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:
Apr. 20, 2010
Filed:
Feb. 01, 2008
Darin Evans, Spring Lake, MI (US);
Jeffery T. Burke, Jackson, MI (US);
Kenneth R. Bastien, Brighton, MI (US);
Kevin E. Holdren, Tecumseh, CA;
Daniel D. Ralston, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
David Gorman, Royal Oak, MI (US);
Darin Evans, Spring Lake, MI (US);
Jeffery T. Burke, Jackson, MI (US);
Kenneth R. Bastien, Brighton, MI (US);
Kevin E. Holdren, Tecumseh, CA;
Daniel D. Ralston, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
David Gorman, Royal Oak, MI (US);
NetShape Energy Management, LLC, Novi, MI (US);
Abstract
An energy absorber includes a base flange and elongated crush boxes that to form a substantially continuously face surface on the energy absorber. Back straps are attached across a back of the crush boxes to prevent unacceptable spreading of the side walls of the crush boxes during an impact. The back straps can be integrally formed when the energy absorber is molded, and can include a living hinge at one end and a free end that can be bent over and snap attached during post-molding assembly without additional secondary operations. Alternatively, a separate wall-stabilizing thermoformed component is sandwiched between the energy absorber and beam.