Vehicles may be equipped with bumper systems and crash protection structures that plastically deform to absorb energy in the event of a crash. When a vehicle impacts or is impacted by an object that is offset from the centerline of the vehicle such that the object overlaps a portion of the bumper, the ability of the energy absorbing structures of the vehicle to absorb energy associated with the impact may be reduced. In some impact configurations, the energy absorbing structures of the vehicle may not be activated or may be only partially activated because the object does not come into contact or only partially comes into contact with associated bumper or vehicle structures. Therefore, the bumper and the energy absorbing structures of the vehicle may have a reduced effect on the dissipation of the energy of the impact. Instead, the energy from the impact may be directed into various vehicle structures, including the front side supports of the vehicle.
In one example, a substantial portion of energy from an impact with a small front bumper overlap may be directed into a front side support. As energy is directed into the front side support, the front side support may tend to rotate toward an interior of an engine bay of the vehicle, deflecting away from the direction of the impact of the collision. When the front side support deflects away from the impact of the collision, the front side support absorbs less energy than when the side support does not deflect away from the impact of the collision.
Accordingly, a need exists for alternative structures for transferring energy and absorbing energy from a small front bumper overlap collision.