Patent Publication Number: US-2019184923-A1

Title: Vehicle impact absorbing system

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to vehicle safety structures that are configured to protect vehicle passengers during impact events. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Vehicles may include structures that are designed to absorb energy in order to protect vehicle passengers during impact events. 
     SUMMARY 
     A vehicle includes a rail, a bumper, and an impact absorber. The rail defines a keyed orifice. The impact absorber has a primary tube secured to the rail and bumper. The impact absorber also has a secondary tube that is rotatably secured and concentric to the primary tube. The secondary tube has a radially extending protrusion. The secondary tube is configured to slide into the orifice during an impact when the protrusion and orifice are aligned and to engage the rail during an impact when the protrusion and orifice are not aligned. 
     A vehicle includes a primary impact absorbing tube, a secondary impact absorbing tube, and a controller. The primary impact absorbing tube is secured to and extends between a rail and a bumper. The secondary impact absorbing tube is rotatably secured and concentric to the primary tube. The secondary tube has a radially extending protrusion. The secondary tube is configured to slide into a keyed orifice defined by the rail during an impact when the protrusion and orifice are aligned and to engage the rail during an impact when the protrusion and orifice are not aligned. The controller is programmed to, in response to vehicle speed exceeding a first threshold, rotate the secondary tube such that the protrusion and orifice are not aligned. 
     A vehicle impact absorbing system includes a first tube and a second tube. The first tube is secured to a rail and a bumper at opposing ends. The second tube is rotatably secured and concentric to the primary tube. The second tube has a radially extending protrusion. The second tube is configured to slide into a keyed orifice defined by the rail during an impact when the protrusion and orifice are aligned and to engage the rail during an impact when the protrusion and orifice are not aligned. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration of a representative vehicle; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of a vehicle bumper, an impact absorber, and a frame rail; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a portion of the impact absorber; 
         FIG. 4  is a cutaway partial perspective view of a first embodiment of the impact absorber; 
         FIG. 5A  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4  with an interior tube of the impact absorber in a first alignment position; 
         FIG. 5B  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4  with an interior tube of the impact absorber in a second alignment position; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the impact absorber taken along line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 7A  is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the impact absorber taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 2  with a pair of interior tubes of the impact absorber in first alignment positions; 
         FIG. 7B  is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the impact absorber taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 2  with the pair of interior tubes of the impact absorber in second alignment positions; and 
         FIG. 7C  is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the impact absorber taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 2  with the pair of interior tubes of the impact absorber in third alignment positions. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments may take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the embodiments. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures may be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a representative vehicle  10  is illustrated. The vehicle  10  includes a powertrain. The powertrain may include a power generator that is configured to generate torque and power within the powertrain, such as an internal combustion engine  12 . The vehicle operator may request a desired torque and/or power output of the engine  12  by depressing an accelerator pedal  14 . The powertrain may further include a gearbox  16 , a differential  18 , drive wheels  20 , and various other components such as gears and/or driveshafts. For example, a torque converter or a launch clutch may be disposed between the engine  12  and the gearbox  16 . The gearbox  16  may be a multi-ratio transmission that provides multiple gear ratios between the input and output of the gearbox  16 . The vehicle may also include a brake pedal  22  that is configured to engage friction brakes  24  when applied to slow the vehicle  10  or prevent the wheels  20  from turning if the vehicle  10  is stationary. 
     The vehicle may also include an impact absorber (or impact absorbing system)  24 . The impact absorber  24  may include a plurality of tubes (discussed in further detail below). Some of the tubes may be configured to transition (i.e., rotate) between two or more positions. In at least one position, an individual tube may be configured to engage a frame (or a particular component of the frame) of the vehicle  10  during an impact or collision of the vehicle  10  with another object, resulting in the tube crushing or compressing in order to absorb energy from the impact or collision. In at least one other position, an individual tube may be configured to slide into an orifice or void defined by the frame (or particular component thereof) during an impact or collision, resulting in the tube neither crushing nor compressing and absorbing little or no energy during the impact or collision. As the number of individual tubes that are positioned to engage the frame during an impact increases, the stiffness of the impact absorber will also increase. 
