Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to impact damping crash boxes connected to chassis in a manner to remain in inner side of front and rear bumpers of vehicles and to protect chassis during crash.

The present disclosure particularly relates to impact damping crash box providing absorption of excessive energy during crash and thus reducing damage after the accident thanks to its torsion feature.

Prior Art

Today, impact damping profiles or crash boxes are used to provide minimal effect from accidents by providing impact absorption during crash by placing them into front and rear bumper parts of motor vehicles. Such components are produced by conventional methods. In this context, crash box is produced in solid and in general one single part from metal materials.

Crash box produced in single part in the related art folds in line with the loads imposed thereon during crash, absorbs crash effects and thus prevents penetration of such effect into vehicle inside.

The profile used in the related art is of homogenous structure and does not have guiding spaces on part side walls and intensity reduced areas. This may result in breaking of profile after crash. Therefore, damage after the accident cannot be prevented as desired.

Change in raw material used to enhance resistance of crash box in the related art may be made but this affects cost negatively.

Several embodiments related to said crash box are seen in the literature when literature is searched. One of them is patent numbered TR2018/13504 entitled“Crash box and method for production thereof”. Abstract part of invention with classification number B60R 19/34 reads as“The present invention relates to a crash box to be installed onto automobile body and a method for production of the crash box. More specifically, the invention relates to a crash box to be fixed onto front part or rear part of a vehicle body for instance, comprising a tubular body which shrinks like a blower in case of any impact on axial direction of tubular body, and deforms like a plastic and thus absorbs crash energy and characterized that said tubular body is a body formed from a metal sheet, and a method for production of such crash box.”

Another example for said embodiment is the patent numbered TR2017/17563 and entitled “Bumper Beam and Production Method”. Classified as B60R 19/00 the invention abstract reads as“The invention relates to energy absorber characterized in comprising at least two outer cavities forming front wavy surface, inner cavity connected to mentioned outer cavities, at least one rear surfaces, two side surfaces , bumper beam made from composite material comprising inner support forming three holes between said two side surfaces, rear surface, outer cavities and inner cavities, at least two crash boxes providing absorption of energy transmitted from bumper beam during crash, bumper beam connection part fixing said each crash box and bumper beam, chassis connection part providing connection of each crash box to bumper beam and convenient for mounting into bumper having weight reduced composite and metal parts.”

In the above mentioned applications, improvements are made to enhance energy absorption by crash boxes located in bumper areas of vehicles and protecting vehicle during crash. However, they do not have torsion around their own axis feature. Therefore, some disadvantages of above applications can be given as example,

In conclusion, developments have been made in crash boxes in parallel to technology and, therefore, new embodiments eliminating the above disadvantages and offering solutions to existing systems are needed.

Purpose of the Invention

Differently from the embodiments used in the present related art the invention relates to crash boxes developed to solve said disadvantages and provide some additional advantages.

Purpose of the invention is to provide torsion together with buckling during crash by designing some areas of crash box in intensive cage (lattice), some areas less intensive cage, some areas completely intensive, that is in solid and thus enhance energy damping.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide production of product by 3d printer. Thus features of material will be same in every part of the product.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide folding of embodiment thanks to cages/lattice of different intensity in embodiment and thus prevent reduction in resistance and provide keeping it same. Another purpose of the invention is to provide buckling of impact damping under pressing force when part folds down and thanks to such buckling provide energy damping a little bit more.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide starting of breaking in not intensive areas because of weakness therein and provide buckling action as breaking in intensive areas occur later.

In order to achieve above purposes, the invention is a crash box placed in front and rear bumper areas of vehicles and folding during crash and providing energy damping and occurrence of torsion together with buckling and thus enhancing energy damping characterized by comprising;

• N area formed in lattice structure between upper surface and lower surface of crash box,

• M area formed in a manner to have less intensity or more intensity in comparison to N area.

The structural and characteristic features and all advantages of the invention will be understood better in the figures given below and the detailed description by reference to the figures. Therefore, the assessment should be made based on the figures and taking into account the detailed descriptions.

Brief Description of Figures for better understanding the Invention

Figure - 1 shows two dimension side view of crash box of the invention.

Figure - 2 shows perspective view of crash box of the invention.

Figure - 3 shows schematic view of crash box of the invention.

