Flexible Cord Or Coil Spring Patents (Class 293/124)
  • Patent number: 10808791
    Abstract: A piston-cylinder assembly includes a cylinder having a cylinder interior filled with a fluid and divided by a piston, which is axially displaceable in cylinder, into a first working space and a second working space. A piston rod is arranged on piston and is guided through second working space and through an end-side second closure in a manner sealed off to the outside at the second end of the cylinder. The retraction stroke of piston and piston rod is restricted by a stop which is arranged in cylinder and against which piston comes to bear directly or indirectly, wherein the axial position of the stop in cylinder is variably adjustable by an adjustment device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: STABILUS GMBH
    Inventors: Lars Löhken, Ulrich Probst, Raphael Piroth, Markus Müller
  • Patent number: 10369945
    Abstract: A fastening arrangement is provided in order to reduce damage to a bumper and a side panel and/or a fender of a motor vehicle connected by way of a supporting element in a low speed range. The supporting element has a first supporting strip that can be fastened to the side panel and/or the fender and a second supporting strip that can be fastened to the bumper. At least one holder is provided, which releasably connects the first supporting strip and the second supporting strip to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Josef Gruebl, Markus Hauzeneder
  • Patent number: 10358690
    Abstract: A steel sheet used for hot stamping includes, by weight percent, 0.18˜0.42% of C, 4˜8.5% of Mn and 0.8˜3.0% of Si+Al with the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities. The alloy elements of the steel sheet enable the actual measured value of the martensitic transformation start temperature after hot stamping to be ?280° C. The method for manufacturing the component includes: heating the material to 700˜850° C. and then stamping; cooling it to the temperature that is 150˜260° C. below the martensitic transformation start temperature by cooling in a die, cooling by air, water, or other methods; heating the component to a temperature ranging from 160 to 450° C. and maintaining the temperature for 1 to 100000 seconds for heat treatment, and then cooling the component to room temperature. The formed component has a yield strength of ?1200 MPa, a tensile strength of ?1600 MPa and a total elongation of ?10%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: EASYFORMING STEEL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hongliang Yi, Pengju Du
  • Patent number: 9211858
    Abstract: A structural beam includes a reinforcement beam having a length and mounts at ends of the beam and cross sectional shapes at various locations along the length, including a first cross sectional shape near ends of the beam providing a first bending moment and a second cross sectional shape at a center of the beam providing a second bending moment different than the first bending moment, and further including intermediate cross sectional shapes between the ends and center having intermediate bending moments between the first and second bending moments. The cross sections may define open C-shapes or may include a tubular shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: SHAPE CORP.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Johnson, Brian E. Malkowski, Brian P. Oxley
  • Publication number: 20150061306
    Abstract: A collision countermeasure apparatus for a small offset rigid barrier test. The collision countermeasure apparatus includes a cable that is attached between an outrigger and a forward end of a frame rail assembly. The cable reduces the extent of intrusions into the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Saeed David Barbat, Ridha Baccouche, Rahul Arora, Saied Nusier
  • Publication number: 20130207407
    Abstract: The invention relates to a crash structure having adjustable rigidity for a deformation element for a vehicle, wherein the crash structure comprises a continuously adjustable rigidity, in that at least one blocking element (SR) moves in a plane rotated by an angle relative to the vehicle longitudinal axis with respect to a profile (MW), so that the rigidity is adjusted by a position of the at least one blocking element reached by the motion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Bernd Goetzelmann, Thomas Friedrich
  • Patent number: 8220850
    Abstract: The invention relates to an impact-absorbing element for a vehicle, in particular a car, comprising: a body comprising a thermoplastic polymer material; an elongate reinforcing structure provided in the body and comprising a number of metal reinforcing cords extending substantially parallel and a number of positioning elements arranged between the cords for holding the metal reinforcing cords substantially mutually parallel before and during the manufacturing process. The positioning elements ensure that the cords remain correctly positioned before, during and after the manufacturing process despite the forces occurring in the manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Voestalpine Polynorm Plastics B.V.