     One or more actuators  26 , such as electric motors, may be configured to transition the tubes between the two or more positions. Multiple actuators may be included, such that a single actuator is be configured to transition an individual tube between two or more positions. Alternatively, a single actuator may transition two or more tubes between two or more positions. The tubes may be connected to the one or more actuators  26  by linking devices such as gears, shafts, pullies, etc. 
     A controller  28  may be in communication with and configured to control various subsystems of the vehicle  10  including the engine  12 , the gearbox  16  (e.g., to shift the gearbox  16  between gears), and the actuators  26  based on various states or conditions of the vehicle  10 . The vehicle  10  may include various sensors that communicate the various states or conditions of the vehicle  10  to the controller  28 . For example, one or more vehicle speed sensors  30  may communicate the vehicle speed at the wheels  20  to the controller  28 . The controller  28  may include an algorithm that converts the rotational speed of the wheels  20  to the linear speed of the vehicle  10 . 
     While illustrated as one controller, the controller  28  may be part of a larger control system and may be controlled by various other controllers throughout the vehicle  10 , such as a vehicle system controller (VSC). It should therefore be understood that the controller  28  and one or more other controllers can collectively be referred to as a “controller” that controls various actuators in response to signals from various sensors to control functions the vehicle  10  or vehicle subsystems. The controller  28  may include a microprocessor or central processing unit (CPU) in communication with various types of computer readable storage devices or media. Computer readable storage devices or media may include volatile and nonvolatile storage in read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), and keep-alive memory (KAM), for example. KAM is a persistent or non-volatile memory that may be used to store various operating variables while the CPU is powered down. Computer-readable storage devices or media may be implemented using any of a number of known memory devices such as PROMs (programmable read-only memory), EPROMs (electrically PROM), EEPROMs (electrically erasable PROM), flash memory, or any other electric, magnetic, optical, or combination memory devices capable of storing data, some of which represent executable instructions, used by the controller  28  in controlling the vehicle  10  or vehicle subsystems. 
     Control logic or functions performed by the controller  28  may be represented by flow charts or similar diagrams in one or more figures. These figures provide representative control strategies and/or logic that may be implemented using one or more processing strategies such as event-driven, interrupt-driven, multi-tasking, multi-threading, and the like. As such, various steps or functions illustrated may be performed in the sequence illustrated, in parallel, or in some cases omitted. Although not always explicitly illustrated, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that one or more of the illustrated steps or functions may be repeatedly performed depending upon the particular processing strategy being used. Similarly, the order of processing is not necessarily required to achieve the features and advantages described herein, but is provided for ease of illustration and description. The control logic may be implemented primarily in software executed by a microprocessor-based vehicle, engine, and/or powertrain controller, such as controller  28 . Of course, the control logic may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware in one or more controllers depending upon the particular application. When implemented in software, the control logic may be provided in one or more computer-readable storage devices or media having stored data representing code or instructions executed by a computer to control the vehicle or its subsystems. The computer-readable storage devices or media may include one or more of a number of known physical devices which utilize electric, magnetic, and/or optical storage to keep executable instructions and associated calibration information, operating variables, and the like. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a plan view of a vehicle bumper  32 , the impact absorber  24 , and a frame rail  34  are illustrated. The impact absorber  24  extends between the bumper  32  and the frame rail  34 . The impact absorber  24  is secured to both the bumper  32  and the frame rail  34 . More specifically, opposing ends of a primary (or first) impact absorbing tube  36  of the impact absorber  24  are respectively secured to the bumper  32  and the frame rail  34 . The primary tube  36  may also be referred to as the exterior tube. The impact absorber  24  may include additional impact absorbing tubes that that are disposed within the primary tube  36 . Therefore, it should be understood that  FIG. 2  may be representative of one or more embodiments of an impact absorber  24  that includes an exterior impact absorbing tube and one or more interior impact absorbing tubes that are disposed within the primary tube  36 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a perspective view of a portion of the impact absorber  24  is illustrated. A secondary (or second) tube  38  is disposed within the primary tube  36 . The secondary tube  38  is concentric with the primary tube  36 . The secondary tube  38  is rotatably secured to the primary tube  36 . The secondary tube  38  may be rotatably secured to the primary tube  36  by a manufacturing operation that deforms the primary tube  36  and secondary tube  38  forming a radially protruding ridge  40 . Once the secondary tube  38  is rotatably secured to the primary tube  36 , the secondary tube  38  may rotate within the primary tube  36  about a longitudinal axis  42 , but may be restricted in movement along the longitudinal axis  42  relative to the primary tube  36 . 
