Crash attenuator assemblies for decelerating vehicles

Abstract

Crash attenuator assemblies are operable to decelerate errant vehicles traveling along roadways. The crash attenuator assemblies include guide rails anchorable to a ground surface adjacent a roadway. Frame assemblies are supported on the guide rails and are displaced upon impact by errant vehicles. The frame assemblies are spaced longitudinally along the guide rail such that a bay is defined between adjacent ones of the frame assemblies. An energy absorption cartridge is disposed within one of the bays and includes a cartridge shell and an energy absorption body encased in a shell chamber of the cartridge shell. The energy absorption body is at least partially formed from an anisotropic polymeric foam material that exhibits a first energy absorption value when compressed in a first body direction and a second energy absorption value when compressed in a second body direction that is transverse to the first body direction.

1 . An energy absorption cartridge dimensioned for receipt within an associated bay of an associated crash attenuator assembly, said energy absorption cartridge comprising:
 a cartridge shell including a shell wall at least partially defining a shell chamber; and,   an energy absorption body disposed within said shell chamber, said energy absorption body at least partially formed from an anisotropic polymeric foam material that exhibits a first energy absorption value when compressed in a first body direction and a second energy absorption value when compressed in a second body direction that is transverse to said first body direction.   
     
     
         2 . An energy absorption cartridge according to  claim 1 , wherein said second energy absorption value is approximately 80 percent or less of said first energy absorption value. 
     
     
         3 . An energy absorption cartridge according to  claim 2 , wherein said second energy absorption value is approximately 60 percent or less of said first energy absorption value. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . An energy absorption cartridge according to  claim 1 , wherein said shell wall includes a first shell wall portion and a second shell wall portion spaced in a longitudinal direction from said first shell wall portion. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . An energy absorption cartridge according to  claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of said anisotropic polymeric foam material of said energy absorption body is oriented such that said first body direction is at least approximately aligned with said longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         9 . An energy absorption cartridge according to  claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of said anisotropic polymeric foam material of said energy absorption body is oriented such that said first body direction is transverse to said longitudinal direction and said second body direction is at least approximately aligned with said longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         10 . An energy absorption cartridge according to  claim 1 , wherein said energy absorption body includes a plurality of blocks of anisotropic polymeric foam material attached to one another to at least partially form said energy absorption body with each of said plurality of blocks of anisotropic polymeric material exhibiting said first energy absorption value upon compression in a first block direction and said second energy absorption value upon compression in a second block direction. 
     
     
         11 . An energy absorption cartridge according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one of said plurality of blocks of anisotropic polymeric foam material is oriented such that said first block direction is at least approximately aligned with said longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         12 . An energy absorption cartridge according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one of said plurality of blocks of anisotropic polymeric foam material is oriented such that said first block direction is transverse to said longitudinal direction and said second block direction is at least approximately aligned with said longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         13 . An energy absorption cartridge according to  claim 10 , wherein each of said plurality of blocks of anisotropic polymeric foam material is oriented such that said first block direction is at least approximately aligned with said longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         14 . An energy absorption cartridge according to  claim 10 , wherein each of said plurality of blocks of anisotropic polymeric foam material is oriented such that said first block direction is transverse to said longitudinal direction and said second block direction is at least approximately aligned with said longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         15 . A crash attenuator assembly operable to decelerate an associated errant vehicle, said crash attenuator assembly comprising:
 a guide rail anchorable to an associated ground surface adjacent an associated roadway, said guide rail extending in a longitudinal direction from a first rail end to a second rail end opposite said first rail end;   a plurality of frame assemblies supported on said guide rail for longitudinal displacement therealong upon impact by the associated errant vehicle, said plurality of frame assemblies oriented transverse to said guide rail and extending therefrom in a vertical direction away from the associated ground surface, said plurality of frame assemblies disposed in longitudinally-spaced relation to one another along said guide rail such that a plurality of bays are defined longitudinally along said guide rail with each of said plurality of bays disposed between adjacent ones of said plurality of frame assemblies; and,   an energy absorption cartridge disposed within one of said plurality of bays between adjacent ones of said plurality of frame assemblies, said energy absorption cartridge including a cartridge shell and an energy absorption body encased within a shell chamber of said cartridge shell, said energy absorption body being at least partially formed from an anisotropic polymeric foam material that exhibits a first energy absorption value when compressed in a first body direction and a second energy absorption value when compressed in a second body direction that is transverse to said first body direction with said second energy absorption value being different from said first energy absorption value.   
     
     
         16 . A crash attenuator assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein said energy absorption cartridge is one of a plurality of energy absorption cartridges each disposed in a different one of said plurality of bays with said energy absorption body of each of said plurality of energy absorption cartridges being formed from a common anisotropic polymeric foam material. 
     
     
         17 . A crash attenuator assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein at least a portion of said anisotropic polymeric foam material of said energy absorption body in at least one of said plurality of energy absorption cartridges is oriented such that said first body direction is at least approximately aligned with said longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         18 . A crash attenuator assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein at least a portion of said anisotropic polymeric foam material of said energy absorption body in at least one of said plurality of energy absorption cartridges is oriented such that said first body direction is transverse to said longitudinal direction and said second body direction is at least approximately aligned with said longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         19 . A crash attenuator assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein said energy absorption body in at least one of said plurality of energy absorption cartridges includes a plurality of blocks of anisotropic polymeric foam material attached to one another to at least partially form said energy absorption body. 
     
     
         20 . A crash attenuator assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein at least one of said plurality of blocks of anisotropic polymeric foam material of said energy absorption body is oriented such that said first body direction is at least approximately aligned with said longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         21 . A crash attenuator assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein at least one of said plurality of blocks of anisotropic polymeric foam material of said energy absorption body is oriented such that said first body direction is transverse to said longitudinal direction and said second body direction is at least approximately aligned with said longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         22 . A crash attenuator assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein each of said plurality of blocks of anisotropic polymeric foam material of said energy absorption body is oriented such that said first body direction is at least approximately aligned with said longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         23 . A crash attenuator assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein each of said plurality of blocks of anisotropic polymeric foam material is oriented such that said first body direction is transverse to said longitudinal direction and said second body direction is at least approximately aligned with said longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled)