Chrysler Corporation

Dale A Bode

Mark W Crossman

Sukhbir S Bilkhu

Brian M Beaudet

Theodore W Tobin

Lawrence Zukowski

An energy-absorbing plate for absorbing energy from the force of a knee of the driver of a motor vehicle when the driver is thrown forward in response to a frontal impact. The plate has a knee impact zone and is mounted on rigid vehicle support structure in a position placing the impact zone directly in front of the right knee of the driver. The impact zone is connected to an upper wall portion of the plate by a generally horizontal shelf placing the impact zone closer to the right knee and providing additional stiffness for better crashworthiness. The plate has a bead adjacent one side of the impact zone capable of deforming into a shallower channel shape upon impact. The impact zone has a relatively large radius side edge portion capable of rolling with the deformation of the impact zone to improve energy absorption.

Driver knee energy-absorbing plate

A system for hydrostatically measuring the volumetric deformation of a crushable foam includes a test chamber that is in fluid communication with a pressure fluid reservoir. A sample of a crushable foam is loaded within the test chamber within a latex pouch and the pressure fluid is pumped into the test chamber in order to subject the foam sample to triaxial loading. The volumetric deformation of the crushable foam is continuously monitored through suitable electronics as a function of pressure within the system.

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Wixom, MI, United States of America

Dale A Bode