Areas where the structure in a vehicle is allowed to collapse and absorb the kinetic energy of an impact and reduce the kinetic energy transfered to the people in the vehicle.
Normally it located in front portion of a vehicle for when you run into something or are hit head on.
The original crumple zone was a section of the steering column that was cut and replaced with a tube of metal mesh. This allowed the steering column to collapse instead of thrusting back with the front axle and killing the driver.
Later the bumpers were mounted on springs instead of rigid onto the frame or structure of the vehicle. Also known as the 35 mile per hour system. Anything under 35 was able to be absorbed by the bumpers.
Then the front structural crumple zone was introduced that allowed the impacts greater then 35 miles per hour to be more surivable.
The crumple zone crumples, absorbing some of the energy from the impact so that all of that energy doesn't crumple the passengers.
Crumple zone
The term crumple zone is a part of the car that takes the majority of the engergy during an accident. The objective is to make the car safer during an accident. If you watch crash test videos you will see the car fold up in the front or where ever the impact is. But you will also see a lot of pieces of the car go fling all over the place. that is an exaple of a crumple zone. the vehicle is taking most of the impact
A crumple zone absorbs energy during impact.
A car absorbs the energy and force of a crash in the crumple zone.
a crumpe zone makes the car safer in a front or rear collision. it allows part of the car to absorb the impact and lesson the hit on the cab.
To manufacture a crumple zone in a open wheel race car we create an aluminum box riveted together. The key is that the rivets will fail in a controlled manner absorbing the energy of the crash. In a road car you start by making the passenger compartment hugely strong. Then make the crumple zone weaker in a very careful way so that as it progressively collapses it absorbs the energy of the crash.
The crumple zones of cars are normally at the front because it is estimated that 65% of the car impacts occur on the front side. The crumple zone is aimed at absorbing the impact of a crush to secure the passengers.
for the case of the side of the car: if the side doors are crumple then the people in the car would be crash because there is not much space for the crumble zone to absord the force and redistribute. also, if the roof of the car is crumple, then when the car collapses , people in the car will be crash. we want the collision force to be far away from the passengers , and the way that the crumble zone work is when the car hit something, the crumble zone reduces the initial force of the crash, and they redistribute the force before it reaches the vehicle's occupants. hope this kind like give you the idea,
A crumple zone is an area of the car specifically designed to fold up like an accordion upon impact. The action of bending the metal requires energy. As the metal crumples, it absorbs energy from the impact. This means that as more of the car crumples, more energy is absorbed by the car and not you. The less energy you absorb, the less likely serious energy will occur. The passenger compartment on the vehicle is designed to crumple either around passengers or not at all, maximizing the crumple zones of the car.
The first real credited design for a crumple zone was done by Engineer Béla Barényi at Mercedes in 1959
A crumple zone is a feature in a car designed to absorb and distribute the kinetic energy created during a collision. This area of the vehicle is meant to deform and crumple upon impact, helping to reduce the force transferred to the occupants and improve overall safety.