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the primary rails24may include a so-called “kick down” portion28which transitions the primary rails24from an elevated first or front rail portion30to a second or mid rail portion32extending beneath the passenger compartment22of the vehicle. The kick down portion28underlies at least a portion of a foot well34extending beneath a dashboard36with an engine compartment wall33between them. During relatively severe, high speed vehicle impact events, portions of the vehicle body or frame may impinge upon, deform and/or move various components of the passenger compartment22and thereby cause intrusion into the interior space of the passenger compartment22.

To inhibit or limit the intrusion into the passenger compartment22during some vehicle impact events, at least a portion of the deformation control assembly14preferably is disposed between the passenger compartment22and at least one adjacent vehicle body component. In one presently preferred implementation, the deformation control assembly14includes at least one deformation control plate40carried by a vehicle body component such as a primary rail24generally in an area adjacent to the passenger compartment22of the vehicle10in the embodiments shown herein, two control plates40are used. Each control plate40is independently carried by the rail24and independently engageable and functional during a vehicle impact event. Of course, any number of control plates40can be used as desired.

Each control plate40preferably is a generally elongate, rectangular metal plate extending generally parallel to the frame rail24which carries it, and has at least a portion adapted to engage an adjacent vehicle body component during a vehicle impact event to inhibit further deformation of the vehicle body component after its engagement with a deformation control plate40. The width, length, thickness, strength and resistance to deformation or bending of the control plate40can be varied as desired for a particular application. In one presently preferred implementation, the rail24that carries the control plate40is a generally rectangular box with opposed side walls35,37a lower wall39and an upper wall41that both span and interconnect the side walls35,37, and a hollow interior42in which the control plate40can readily be received. Each control plate40is preferably fixed to the vehicle rail between opposed ends44,46of the control plate40, such as by welding it to the side walls35,37of the rail24. The control plates40preferably are fixed to the rail so that at least one and preferably both ends44,46can be bent or deformed about the fixed portion of the control plates. Desirably, at least one and preferably both ends44,46of each control plate40are cantilevered from the fixed portion of the control plate. In one implementation, each control plate40may be carried by a separate cylindrical rod51(as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3) each of which is carried by the rail such as by disposing opposed ends of the rod51through openings in the rail. The rod51of each control plate40may be fixed to the rail24or may permit limited rotation of the control plates40upon initial engagement of the rail24with the control plates, as desired. Each control plate40may be disposed at an acute included angle relative to the general orientation of the rail24to which it is fixed, and may be bent to control engagement with the adjacent frame component and also the deformation characteristics and reactive force provided by the control plate40on the frame component during a vehicle impact event.

Therefore, in this embodiment each end44,46or adjacent portions of the control plate40may engage the rail24and each portion may be deformed or bent during a vehicle collision to limit the maximum deformation of adjacent components and help absorb, dissipate and distribute impact energy forces within the frame rail24and vehicle body generally. A first contact area48of each deformation control plate may be located generally adjacent to and includes the first end44which may be disposed adjacent to and adapted in some collisions to engage the lower wall39of the rail24in the area of the kick down28, as previously discussed. A second contact area49of the deformation control plate may be disposed adjacent to and includes the opposite end46and may also inhibit deformation of the lower wall39of the frame rail24or other frame or vehicle body component. Of course, other locations, constructions and arrangements of the deformation control plates40may be employed.

As best shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the deformation control assembly may further include a block plate50acarried by the adjacent vehicle body component (shown as rail24) and adapted to be moved into engagement with a deformation control plate40during some vehicle impact events. The block plate50ais positioned and oriented to better control and improve predictability of the engagement and deformation of the control plate40during a vehicle impact event. Also, as best shown inFIG. 2, additional block plates50b,50cmay be provided to engage a respective one of the ends46of the control plates40, if desired. Of course, the deformation control plates40may directly engage the vehicle body component without any block plates50a,50b,50cbetween them, as generally shown inFIG. 4.

