Abstract: An energy management system comprising a longitudinally extending beam including a first beam portion and a second beam portion. A first one of the first beam portion and the second beam portion has a first face, a first side wall and a second side wall. A second one of the first beam portion and the second beam portion has a second face. The first side wall has a first U-shaped section spaced from the first face and the second side wall has a second U-shaped section spaced from the first face. The first side wall rolls to enlarge the first U-shaped section and the second side wall rolls to enlarge the second U-shaped section during an impact force directed against the first face of the first beam portion or the second face of the second beam portion.

Abstract: An energy-absorbing system includes a tube made of a continuous polymeric material. The tube has first and second tube sections connected by an intermediate tube section. By this arrangement, upon the bumper system receiving a longitudinal impact, the first and second tube sections telescopingly collapse with a predictable and consistent rolling collapse.

Abstract: A B-shaped reinforcement beam is formed from a sheet of material to include vertically spaced upper and lower tubular sections, with a channel-shaped rib formed centrally in the unsupported portion of the front wall over each tube section. The ribs acts to stiffen and stabilize the front wall, causing the actual bending strength of the B beam to be much closer to expected theoretical values. In one form, the ribs have a vertical dimension about 33%-50% of a height of the tubular sections and a depth of about 50%-100% of the rib's height. The rib is particularly effective when the material is less than 2.2 mm, more than 80 KSI, and/or has a significant height-to-depth ratio such as 3:1.

Abstract: An energy-absorbing system includes a tube made of a continuous material, such as heat-treatable steel. The tube has first and second ring sections connected by an intermediate section. In one aspect, the intermediate section is flared and/or pinched to cause one tube section to predictably telescopingly roll upon impact. In another aspect, one section is annealed to optimize elongation and yield properties to facilitate rolling upon impact. By this arrangement, upon the bumper system receiving a longitudinal impact, the first and second ring sections telescopingly collapse with a predictable and consistent rolling collapse. Methods related to the above are also disclosed.

Abstract: An energy-absorbing system includes a tube made of a continuous material, such as heat-treatable steel. The tube has first and second ring sections connected by an intermediate section. In one aspect, the intermediate section is flared and/or pinched to cause one tube section to predictably telescopingly roll upon impact. In another aspect, one section is annealed to optimize elongation and yield properties to facilitate rolling upon impact. By this arrangement, upon the bumper system receiving a longitudinal impact, the first and second ring sections telescopingly collapse with a predictable and consistent rolling collapse. Methods related to the above are also disclosed.

Abstract: A bumper beam includes an open front section made from a high-strength material such as ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS) material, and further includes a mating back section made of lower strength material attached to a rear side of the front section along abutting flanges. The front and back sections combine to define different tubular cross sections along their length, thus providing selected stiffness and strength at critical areas of the bumper beam. The front section can be roll-formed, and the back section can be stamped, thus taking advantage of roll-forming processes' ability to form high-strength materials, while allowing the back section to have a more complicated shape and be stamped. For example, the back section can be made from a material selected from a group consisting of HSLA steel, aluminum, and/or polymeric material. The back section is attached to the beam using welding or mechanical attachment.

Abstract: A bumper beam includes an open front section made from a high-strength material such as ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS) material, and further includes a mating back section made of lower-strength material attached to a rear side of the front section along abutting flanges. The front and back sections combine to define different tubular cross sections. The front section can be roll-formed, and the back section can be stamped, thus taking advantage of roll-forming processes' ability to form high-strength materials, while allowing the back section to have a more complicated shape and be stamped. The abutting flanges telescopingly overlap in a fore-aft direction of the vehicle and are welded together at locations that potentially experience shear upon impact, but the flanges of the front section are captured within the flanges of the backs section, thus providing impact strength even if the attachment locations shear off.

Abstract: An energy-absorbing system includes a tube made of a continuous material, such as heat-treatable steel. The tube has first and second ring sections connected by an intermediate section. In one aspect, the intermediate section is flared and/or pinched to cause one tube section to predictably telescopingly roll upon impact. In another aspect, one section is annealed to optimize elongation and yield properties to facilitate rolling upon impact. By this arrangement, upon the bumper system receiving a longitudinal impact, the first and second ring sections telescopingly collapse with a predictable and consistent rolling collapse. Methods related to the above are also described.

Abstract: An energy-absorbing system includes a tube made of a continuous material, such as heat-treatable steel. The tube has first and second ring sections connected by an intermediate section. In one aspect, the intermediate section is flared and/or pinched to cause one tube section to predictably telescopingly roll upon impact. In another aspect, one section is annealed to optimize elongation and yield properties to facilitate rolling upon impact. By this arrangement, upon the bumper system receiving a longitudinal impact, the first and second ring sections telescopingly collapse with a predictable and consistent rolling collapse. Methods related to the above are also disclosed.

Abstract: An energy-absorbing crush tower for a vehicle bumper system includes a tube made of a continuous contiguous material, such as a heat-treatable steel. The tube has first and second ring sections connected by an interconnecting section. The first ring section is heat-treated to a high material strength, such as about 120 KSI tensile strength, which is substantially higher than the second ring section, which is kept at about 60 KSI tensile strength. The interconnecting section has a frustoconically-shaped portion forming a ramp. By this arrangement, upon the bumper system receiving an end impact parallel a length of the tube, the first and second ring sections telescopingly collapse with a predictable and consistent multi-phase deformation sequence where a third ring section forms between the first and second ring sections. A method related to the above is also disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: An energy-absorbing crush tower for a vehicle bumper system includes a tube made of a continuous contiguous material, such as a heat-treatable steel. The tube has first and second ring sections connected by an interconnecting section. The first ring section is heat-treated to a high material strength, such as about 120 KSI tensile strength, which is substantially higher than the second ring section, which is kept at about 60 KSI tensile strength. The interconnecting section has a frustoconically-shaped portion forming a ramp. By this arrangement, upon the bumper system receiving an end impact parallel a length of the tube, the first and second ring sections telescopingly collapse with a predictable and consistent multi-phase deformation sequence where a third ring section forms between the first and second ring sections. A method related to the above is also disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: A bumper beam includes an open front section made from a high-strength material such as ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS) material, and further includes a mating back section made of lower-strength material attached to a rear side of the front section along abutting flanges. The front and back sections combine to define different tubular cross sections. The front section can be roll-formed, and the back section can be stamped, thus taking advantage of roll-forming processes' ability to form high-strength materials, while allowing the back section to have a more complicated shape and be stamped. The abutting flanges telescopingly overlap in a fore-aft direction of the vehicle and are welded together at locations that potentially experience shear upon impact, but the flanges of the front section are captured within the flanges of the backs section, thus providing impact strength even if the attachment locations shear off.