Abstract: A metal piece having at least two areas of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece, said pieces being respectively arranged on one side and the other of a longitudinal central section (PM) of said piece and alternatively located in two locations separated longitudinally along the piece, the areas of lower mechanical strength than the body of the piece being formed by local control of the stamping temperature during a stamping process of the piece, notably a process comprising steps including heating the piece to a temperature range suitable for obtaining an austenitic stage, then stamping this piece in a stamping tool suitable for defining different temperatures in the different areas of the stamped piece, for example by virtue of the voids formed in the stamping tool or by local reheating of the stamping tool.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a shock absorber system for a vehicle comprising a main unit (100) adapted to be deformed in the event of an impact with a first energy level and a secondary unit (200) shorter in length than the main unit (100), adapted to be subjected to loads as a complement of the main unit (100), after a first deformation phase of the main unit (100), when the system receives an impact with a second energy level greater than the first, the secondary unit (200) being configured to orient the resultant of a force applied on a downstream structure (30) in a direction not parallel to the longitudinal axis of this downstream structure.

Abstract: The invention relates to an energy absorber for a vehicle bumper assembly, comprising a thrust transmitting section (1) and a deformable section (2) which are connected to one another, the respective opposing ends thereof being connected to a bumper cross-member (3) and a longitudinal member (4) of a main structure of the vehicle. The thrust transmitting section (1) includes a thrust transmitting member (5) having an elongate configuration extending along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The deformable section (2) includes: deformable members (6, 8) in the form of a bridge defining stacked and joined supporting configurations (6a, 8a) to which the thrust transmitting member (5) is connected, and legs (6b) which extend from said supporting configurations (6a, 8a) substantially along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and which are connected to the longitudinal member (4), optionally by means of a flat bar (10).

Abstract: The invention relates to a bumper cross-member including an elongated body having a three-dimensional configuration formed from several metal sheet elements joined together by welding and shaped. The three-dimensional configuration has a non-uniform open transversal section along the body. The method includes joining several metal sheet elements together by welding in order to produce a flat tailored blank and shaping the tailored blank to produce the body. Shaping is carried out by hot or cold stamping. The several metal sheet elements can be joined either mutually adjacent or overlaid by different welding techniques, they can be of different of identical thicknesses and of the same type or different types of steel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a bumper cross-member including an elongated body having a three-dimensional configuration formed from several metal sheet elements joined together by welding and shaped. The three-dimensional configuration has a non-uniform open transversal section along the body. The method includes joining several metal sheet elements together by welding in order to produce a flat tailored blank and shaping the tailored blank to produce the body. Shaping is carried out by hot or cold stamping. The several metal sheet elements can be joined either mutually adjacent or overlaid by different welding techniques, they can be of different of identical thicknesses and of the same type or different types of steel.