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:
Nov. 27, 2001
Filed:
Jun. 12, 2000
Xiaoyu Li, Saginaw, MI (US);
David Michael Byers, Saginaw, MI (US);
Kevin Lawrence Roe, Lafayette, IN (US);
Delphi Technologies, Inc., Troy, MI (US);
Abstract
An actively variable energy absorber including a convex anvil on a steering column housing, a flat metal strap attached to a steering column support and slidably engaging the convex anvil on an active surface area of the convex anvil, and a control apparatus for actively varying the geometric relationship between the flat metal strap and the convex anvil in response to changes in a control variable thereby to adjust the magnitude of the active surface area. Adjusting the magnitude of the active surface area changes the severity of plastic deformation of the flat metal strap and the magnitude of the friction between the flat metal strap and the convex anvil thereby to adjust the force resisting linear translation of the steering column housing. In some embodiments of the actively variable energy absorber, the flat metal strap is plastically deformed by being pulled over a single convex anvil during linear translation of the steering column housing. In other embodiments of the actively variable energy absorber, the flat metal strap is plastically deformed by being pulled across a plurality of convex anvils or by being pulled edgewise between a pair convex anvils.