DESIGNS FOR SAFETY: THE MECHANICAL FUSE

TWO PRACTICAL DESIGNS FOR ABSORBING THE KINETIC ENERGY IN AN AUTOMOTIVE CRASH ARE DISCUSSED. BOTH DEVICES SAFELY AND IRREVERSIBLY CONVERT THE UNWANTED ENERGY TO HEAT BY METALWORKING PROCESSES PERFORMED ON REPLACEABLE "FUSES" MADE OF INEXPENSIVE PIECES OF TUBING. THE FOLDING TUBE-WITH-MANDREL DEVICE APPEARS TO HAVE MANY APPLICATIONS WHERE UNWANTED ENERGY IS TO BE ABSORBED. A DESIGN THAT COULD BE USED TO ABSORB ENERGY TRANSMITTED TO THE UNIT BY CABLES IN TENSION MIGHT BE USEFUL IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HIGH- SPEED HIGHWAY BARRIERS. TO ABSORB ENERGY IN A MAJOR CRASH WHERE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE CANNOT BE AVOIDED, MAJOR PORTIONS OF THE CAR FRAME ITSELF COULD INCORPORATE THE TUBE-ON-MANDREL CONCEPT. /AUTHOR/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00256501
• Authors:
  • Shaw, M C
• Publication Date: 1972-4

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 23-9
• Serial:
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Volume: 94
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: American Society of Mechanical Engineers
  • ISSN: 0025-6501

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Energy absorbing materials; Energy absorption; Energy conversion; Safety; Safety equipment; Traffic crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Motor vehicle accidents
• Old TRIS Terms: Energy absorbers
• Subject Areas: Energy; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221702
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 9 1972 12:00AM