Figure - 4 shows perspective view of different embodiment of crash box of the invention.

Figure - 5 shows two-dimension side view of different embodiment of crash box of the invention.

Figure - 6 shows perspective view indicating column lattice added embodiment to provide torsion and buckling in crash box alternatively.

Figure - 7 shows illustrative view of torsion in the crash box of the invention. Reference Numbers

10. Crash box B. Side point

11. M area C. Upper surface

12. N area 10 D. Lower surface 13. L area X. Crash direction

A. Corner point Y. Crash direction

Detailed Description of the Invention

Structure principle

The crash box (10) of the invention is produced by means of 3-dimension printer and provides buckling and torsion features as it folds during crash. The crash box (10) of the invention comprises cage (lattice) structures. Said lattice structure comprises beams. Crash box (10) consists of M area (1 1 ) and N Area (12) having different intensities in respect to each other. Mentioned intensity difference is provided by big or small diameters of beams forming lattice structure. N area (12) represents lattice structures of ordinary intensity. M area (1 1 ) is formed in less intensity or more intensity in respect to N area (12) by reducing and increasing diameters of beams forming lattices. Torsion action together with buckling in the crash box occurs thanks to intensity difference between lattices forming M area (1 1 ) and N area (12). Breaking starts firstly due to weakness of the non-intensive areas, and upon occurrence of breaking in intensive areas later, torsion action is formed. Alternatively, crash box (10) subject-matter of the invention can also be provided in a completely solid form instead of intensity enhanced lattice area in M area (1 1 ) or N area (12). Solid form refers to non-empty (no lattice) structure much more intensive in comparison to space lattice structure.

In alternative embodiment of the invention, M area (1 1 ) is formed from corner points (A) of crash box (10) to the edge points (B). Parts remaining outside M area (1 1 ) forms N area (12). In order to provide buckling and torsion action by crash box (10), M area (1 1 ) is formed spirally as far as the crash box (10) from upper surface (C) to lower surface (D),

Figure 1 shows two-dimension view of crash box (10). As seen in the figure, M area (1 1 ) is formed in a manner to wrap around side surfaces of crash box (10). Figure 3 shows two- dimension view of M area (1 1 ) in position surrounding each side surface of crash box (10) in slope.

M area (1 1 ) in crash box (10) shown in figure 3 is formed in diagonal form from corner point (A) of upper surface (C) to lower surface (D) other corner point (A).

It can be formed in this way as well as an alternative embodiment is shown in figure 4 or figure 5 wherein M area (1 1 ) which start from corner point (A) of an upper surface (C) and extent to any counter edge point (B) and to another edge point (B) extend up to lower surface (D) and surrounding crash box (10) spirally can be formed.

As shown in figure 5 which is two dimension view of figure 4, M area (1 1 ) can extend from corner point (A) to any edge point (B). M area (1 1 ) having more or less intensity in comparison to N area (12) formed in this way provides torsion together with buckling action to crash box (10) during crash. In crash boxes (10) which is cylindrical form, M area (1 1 ) can be formed by surrounding crash box (10).

An alternative to provide torsion and buckling action in crash box (10) formed from lattices of less or more intensity by 3D printers, or solid forms, L areas (13) can be formed in extended columns to areas outside crash box (10) (figure 6). L areas (13) are in form of lattice structure with less or more intensity or solid form. Upon adding L areas (13), intensity differences in crash box (10) are formed and torsion and buckling action can be exhibited. The crash box (10) shown in figure 6 and lattices of less or more intensity forming such embodiment or solid structures’ sizes and shapes can be designed in a manner appropriate for enhancement of folding and energy absorbing capacity of part.

Operatinq principle

Crash box (10) produced as described in structure principle is placed in front or rear part of vehicle where it will be used. When the vehicle is crashed from front or rear a load is also imposed onto crash box (10) in X and Y directions as shown in figure 2 due to torsion and buckling. As a result of such load, crash box (10) twist around its axis as shown in figure 7 due to M area having spirally formed different lattice intensity in comparison to N area (12). Therefore, while crash box (10) provides energy absorption in vertical axis, it also provides energy absorption in X and Y directions thanks to torsion together with buckling. Therefore, thanks to achievement of torsion and buckling together, energy is absorbed more.