     A tertiary (or third) tube  44  may be disposed within the secondary tube  38 . The tertiary tube  44  is concentric with the secondary tube  38  and the primary tube  36 . The tertiary tube  44  is rotatably secured to the secondary tube  38  and the primary tube  36 . The tertiary tube  44  may be rotatably secured to the secondary tube  38  and primary tube  36  by a manufacturing operation that deforms the primary tube  36 , secondary tube  38 , and tertiary tube  44  to form the radially protruding ridge  40 . Once the tertiary tube  44  is rotatably secured to the secondary tube  38  and the primary tube  36 , the tertiary tube  44  may rotate within the secondary tube  38  and the primary tube  36  about the longitudinal axis  42 , but may be restricted in movement along the longitudinal axis  42  relative to the secondary tube  38  and the primary tube  36 . Although  FIG. 3  illustrates an impact absorber having three concentric tubes that are rotatably secured to each other, it should be understood that the impact absorber may have two or more concentric tubes that are rotatably secured to each other. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4, 5A, and 5B , a first embodiment of the impact absorber  24  is illustrated. The first embodiment of the impact absorber  24  only includes the primary tube  36  and the secondary tube  38 . A portion of the primary tube  36  has been removed for illustrative purposes. The frame rail  34  is shown to be affixed to the primary tube  36 . Therefore, the primary tube  36  will engage the frame rail  34  during all impacts or collisions, resulting in the primary tube  36  crushing or compressing in order to absorb energy from such impacts or collisions. The frame rail  34  defines a keyed orifice (or gateway)  46 . The secondary tube  38  includes at least one radially outward extending protrusion  48  (which may alternatively be referred to as a first protrusion or a first set of protrusions). The keyed orifice  46  is partially defined by at least one radially inward extending blocker  50 . The blockers  50  may be secured to or may be an integral portion of the frame rail  34 , as shown in  FIGS. 4-5B . Alternatively, however, the blockers  50  may be secured to or may be an integral portion of the primary tube  36 , as long as the blockers  50  are spatially positioned closer to the frame rail  34  relative to the radially extending protrusions  48  and as long as there is at least a small gap between the radially extending protrusions  48  and the blockers  50  along the longitudinal axis  42  such that the secondary tube  38  may rotate within the primary tube  36  prior to an occurrence of any vehicle collision or impact. 
     Referring specifically to  FIG. 5A , the secondary tube  38  is shown to be rotated to a position where the radially extending protrusions  48  are aligned with the blockers  50  (i.e., not aligned with the keyed orifice  46 ). When the radially extending protrusions  48  are aligned with the blockers  50 , the secondary tube  38  is configured to engage the frame rail  34  during an impact (via the radially extending protrusions  48  engaging blockers  50 ), resulting in the secondary tube  38  crushing or compressing in order to absorb energy from the impact or collision. It should be noted that if the blockers  50  are affixed to the primary tube  36 , the secondary tube  38  indirectly engages the frame rail  34  through the blockers  50  and primary tube  36 . 
