Collision force absorption device

Claim 1

An energy absorbing device comprising a supporting member for connection to a vehicle chassis, a receiving member for connection to a vehicle bumper for transmission of an external force, and being displaceable with respect to said supporting member, and an energy absorbing member having end portions respectively fixed to said receiving and supporting members, said energy absorber being formed of a strip of material having high resistance to plastic deformation and having the shape of a coil with a plurality of closely spaced loops in its mid-portion to provide a plurality of closely spaced surface angularly disposed with respect to said end portions, said receiving member comprising a bar for securement at its front end to a vehicle bumper, said bar passing through said energy absorbing member axially of the coil and being affixed at its rear end to the rear end of the coil, said supporting member being a tube for securement to a chassis frame element and being disposed coaxially with and surrounding said coil, the forward end of said coil being affixed to the forward end of said tube by fastening means paSsing through a longitudinal slot in an intermediate portion of the receiving member, whereby a shock force applied to the receiving member will plastically deform the energy absorbing member so as to widen the spaces between said closely spaced surfaces of the mid-portion.