Pedestrian energy absorber for automotive vehicles

1. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact, said energy absorber comprising a unitary structure comprising a molded mat of fiber reinforced resin material, said molded mat having a density of about 600 to about 3000 grams per square meter wherein density is determined by the weight of a square meter of said molded mat, said structure having a plurality of forwardly projecting crushable lobes adapted to crush upon impact, each said lobe comprising a front portion, a rear portion, and a crush initiator portion between said front and rear portions, said initiator portion comprising a substantially conically shaped portion, said plurality of crushable lobes spaced apart longitudinally across said energy absorber.

2. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 1 wherein said energy absorber has an elongated shape and is adapted for mounting to the forward end of a vehicle for extending longitudinally across the width of the vehicle.

3. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 2 wherein said energy absorber is adapted for pedestrian leg protection and has a highly efficient crush mode.

4. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 2 is adapted to reduce forces of impact with legs of a pedestrian.

5. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 2 wherein the energy absorber is adapted to absorb energy during an impact of said vehicle at low speeds of less than or equal to 5 Mph.

6. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 2 said energy absorber consist essentially of a single integral unit of thermoformed or compression molded material.

7. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 6 wherein said forwardly projecting portion comprises a plurality of forwardly projecting crushable lobes, each lobe having a forwardly facing wall.

8. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 7 wherein said energy absorber includes a support portion for said crushable lobes, said support portion being adapted for attachment to bumper beam.

9. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 8 wherein said plurality of crushable lobes extend outwardly from the support portion, each of said lobes having a forwardly facing front wall, at least a pair of adjacent lobes having interconnecting front walls.

10. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 9 wherein each crush initiating portion comprising a portion of said lobe having a different cross sectional area than another portion of said lobe.

11. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 10 wherein said plurality of the crush means are attached longitudinally across the front of the support portion.

12. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 10 wherein said plurality of crushable lobes project forwardly and are spaced apart longitudinally across said support portion.

13. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 2 wherein and said energy absorber is compression molded or thermoformed.

14. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 13 wherein the energy absorber is compression molded.

15. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 14 wherein said energy absorber comprises fiber reinforcement in a matrix of thermoplastic material.

16. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 15 wherein said mat is formed by heating a thermoplastic polymer to bind fibers in said mat.

17. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 16 wherein said mat comprises a chopped glass fibers and a thermoplastic binder material.

18. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 17 wherein said thermoplastic polymer of the glass mat comprises polyester resin, a polycarbonate, or mixture thereof.

19. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 18 wherein said polyester is a polyalkylene terephthalate.

20. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 19 wherein said polyester is polybutylene terephthalate and said polycarbonate is an aromatic polycarbonate.

21. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 17 wherein said thermoplastic of said the glass mat thermoplastic composite is a polyolefin.

22. An energy absorber adapted for attachment to a vehicle for absorbing forces generated from an impact according to claim 17 wherein said energy absorber is interdisposed between the fascia and reinforcing bumper beam, said vehicle bumper being attachable to the front of an automotive vehicle, said fascia enveloping the energy absorber and reinforcing beam such that neither component other than the fascia is visible once attached to the vehicle.