Patent Publication Number: US-2015061306-A1

Title: Cable and Outrigger for Minimizing Intrusions in a Small Offset Rigid Barrier Collision

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates to a cable and outrigger that are used as an energy absorbing apparatus for a vehicle that is involved in a small offset rigid barrier frontal collision. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Land vehicles are tested for crashworthiness by a variety of tests including frontal impacts, side impacts, rear impacts, roll-over and other tests. Frontal impact tests were previously developed that specified that a vehicle impacts a barrier between the frame rails that extend longitudinally relative to the vehicle. In this type of test, the frame rails provide the primary support for the vehicle body and reduce any potential for intrusions into the passenger compartment. The extent of any intrusions into the passenger compartment are measured at the brake pedal, foot rest, left toe pan, center toe pan, right toe pan, left instrument panel, right instrument panel, and door. 
     A new test is proposed for simulating small offset frontal collisions against a rigid barrier. In the proposed test, the vehicle impacts a rigid barrier having a six inch pole-like radius on one corner with a 25% overlap at 40 MPH. The impact is outboard of the frame rails so that the frame rails do not provide as much resistance to intrusion into the passenger compartment as in the case of impacts between the frame rails. 
     The weight of land vehicles is being substantially reduced to improve fuel efficiency. Vehicles are currently being designed to reduce the weight of the vehicle with a parallel objective of not compromising performance or crashworthiness. It is difficult to meet the proposed test requirements for the small offset rigid barrier crash test while reducing vehicle weight and reducing manufacturing costs. 
     The above problems and other problems are addressed by this disclosure as will be summarized below. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one aspect of this disclosure, a collision countermeasure apparatus is provided for a vehicle comprising a cable connected between a frame rail assembly and an outrigger. The frame rail assembly extends longitudinally relative to the vehicle and has a front end. The outrigger is attached to the frame rail assembly at a location spaced from the front end. The outrigger extends laterally outwardly from the frame rail assembly to an outboard end. The cable is connected between the front end and the outboard end to reduce potential intrusions into the vehicle in a collision with a rigid barrier. 
     According to other aspects of this disclosure, the collision countermeasure apparatus may further include a main frame rail extending lengthwise in the vehicle and is spaced from a side of the vehicle. The frame rail may be partially disposed below a passenger compartment and may further include a frame rail extension that includes the front end. The collision countermeasure apparatus may further comprise a connection point where the main frame rail is joined to the frame rail extension. An inner end of the outrigger may be attached to the frame rail assembly adjacent the connection point. 
     The cable may form a triangular deflector with the outrigger and a portion of the frame rail assembly forward of the outrigger. In addition, the collision countermeasure apparatus may also comprise a mounting bracket that attaches the outrigger to the frame rail assembly. 
     According to another aspect of this disclosure a method is disclosed for reducing intrusions into a passenger compartment of a vehicle in a collision with a rigid barrier. The vehicle includes a bumper beam, a frame rail assembly, an outrigger attached to and extending outwardly from the frame rail and a cable connected between a front end of the frame rail assembly and an outer end of the outrigger. The method comprises colliding with the rigid barrier that engages the bumper beam at a location laterally outboard of the frame rail assembly. The rigid barrier is impacted by the cable that receives an impact force and distributes the impact force through the cable to the frame rail assembly and the outrigger. 
     According to another aspect of the method, the vehicle may be moved away from the rigid barrier in reaction to the rigid barrier impacting the cable as the vehicle slides in a forward direction along the cable. 
     According to other aspects of this disclosure, the method may further comprise bending the frame rail assembly in a laterally outboard direction as a reaction to the rigid barrier impacting the cable. The method may also include driving the outer end of the outrigger in a rearward direction as a reaction to the rigid barrier impacting the cable. 
     The method may further comprise joining the outrigger to the frame rail assembly at a connection point between the main frame rail and the frame rail extension. An inner end of the outrigger is attached to the frame rail assembly adjacent the connection point. The cable forms a triangular deflector with the outrigger and a portion of the frame rail assembly forward of the outrigger. The method may further comprise providing a bracket that is attached to the outrigger and the frame rail assembly. 
     According to another aspect of this disclosure, a front end of a vehicle is disclosed that includes a frame rail assembly, an outrigger and a cable. The frame rail assembly extends longitudinally and has a forward end. The outrigger is attached to a frame rail assembly at a location that is spaced from the forward end and extends outwardly in a lateral direction from the frame rail assembly to an outboard end. The cable is connected between the forward end and the outboard end to provide a countermeasure for a collision with a rigid barrier. 
     According to another aspect of this disclosure as it relates to a front end of a vehicle, the frame rail assembly may include a main frame rail extending lengthwise in the vehicle at a location inboard of a side of the vehicle and that is partially disposed below a passenger compartment. The frame rail assembly may further include a frame rail extension that includes a forward end. The main frame rail is joined at a connection point to the frame rail extension. An inner end of the outrigger may be attached to the frame rail assembly adjacent the connection point. 
