The present invention relates to vehicle hoods, and more particularly relates to a hood assembly incorporating a crushable energy absorber to provide improved pedestrian safety against a vehicle impact.
In an attempt to prevent or minimize pedestrian injury during an impact with an automobile, it is desired that a pedestrian's head incur a reduced head impact criteria (HIC) value during the impact. In fact, there is a Global Technical Regulation (GTR) for pedestrian impacts that is in the process of being adopted. Additionally, the European and Japanese New Care Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) also evaluates vehicles in this regard.
However, any change for improved pedestrian safety during impact must also not adversely affect overall performance of a hood (i.e. “hood assembly”), nor aesthetics of the hood, including a time during normal operation of the vehicle, and also during a vehicle front end impact where the hood must satisfy occupant safety requirements. Thus, there are conflicting requirements on how to meet any such HIC value or GTR requirement.
In one aspect of the present invention, an energy absorbing system is provided for a vehicle having a plenum or other under-hood hard structure. The energy absorbing system including a hood including a hood inner panel and a hood outer panel defining at least one cavity near a rear edge thereof; and further includes at least one energy absorber positioned in the at least one cavity and made of non-foamed polymeric material. The energy absorber has spaced sidewalls configured to crush and absorb energy prior to the outer layer of the hood bottoming out on the plenum or other under-hood hard structure of the vehicle.
In a narrower form, the energy absorber is made of a polymeric material capable of maintaining a shape even when at a temperature of at least 200 degrees centigrade, such that the energy absorber maintains the shape even when sent through a paint oven or e-coat process.
In another aspect of the present invention, an energy absorbing system for a vehicle having a hood, a plenum or other under-hood hard structure. The hood includes a hood inner panel and a hood outer panel defining at least one cavity, and at least one polymeric energy absorber positioned in the at least one cavity that is configured to minimize an HIC value when a pedestrian's head contacts the hood by absorbing energy during an impact into the pedestrian prior to the pedestrian's head bottoming out on the under-hood hard structure of the vehicle.
In another aspect of the present invention, an energy absorbing system is provided for a vehicle having a plenum or other under-hood hard structure. The energy absorbing system includes a hood including a hood outer panel and a hood inner panel defining at least one cavity, and at least one polymeric energy absorber positioned under the hood outer panel and attached to the hood, the energy absorber being configured to absorb energy from an impact from above such as will occur from a pedestrian's head during a pedestrian-vehicle accident, the energy absorber being made of a polymeric material.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method for optimizing head impact criteria (HIC) of a hood on a vehicle is provided comprising steps of: providing a hood including a hood outer panel and hood inner panel defining at least one cavity therebetween, and providing a non-foam energy absorber with walls configured to crush and absorb energy upon impact. The method further includes placing the non-foam energy absorber in the at least one cavity and assembling the hood inner and outer panels with the energy absorber to form a hood assembly; impact testing the hood assembly for HIC value; customizing the energy absorber by forming weakening sites on one or more of the walls of the energy absorber; and repeating the steps of providing a hood, providing an energy absorber, placing and assembling the hood, and impact testing.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method for optimizing head impact criteria (HIC) of a hood on a vehicle is provided comprising steps of: providing a hood including a hood inner panel and a hood outer panel that, when assembled, define at least one cavity and that is configured to aesthetically cover the under-hood hard structures of the vehicle. The method further includes attaching at least one polymeric energy absorber to the hood at a location under the hood where the presence of the energy absorber minimizes an HIC value when a pedestrian's head contacts the hood during an impact, the energy absorber being configured to absorb impact energy prior to the pedestrian's head bottoming out on the under-hood hard structure of the vehicle.
An object of the present invention is to provide an energy absorber, such as an injection molded or thermoformed polymeric energy absorber, attach to one or both of a hood inner and outer so as to absorb energy prior to the hood bottoming out on the plenum or other hard object of the vehicle.
An object of the present invention is to provide an energy absorber that minimizes the HIC value when a pedestrian's head contacts the hood or fender by absorbing energy during the impact prior to the head bottoming out on a hard surface or structure that is thereunder.
An object of the present invention is to provide an energy absorber that if sandwiched between a hood inner and outer, is configured to absorb energy from an impact against a top of a vehicle's hood, where the energy absorber is made of a polymeric material capable of withstanding high temperatures associated with going through a paint over or e-coat process.
These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
The present apparatus 20 (
As shown in
It is contemplated that the energy absorbers can be customized to have different structures and can be made of different materials to provide different functions, characteristics, and aesthetic appearances in the assembled hood. For example, the energy absorber 22 (
Energy absorber 22A (
Energy absorber 22B (
Energy absorbers 22C-22H (
The illustrated energy absorbers 22 are each about 35-40 mm tall, about 92 mm wide and about 365 mm long. The energy absorbers 22A-22J are similarly sized as necessary to fit within the cavity they are intended for. As illustrated, the hood 21 creates right and left cavities, but it is contemplated that a single cross-car cavity can exist and that a single energy absorber could extend completely cross car. Alternatively, it is contemplated that the illustrated two energy absorbers can be interconnected by a strap or tether or other connector so that they can be handled as a unit. The illustrated energy absorbers have a cross-sectional shape formed by slightly angled walls that are open and generally not orthogonal. It is contemplated that a cross sectional shape of the energy absorbers will generally match a cross-sectional shape of the cavity in which it is placed, but that this is not required necessarily unless the functional aspects require that. The hood and energy absorber as a designed assembly are tuned to provide a force-deflection profile minimizing an HIC value. The energy absorber is preferably made of a polymeric material. When the energy absorber will be attached to the hood assembly prior to coating, the energy absorber will be made of a polymer capable of withstanding high temperatures associated with going through a paint over or e-coat process, such as high temperature nylon. However, it is contemplated that the material could also be metal or other structural material that absorbs energy during collapse. Also, one advantage of connecting the energy absorber to the hood but not sandwiching it between the hood layers is that it won't need to go through an oven.
It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of the present invention, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.
This application claims benefit under 35 USC §119(e) of provisional application Ser. No. 61/310,883, filed Mar. 5, 2010, entitled HOOD PEDESTRIAN ENERGY ABSORBER, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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