    Inventors: Johannes Petrus Maria Opperman, Petrus Van Der Velden, Cornelis Gerardus Van Koert
  • Publication number: 20100295325
    Abstract: A self-coiling dent guard for protecting vehicles and other objects from damage caused by unwanted collisions is disclosed. The guard is comprised of a main body adapted to absorb the impact of colliding objects. A bistable spring strip is integrated within the main body of the guard, thus giving the guard its self-coiling properties. When not in use, a user may cause the guard to coil so as to be easily stored. A magnetic strip is attached to the length of the main body such that the guard may be removably attached to a vehicle or other object. A layer of felt covering the bottom of the guard protects the vehicle from being scratched when the guard is applied or removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2010
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Inventor: James Curtis
  • Publication number: 20100264691
    Abstract: A side underride cable system configured to be coupled to a trailer includes a front mounting bracket assembly configured to be coupled to the trailer, a rear mounting bracket assembly configured to be coupled to the trailer at a location spaced-apart from the front mounting racket assembly, and a plurality of cables configured to extend at least partially along a length of each side of the trailer between the front mounting bracket assembly and the rear mounting bracket assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Inventors: Richard J. Giromini, Leonard William Baker, Rodney P. Ehrlich, Francis S. Smidler
  • Patent number: 7503602
    Abstract: A bumper for a vehicle is disclosed. The bumper includes a housing that has a pair of interlocking supporting frames. One of the supporting frames is fixed to the vehicle body. The bumper includes a plurality of rebounding elements and a plurality of biasing elements, each that are fixed within one of the supporting frames of the housing. Each of the rebounding elements has a predetermined rebounding elements spring coefficient. The plurality of biasing elements has a biasing elements spring coefficient that is not equal to, and is preferably less than, the spring coefficient of each rebounding element. Further, each of the biasing elements abuts one of the rebounding elements. As such, as the interlocking supporting frames of the housing are compressed in a vehicle collision, the plurality of rebounding elements together with the plurality of biasing elements absorb the collision energy and are each compressed at different rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Inventor: Golden Hinton
  • Publication number: 20080203744
    Abstract: A vehicle bumper assembly includes a bumper reinforcement member, a corner bracket and a biasing member. The bumper reinforcement member has a first lateral end section, a second lateral end section, an outboard facing side extending between the first and second lateral end sections and an inboard facing side with a vehicle mounting structure. The corner bracket is pivotally supported to the first lateral end section of the bumper reinforcement member proximate the inboard facing side. The biasing member extends between the outboard facing side of the bumper reinforcement member and an outboard side of the corner bracket. The biasing member biases the corner bracket outwardly relative to the vehicle mounting structure to a normal rest position for absorption of low speed impact energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Hugo F. Fortin
  • Publication number: 20080061567
    Abstract: An impact-absorbing device that absorbs impact force when a collision has occurred with an object having relatively low rigidity. The impact-absorbing device is provided with a guide piece that extends in a horizontal direction substantially horizontal to the input direction of the impact, and a movable piece that is movably supported along the guide piece. The guide piece and movable piece deform to absorb impact force when the impact force has acted on the guide piece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Applicants: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., ASAHI KASEI ENGINEERING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Mae, Toshiharu Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7097222
    Abstract: An anti-crash safety device includes a supporting frame for securely mounting to a vehicle body and an impact rebounding unit which includes at least a resilient reinforcing member supported by the supporting frame at a position spaced apart from the vehicle body for shielding at least a portion of the vehicle body and at least a shock absorbing element rearwardly extended from the resilient reinforcing member. The resilient reinforcing member is adapted to retain a restoring force for bounding an impact force away from the vehicle body when the impact force is applied on the resilient reinforcing member. The shock absorbing element is adapted for applying an urging force to absorb the impact force from the resilient reinforcing member so as to minimize the impact force transmitting from the resilient reinforcing member to the vehicle body and to protect the vehicle body from being crashed by the impact force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Inventor: Xiaocheng Ran
  • Patent number: 6739011