     The above aspects and other aspects of this disclosure will be described in greater detail below with reference to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a fragmentary bottom plan view of one side of a front end of a vehicle having a collision countermeasure apparatus including a cable connected between the bumper beam of a vehicle and a transversely extending rigid outrigger. 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary perspective view of one side of a front end of a vehicle having a collision countermeasure apparatus including a cable connected between the bumper beam of a vehicle and the outrigger as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary bottom plan view of one side of a front end of a vehicle having the collision countermeasure apparatus shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  after a simulated test showing a collision with a rigid barrier conducted in accordance with a small offset rigid barrier test. 
         FIG. 4  is a graph of a small offset rigid barrier test report comparing the extent of intrusion into the passenger compartment of a vehicle in a simulated small offset rigid barrier test testing a base model vehicle including the disclosed cable and outrigger collision countermeasure apparatus. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A detailed description of the illustrated embodiments of the present invention is provided below. The disclosed embodiments are examples of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale. Some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. The specific structural and functional details disclosed in this application are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to practice the invention. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show a vehicle  10 , in particular a front end  12  of the vehicle  10 , that is equipped with a collision countermeasure apparatus generally indicated by reference numeral  14 . The collision countermeasure apparatus  14  includes a frame rail assembly  16  that extends in the longitudinal direction or in the direction of travel of the vehicle  10 . The frame rail assembly  16  is spaced inboard from the side  18  of the vehicle  10 . The frame rail assembly  16  functions to support and back up the bumper beam  20 . 
     The frame rail assembly  16  includes a main frame rail  22  and a frame rail extension  24 . A forward end  26  of the frame rail assembly  16  is provided on the frame rail extension  24 . 
     An outrigger  28  is attached to the frame rail assembly  16  at a location adjacent to the location where the frame rail extension  24  is connected to the frame rail  22 . The outrigger  28  is preferably formed from a strong rigid material, for example a boron steel  1300  alloy, or the like. The outrigger  28  has an outboard end  30  that is outboard of the frame rail assembly  16  and an inner end  32  that is welded or otherwise secured to the frame rail assembly  16 . 
     A cable  36  is connected between the forward end  26  of the frame rail extension  24  and the outboard end  30  of the outrigger  28 . The cable  36  may include a bight  38 , or reversely turned portion, that is secured by a cable clamp  40  to the frame rail extension  24 . The cable  36  is shown secured by a fastener  42  to the outboard end  30  of the outrigger  28 . The cable  36  may be secured by cable clamps  40  or fasteners  42  at one or both ends. 
     A bracket  46  may be secured to the frame rail extension  24  and the outrigger  28 . The outrigger  28  may be welded to the bracket  46 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the vehicle  10  is shown after a collision with a rigid barrier  48 , such as a cylindrical post-like barrier. The vehicle is shown after the outer portion of a bumper beam  20  (shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) collides with the rigid barrier  48 . The vehicle continues to move forward with the rigid barrier  48  contacting the cable  36 . The vehicle continues to move forward until it passes the outrigger  28  to the position shown in  FIG. 3 . Depending upon the severity of the collision, the rigid barrier  48  may penetrate through the vehicle to a greater or lesser extent. 
     When the rigid barrier  48  is engaged by the cable  36 , the cable distributes the impact force to the frame rail extension  24  and the frame rail  22 . The force of the collision is transferred by the outrigger  28  to the main frame rail  22 . The vehicle  10  may be laterally displaced when the cable  36  contacts the rigid barrier  48 . The frame rail extension  24 , outrigger  28  and cable  36  are arranged in a triangular configuration with the cable  36  providing a strong, flexible link between forward end  26  of the frame rail extension  24  and the outboard end of the outrigger  28 . When the rigid barrier  48  contacts the generally diagonally oriented cable  36 , the vehicle  10  may be forced laterally away from the rigid barrier  48 . The main frame rail  22  extends below the passenger compartment  50  of the vehicle  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a graph is provided of a simulation of a small offset rigid barrier test. A base model vehicle shown by line  52  is compared to an identical vehicle shown by line  54 , but that includes the cable and outrigger that is attached to the main frame rail assembly. 
     Comparing line  52  to line  54 , improvements in reducing intrusion are apparent in every location. A substantial improvement in performance is shown at the foot rest where the extent of intrusion is reduced from 340 mm to 210 mm. At the left toe pan, the improvement is from 300 mm to 180 mm. At the left instrument panel, intrusion was reduced from 240 mm to 100 mm and at the right toe pan the extent of intrusion improved from 108 mm to 100 mm. At the door, the extent of intrusion was reduced from 200 mm to 90 mm. In all cases, the extent of improvement from the base model shown by line  52  improved from a poor or marginal rating generally to an acceptable rating, as shown by line  54 . 
     While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the disclosed apparatus and method. Rather, 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 claimed. The features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the disclosed concepts.