In the presently preferred embodiment, one free end44of each control plate40is preferably spaced from the vehicle body component and/or a corresponding block plate50with which it may become engaged during a vehicle impact event by a distance equal to a threshold amount of deformation of that frame component. Accordingly, the ends44of the deformation control plates40only engage the vehicle body component and inhibit further deformation thereof after initial deformation of the vehicle body component beyond a threshold amount, which, for example, can be measured as a linear distance, such as between 20 mm and 100 mm, by way of example. Accordingly, in vehicle impact events that do not cause sufficient deformation of the vehicle body component, the ends44of the deformation control plates40are not engaged by the vehicle body component and do not provide any force inhibiting deformation of the vehicle body component. Generally, these impact events do not cause sufficient vehicle body deformation to cause significant passenger cabin intrusion or displacement of passenger cabin components. During a vehicle impact event wherein the vehicle body component is deformed sufficiently to engage the deformation control plates40, as shown inFIG. 4, the deformation control plates40provide a force resisting or inhibiting further deformation of the vehicle body component to limit its travel in the direction of bending of the control plates40, which in the preferred embodiment is in the direction of the passenger compartment22. The control plates40preferably are constructed and arranged to provide a first force on the vehicle body component during deformation of the vehicle body component up to a threshold amount and to provide an increased force on the vehicle body component after it has been deformed the threshold amount to inhibit deformation of the vehicle body component beyond the threshold amount. The first force may be zero, such as when the control plates are initially spaced from and not in contact with the vehicle body component prior to its deformation.

As best shown inFIG. 2, a deformable buffer portion54may be provided on a surface of a control plate40to engage an area of the rail24such as its upper waif41, to provide a spring, cushion or impact absorber to further dissipate energy during the vehicle impact event and inhibit or reduce intrusion into the passenger compartment22or displacement of components within the passenger compartment. The buffer portion54provides another contact area of the deformation control plates and may be disposed anywhere along the deformation control plate as desired, and more than one buffer portion may be used on a deformation control plate, as desired. The buffer portion54may also provide an area of reinforcement to provide localized bend points spaced from the fixed portion of the control plate40to permit further control of the bending and deformation of the control plate.

While shown with their ends44spaced from the vehicle body frame component (the rail24in this embodiment), one or more of the control plates40may be disposed with its free end contacting the vehicle body component prior to a vehicle impact event. The control plate or plates40may be configured so that they provide less resistance to deformation of the vehicle body component during an initial extent of the deformation or travel of the vehicle body component during a vehicle impact event, and a greater resistance to further deformation after a threshold amount of deformation. In this manner, the overall stiffness of the vehicle body component during its initial deformation is not significantly different with the control plate40than without the control plate40so that the magnitude of the impact load or force distributed within the passenger compartment22during such vehicle impact events is not significantly different.

One example of a vehicle impact event currently performed during New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) rating tests is a full-frontal collision wherein the front end of a vehicle traveling at 30 miles per hour is collided with a rigid barrier. As a result of this impact event at least a portion of the frame16is deformed, and the frame rail24in the area of the kick down28is deformed a first amount which will vary depending on the vehicle tested. Another example of a vehicle impact event is the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) vehicle test wherein a vehicle is collided at speed into a barrier that is offset so that only a portion of the front of the vehicle actually engages the barrier. Because only a portion of the front of the vehicle impacts the offset barrier, the majority of the impact force is transmitted to the frame rail on the side of the vehicle aligned with and engaged by the barrier. Under current IIHS test conditions, the frame rail24on the driver's side of the vehicle10is more severely deformed than during the NCAP test and hence, that frame rail24is deformed further than during a NCAP test crash event.

In one presently preferred embodiment of the control plates40, the ends44of each control plate40are spaced from the rail kick down portion28a distance at least equal to the first amount of deformation which occurs during an NCAP full frontal impact event. Accordingly, during a full-frontal impact event like that of an NCAP test, the rail kick down28is not deformed enough to significantly engage the control plates40. But, during an offset barrier impact test, and other impact events causing similar deformation of the rail24, the deformation control plates40preferably are engaged by the rail kick down portion28and act to retard and limit further deformation of that area of the frame, dissipate impact energy and distribute at least some of that energy within the frame rail24and generally away from the passenger compartment22of the vehicle10. Of course, the noted crash events are merely representative of a wide range of vehicle impact events that may occur in use of a vehicle, and the deformation control plates40may be active (i.e. significantly engaged by a vehicle body component) or inactive (i.e. not significantly engaged with a vehicle body component) during various of these events in accordance with a particular design of the vehicle10and the deformation control assembly14.

While certain preferred embodiments have been shown and described, persons of ordinary skill in this art will readily recognize that the preceding description has been set forth in terms of description rather than limitation, and that various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. By way of example without limitation, while the deformation control assembly has been shown and described as interacting with a vehicle frame component, the assembly may be utilized with other vehicle components or assemblies. Of course, still other modifications and substitutions can be made. The invention is defined by the following claims.