US 12,139,084 B2
Vehicle-mounted crash attenuator
Geoffrey B. Maus, Trabuco Canyon, CA (US); and Ryan Selvius, Vista, CA (US)
Assigned to TRAFFIX DEVICES, INC., San Clemente, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/926,869
Filed by TRAFFIX DEVICES, INC., San Clemente, CA (US)
PCT Filed Apr. 28, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/029561
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 21, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/222356, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 4, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/018,970, filed on May 1, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0192021 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B60R 19/26 (2006.01); B60R 19/24 (2006.01); B60R 19/38 (2006.01); E01F 15/14 (2006.01); B60R 19/00 (2006.01); B60R 19/18 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 19/26 (2013.01) [B60R 19/24 (2013.01); B60R 19/38 (2013.01); E01F 15/148 (2013.01); B60R 2019/005 (2013.01); B60R 2019/1893 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A crash impact attenuator adapted for deployment on a vehicle, comprising:
a cartridge portion comprising at least one energy absorbing module; and
a backup system having a backup frame and being adapted to attach the cartridge portion to the vehicle, comprising an actuator configured to pivot the cartridge portion between a deployed orientation and a stored orientation about a pivot axis disposed on a lower half of the backup system, the backup system further comprising a lockout frame member having a contact surface on and extending across one end thereof, the lockout frame member being actuatable between a deployed orientation wherein the contact surface directly engages a portion of the backup frame but is not joined or connected to the backup frame by any fasteners and a stowed orientation wherein the contact surface is not engaged with the backup frame and is not connected to the backup frame;
wherein the backup frame pivots between a vertical orientation, when the cartridge portion is in its deployed orientation and a horizontal orientation when the cartridge portion is in its stowed orientation, and the lockout frame member pivots between a vertical orientation, when the cartridge portion is in its stowed orientation, and a horizontal orientation, when the cartridge portion is in its deployed orientation.