Crash cushion

Abstract

A crash cushion includes a pair of laterally spaced and longitudinally extending rails. A diaphragm frame is moveably supported by the rails. An outer guide is coupled to the diaphragm frame and is configured to engage an outboard portion of the rail on the impact side respectively during a lateral impact. The outer guide on the impact side is releasable from the outboard portion of the rail. A pair of laterally spaced inner guides are coupled to the diaphragm frame and successively engage and release the inboard portion of the impact side and non-impact side of the rails during an impact of sufficient severity. A flexible panel may be coupled to the impact side of the diaphragm frame. A deformable energy absorbing member is moveably connected to a stationary backup.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A crash cushion comprising:
 a diaphragm frame comprising laterally spaced sides, an upstream face and a downstream face;   a pair of energy absorbing members coupled to the upstream and downstream faces of the diaphragm frame; and   a flexible panel coupled to one of the sides of the diaphragm frame, wherein the flexible panel extends laterally outwardly from the side of the diaphragm frame and is deformable in a longitudinal direction.   
     
     
         2 . The crash cushion of  claim 1  wherein the flexible panel comprises a first flexible panel, and further comprising a second flexible panel coupled to the other side of the diaphragm frame, wherein the second flexible panel extends laterally outwardly from the other side of the diaphragm frame and is deformable in a longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         3 . The crash cushion of  claim 2  wherein the first and second panels are made of HDPE. 
     
     
         4 . The crash cushion of  claim 2  wherein the first and second panels are bendable in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         5 . The crash cushion of  claim 1  further comprising a longitudinally extending cable disposed adjacent an outer surface of the pair of energy absorbing members and an outer edge of the flexible panel. 
     
     
         6 . A crash cushion comprising:
 a deformable energy absorbing member; and   a stationary backup, wherein the energy absorbing member is moveably connected to the backup, and wherein the energy absorbing member is laterally moveable relative to the backup.   
     
     
         7 . The crash cushion of  claim 6  wherein the backup comprises a laterally extending slot and wherein the energy absorbing member comprises a fastener slidable within the slot. 
     
     
         8 . The crash cushion of  claim 7  wherein the energy absorbing member comprises a deformable cylinder. 
     
     
         9 . The crash cushion of  claim 7  wherein the backup comprises a plurality of vertically spaced and laterally extending slots, and wherein the energy absorbing member comprises a plurality of vertically spaced fasteners slidable within corresponding ones of the plurality of slots. 
     
     
         10 . The crash cushion of  claim 6  comprising a plurality of the energy absorbing members positioned along a longitudinal axis, and a longitudinally extending cable disposed along outer surfaces of the energy absorbing members, wherein the cable comprises a first end coupled to a front anchor and a second end coupled to the backup. 
     
     
         11 . A method of attenuating energy when impacting a crash cushion, the method comprising:
 laterally impacting a pair of energy absorbing members with a vehicle, wherein the pair of energy absorbing members are coupled to upstream and downstream faces of a diaphragm frame;   impacting a flexible panel coupled to and extending laterally outwardly from a side of the diaphragm frame between the pair of energy absorbing members; and   deflecting the flexible panel in a longitudinal direction.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the flexible panel is made of HDPE. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein deflecting the flexible panel comprises bending the flexible panel in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein laterally impacting the pair of energy absorbing members and impacting the flexible panel comprises impacting a longitudinally extending cable disposed adjacent an outer surface of the pair of energy absorbing members and an outer side edge of the flexible panel. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the pair of energy absorbing members comprises a pair of deformable cylinders. 
     
     
         16 . A method of attenuating energy when impacting a crash cushion, the method comprising:
 laterally impacting a deformable energy absorbing member with a vehicle, wherein the energy absorbing member is coupled to a stationary backup with a connector;   moving the connector laterally relative to the stationary backup; and   moving the energy absorbing member laterally relative to the stationary backup.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the backup comprises a laterally extending slot and wherein the connector comprises a fastener, and wherein moving the connector laterally comprises sliding the fastener in the slot. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the energy absorbing member comprises a deformable cylinder. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the backup comprises a plurality of vertically spaced and laterally extending slots, and wherein the energy absorbing member comprises a plurality of vertically spaced fasteners, and wherein sliding the fastener in the slot comprises sliding the plurality of fasteners in the plurality of slots. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  comprising a plurality of energy absorbing members positioned along a longitudinal axis, and a longitudinally extending cable disposed along outer surfaces of the energy absorbing members, wherein the cable comprises a first end coupled to a front anchor and a second end coupled to the backup, and wherein laterally impacting the deformable energy absorbing member comprises impacting the cable with the vehicle.