Patent ID: 8662571

Claim:
A vehicle hood energy absorbing assembly comprising: an outer hood member including an outer surface facing an exterior of a vehicle and an inner surface facing an interior of the vehicle; an inner hood member coupled to the inner surface of the outer hood member to define a space between the outer and inner hood members; and a support member disposed within the space, the support member including an elongated base member, a plurality of front leg members and a plurality of rear leg members, an entirety of the elongated base member being supported out of contact with the inner hood member by the plurality of front and rear leg members such that the elongated base member is disposed adjacent the inner surface of the outer hood member and extends in a lateral direction of the vehicle along a majority of the outer and inner hood members, each of the plurality of front leg members extending from a forward portion of the elongated base member to a free end that is coupled to the inner hood member, each of the plurality of rear leg members extending from a rearward portion of the elongated base member to a free end that is coupled to the inner hood member, the free end of a first leg member among the of rear leg members extending further in a rearward direction of the vehicle than does the free end of a second leg member among the plurality of rear leg members, and at least one leg member among the plurality of front leg members and the plurality of rear leg members including a deformation structure at which the at least one leg member at least partially collapses upon application of a prescribed amount of force to the outer surface of the outer hood member.