Side impact-absorbing device for child restraint system
A vehicle includes a vehicle body extending along a longitudinal axis, a closure coupled to the vehicle body, a seat coupled to the vehicle body, and a side-impact absorption (SIA) device arranged between the seat and the closure and including a first position and a second position.
1 . A vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle body extending along a longitudinal axis;
a closure coupled to the vehicle body and including an interior door trim;
a seat coupled to the vehicle body; and
a side-impact absorption (SIA) device including a stowed position and a deployed position and configured to deform in response to a lateral impact load on the vehicle when arranged in a gap located directly between the seat and the closure, the SIA device comprising:
(i) a pair of hinges coupled to the closure,
(ii) a pair of linkages coupled to the hinges, and
(iii) a contact panel coupled to the linkages, the contact panel being a discrete panel separate from the interior door trim of the closure and including a handle,
wherein the SIA device is configured to be manually deployed by an operator, via the handle, such that the pair of hinges rotate the SIA device from the stowed position to the deployed position so that the contact panel occupies the gap prior to a lateral impact event.
2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the seat includes a base portion and a seatback coupled to the base portion.
3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the contact panel tilts away from the closure in the deployed position.
4 . A vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle body extending along a longitudinal axis and including a front passenger compartment and a rear passenger compartment spaced from the front passenger compartment with respect to the longitudinal axis;
one or more front passenger compartment doors coupled to the vehicle body and defining a portion of the front passenger compartment;
one or more rear passenger compartment doors coupled to the vehicle body and defining a portion of the rear passenger compartment and including an interior door trim;
one or more front seats arranged in the front passenger compartment;
one or more rear seats arranged in the rear passenger compartment; and
at least one side-impact absorption (SIA) device arranged in the rear passenger compartment between the one or more rear seats and the one or more rear passenger compartment doors, the SIA device including:
(A) a deployment assembly that has a stowed position and a deployed position, the deployment assembly comprising:
(i) a pair of hinges coupled to one of the rear passenger compartment doors, and
(ii) a pair of linkages that each include a proximal end coupled to one of the hinges and a distal end spaced from the proximal end, and
(B) an energy absorption mechanism including a contact panel that has a handle and is coupled to or integrally formed with the deployment assembly, the contact panel being a discrete panel separate from the interior door trim of the one or more rear passenger compartment doors,
wherein the SIA device is configured to be manually deployed by an operator, via the handle, such that the pair of hinges rotate the deployment assembly from the stowed position to the deployed position so that the contact panel occupies a gap directly between the one or more rear seats and the one or more rear passenger compartment doors prior to a lateral impact event.
5 . The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein a portion of the contact panel tilts away from one of the one or more rear passenger compartment doors in the deployed position.
6 . The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the linkages and/or the contact panel are configured to deform and absorb energy during a lateral impact.