The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 18, 2019
Filed:
May. 23, 2017
Ford Global Technologies, Llc, Dearborn, MI (US);
Scott M. Rollins, Canton, MI (US);
John Qingrui Liu, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
John Marsh, Rayleigh, GB;
Eric Wells, Dearborn, MI (US);
Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
The disclosed inventive concept provides a crushable air duct having formed thereon a series of strategically positioned and patterned crack-initiating grooves. The grooves allow the air duct to be crushed in an impact event and a specified impact force, thereby protecting adjacent and higher cost under hood components from damage. In an impact event, the series of grooves allows the cracks in the air duct to readily propagate throughout the pattern in a controlled and predictable manner. The crushable air duct is formed from a rigid polymerized material. The duct includes an inlet and an outlet. The grooves are formed on either or both the exterior surface and the interior surface of the duct. Some of the grooves extend generally between the inlet and the outlet. These grooves are preferably parallel. Other grooves are circumferentially formed around the duct. At least some of the parallel and circumferential grooves intersect.