     Referring specifically to  FIG. 5B , the secondary tube  38  is shown to be rotated to a position where the radially extending protrusions  48  are aligned with the keyed orifice  46  (i.e., not aligned with the blockers  50 ). When the radially extending protrusions  48  are aligned with the keyed orifice  46 , the secondary tube  38  is configured to slide into the keyed orifice  46  during an impact or collision, resulting in the secondary tube  38  neither crushing nor compressing and absorbing little or no energy from the impact or collision. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6, 7A, 7B and 7C , a second embodiment of the impact absorber  24  is illustrated. The second embodiment of the impact absorber  24  includes the primary tube  36 , secondary tube  38 , the radially extending protrusions  48  of the secondary tube  38 , and the blockers  50 . Again, the frame rail  34  is shown to be affixed to the primary tube  36 . Therefore, the primary tube  36  will engage the frame rail  34  during all impacts or collisions, resulting in the primary tube  36  crushing or compressing in order to absorb energy from such impacts or collisions. The components of the second embodiment of the impact absorber  24  that are common to the first embodiment depicted  FIGS. 4-5B  should be construed to have the same physical characteristics and functions unless otherwise described herein. For example, the blockers  50  are shown to be secured to or as an integral portion of the primary tube  36  in  FIGS. 6-7C . However, it should be understood that the blockers  50  may be secured to or may be an integral portion of the frame rail  34  as described above with respect to the first embodiment of the absorber  34 . It should further be noted that keyed orifice  46  is partially defined by blockers  50  regardless if the blockers  50  are secured to the primary tube  36  or the frame rail  34 . 
     The second embodiment of the impact absorber  24  also includes the tertiary tube  44 . The tertiary tube  44  includes at least one radially outward extending protrusion  52  (which may alternatively be referred to as a second protrusion or a second set of protrusions). The secondary tube  38  may include at least one radially inward extending blocker  54 . The blockers  54  may be secured to or may be an integral portion of the secondary tube  38 . The blockers  54  are spatially positioned closer to the frame rail  34  relative to the radially extending protrusions  52  and there is at least a small gap between the radially extending protrusions  52  and the blockers  54  along the longitudinal axis  42  such that the tertiary tube  44  may rotate within the secondary tube  38  prior to an occurrence of any vehicle collision or impact. 
     Referring specifically to  FIG. 7A , the secondary tube  38  is shown to be rotated to a position where the radially extending protrusions  48  are aligned with the blockers  50  (i.e., not aligned with the keyed orifice  46 ) and the tertiary tube  44  is shown to be rotated to a position where the radially extending protrusions  52  are aligned with the blockers  54  (i.e., not aligned with the keyed orifice  46 ). When the radially extending protrusions  48  of the secondary tube  38  are aligned with the blockers  50  and the radially extending protrusions  52  of the tertiary tube  44  are aligned with the blockers  54 , the secondary tube  38  and the tertiary tube  44  are both configured to engage the frame rail  34  during an impact (via the radially extending protrusions  48  engaging blockers  50  and the radially extending protrusions  52  engaging blockers  54 ), resulting in both the secondary tube  38  and the tertiary tube  44  (in addition to the primary tube  36 ) crushing or compressing in order to absorb energy from the impact or collision. The tertiary tube  44  indirectly engages the frame rail  34  through the blockers  54  and secondary tube  38 . It should be noted that if the blockers  50  are affixed to the primary tube  36 , the secondary tube  38  indirectly engages the frame rail  34  through the blockers  50  and primary tube  36 . 
     Referring specifically to  FIG. 7B , the secondary tube  38  is shown to be rotated to a position where the radially extending protrusions  48  are aligned with the blockers  50  (i.e., not aligned with the keyed orifice  46 ) and the tertiary tube  44  is shown to be rotated to a position where the radially extending protrusions  52  are aligned with the keyed orifice  46  (i.e., not aligned with the blockers  54 ). When the radially extending protrusions  48  of the secondary tube  38  are aligned with the blockers  50  and the radially extending protrusions  52  of the tertiary tube  44  are aligned with the keyed orifice  46 , the secondary tube  38  is configured to engage the frame rail  34  during an impact (via the radially extending protrusions  48  engaging blockers  50 ) and the tertiary tube  44  is configured to slide into the keyed orifice  46  during an impact, resulting in the secondary tube  38  (in addition to the primary tube  36 ) crushing or compressing in order to absorb energy from the impact or collision and the tertiary tube  44  neither crushing nor compressing and absorbing little or no energy from the impact or collision. 