    Abstract: A vertically movable loading dock bumper device to be attached to a loading dock and interposed between the loading dock and a vehicle during the loading/unloading process, in which the vertical movement of the bumper is in concert with the vertical movement of the vehicle as the vehicle moves vertically during the loading/unloading process. The dock bumper device consists of a mount component, a bumper component, and a slide component, whereby the mount component is fixedly attached to a loading dock, the bumper component accommodates a bumper, and the slide component connects the bumper component to the mount component in a manner permitting the bumper component to move along the mount component in a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Industrial Dock Equipment, LLC
    Inventor: Thomas J. Brouillette
  • Patent number: 6443512
    Abstract: A vehicle bumper system includes a multi-strand cable secured to opposing plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: H. Barteld Van Rees, Delbert Lippert
  • Patent number: 6007123
    Abstract: An energy absorbing bumper that dissipates kinetic energy of a moving mass via conversion to compressive membrane energy stored in a primary beam-column, potential energy stored in two laterally mounted energy absorbers and bending energy stored in a secondary beam-column. During impact the primary beam-column is laterally compressed as it flattens developing a large amount of compressive membrane energy. During deformation, the primary beam-column slides into the secondary beam-column having a central channel that accommodates the primary beam-column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Altair Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Schwartz, Regu Ramoo
  • Patent number: 5029919
    Abstract: A pneumatic energy absorbing arrangement, for use between the bumper and the frame of an automobile, includes a piston and cylinder combination which provides for an increasing amount of force or energy absorbed in relation to an increasing amount of travel between the piston and cylinder combination and, therefore, of the automobile itself. Exhaustion of the air within the piston cylinder combination is accomplished by a decreasing area of vent holes as the travel of the piston and cylinder increases. A specific or variable rate spring is provided to bias the piston and cylinder arrangement in an extended before-impact condition and absorb energy. The energy absorption device provided by this invention is reusable in that it is not destroyed during an impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1991
    Inventor: John K. Bauer
  • Patent number: 4753467
    Abstract: A movable molding is provided for a vehicle on the vehicle body adjacent to a wrap-around end portion of the bumper. The molding and end portion of the bumper have mating abutment walls through which these elements are fastened together. When the bumper moves towards the vehicle upon impact, the molding is thereby caused to move therewith. Slide elements are provided between the molding and vehicle body for sliding of the molding along the body. A fastening element attaches the molding to the bumper end portion. The fastening element comprises a tensioned flexible cable which permits vertical movement of the bumper end portion with respect to the molding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1988
    Assignee: Chrysler Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Mary E. DeCaluwe, Edgar J. Pierce
  • Patent number: 4635982
    Abstract: The collision protection device comprises a collision protector held in a rest position by spring force. Upon collision against an obstacle, the collision protector is displaced against the spring force and thus cooperates with a de-energizing device. This collision protector is mounted on the vehicle chassis by two swing arms arranged symmetrically non-parallel or in angled relationship to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. This is to permit the de-energizing device to function effectively, irrespective of the place of impact of the obstacle against the collision protector and irrespective of any deformation of the collision protector. Each swing arm is pivotably mounted on the collision protector and on a sliding link member. Each sliding link member is acted upon by the spring force and is displaceably positioned on a cross-shaft mounted on the vehicle chassis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1987
    Assignee: Invention AG
    Inventors: Hansueli Feldmann, Max Brandli
  • Patent number: 4493502
    Abstract: A car body guard comprising a flexible rubber strap rolled up in a housing which is mounted in one of the wheel wells of the car. The strap may be unwound from the housing and extended across the side of the car and its free end fastened to an attachment member in the other wheel well on that side of the car. A return spring holds the strap taut along the side of the car and rolls it up again in the housing after it is detached from the attachment member in the other wheel well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1985
    Inventor: Valtin T. Campbell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4234222
    Abstract: A vehicle body protection device having a first pair of arms telescopically disposed within a sleeve and adapted to extend outwardly from the side of a vehicle on the rear portion of the vehicle and a second set of arms telescopically disposed within a sleeve positioned on the forward portion of the vehicle. A flexible band stored in a storage case and retracted therein by a spring is positioned over a roller on each of the first pair of arms and is adapted to be pulled to the second pair of arms and secured in a predetermined length between the arms such that a door from an adjacent vehicle will be slowed and deflected prior to engaging finish of the vehicle. A second embodiment would energize an alarm while deflecting the door if so desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1980
    Inventor: Marvin J. Bays