     Referring specifically to  FIG. 7C , the secondary tube  38  is shown to be rotated to a position where the radially extending protrusions  48  are aligned with the keyed orifice  46  (i.e., not aligned with the blockers) and the tertiary tube  44  is shown to be rotated to a position where the radially extending protrusions  52  are aligned with the blockers  54  (i.e., not aligned with the keyed orifice  46 ). When the radially extending protrusions  48  of the secondary tube  38  are aligned with the keyed orifice  46 , the secondary tube  38  and the tertiary tube  44  are both configured to slide into the keyed orifice  46  during an impact, resulting in both the secondary tube  38  and the tertiary tube  44  neither crushing nor compressing and absorbing little or no energy from the impact or collision. It should be noted that the tertiary tube  44  is configured to slide into the keyed orifice  46  as long as the radially extending protrusions  48  of the secondary tube  36  are aligned with the keyed orifice  46 , regardless if the radially extending protrusions  52  are aligned with the blockers  54  or the keyed orifice  46 . 
     Referring back to  FIG. 1 , the controller  28  may be programmed to incrementally increase the stiffness of the impact absorber  24  (and therefore the ability of impact absorber  24  to absorb energy) as vehicle speed (and therefore kinetic energy of the vehicle) increases. In an embodiment that includes the primary tube  36  and the secondary tube  38 , the controller  28  may be programmed to, in response to vehicle speed increasing to a value that exceeds a first threshold, rotate the secondary tube  38  via the actuator  26  such that the radially extending protrusions  48  are aligned with the blockers  50  (i.e., not aligned with the keyed orifice  46 ), which will increase the stiffness of the impact absorber  24 . The controller  28  may also be programmed to, in response to vehicle speed decreasing to a value that is less than the first threshold, rotate the secondary tube  38  via the actuator  26  such that the radially extending protrusions  48  are aligned with the keyed orifice (i.e., not aligned with the blockers  50 ), which will decrease the stiffness of the impact absorber  24 . 
     In an embodiment that includes the primary tube  36 , secondary tube  38 , and tertiary tube  44 , the controller  28  may be programmed to, in response to vehicle speed increasing to a value that is greater than the first threshold but less than a second threshold, adjust the secondary tube  38  and the tertiary tube  44  to a first configuration. The first configuration includes rotating the secondary tube  38  such that the radially extending protrusions  48  are aligned with the blockers  50  (i.e., not aligned with the keyed orifice  46 ) and rotating the tertiary tube  44  such that the radially extending protrusions  52  are aligned with the keyed orifice  46  (i.e., not aligned with the blockers  54 ). 
     The controller  28  may also be programmed to, in response to vehicle speed increasing to a value that is greater than the second threshold, adjust the secondary tube  38  and the tertiary tube  44  to a second configuration. The second configuration includes rotating the secondary tube  38  such that the radially extending protrusions  48  are aligned with the blockers  50  (i.e., not aligned with the keyed orifice  46 ) and rotating the tertiary tube  44  such that the radially extending protrusions  52  are aligned with the blockers  54  (i.e., not aligned with the keyed orifice  46 ). The stiffness of the impact absorber  24  in the second configuration is greater than the stiffness of the impact absorber  24  in the first configuration. 
     The controller  28  may be further programmed to, in response to vehicle speed decreasing to a value that is less than the first threshold, adjust the secondary tube  38  and the tertiary tube  44  to a third configuration. The third configuration includes rotating the secondary tube such  38  that the radially extending protrusions  48  are aligned with the keyed orifice  46  (i.e., not aligned with the blockers  50 ). The radially extending protrusions  52  of the tertiary tube  44  may be either aligned with the blockers  54  or the keyed orifice  46  in the third configuration. The stiffness of the impact absorber  24  in the third configuration is less than the stiffness of the impact absorber  24  in the first configuration. 
     Although the impact absorbing device depicted herein included an external tube and either one or two internal tubes that could be rotated to different positions to either increase or decrease the stiffness of an impact absorber, the disclosure should be construed to include impact absorbing devices that include an external tube and one or more internal tubes whose positions may be adjusted to incrementally increase or decrease the stiffness of the impact absorber. 
     The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics may be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. As such, embodiments described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics are not outside the scope of the disclosure and may be desirable for particular applications.