Editing Crumple zone (section)

== Early development history ==
The crumple zone concept was originally invented and patented by the Hungarian [[Mercedes-Benz]] engineer [[Béla Barényi]] in 1937 before he worked for Mercedes-Benz and in a more developed form in 1952.<ref name=autospeed2016>{{cite web |url=http://www.autospeed.com/cms/A_113292/article.html |title=The crumple zone man |website=AutoSpeed}}</ref> The 1953 [[Mercedes-Benz Ponton|Mercedes-Benz "Ponton"]] was a partial implementation of his ideas,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.autoevolution.com/news/how-crumple-zones-work-7112.html |title=How Crumple Zones Work |first=Tudor |last=Raiciu |date=18 October 2017 |website=AutoEvolution |publisher=[[SoftNews Net SRL]] |location=Romania |access-date=2019-06-11}}</ref> by having a strong deep platform to form a partial safety cell, patented in 1941.<ref name=autospeed2016 />

The Mercedes-Benz patent number 854157, granted in 1952, describes the decisive feature of passive safety. Barényi questioned the opinion that had prevailed until then that a safe car had to be rigid. He divided the car body into three sections: the rigid non-deforming passenger compartment and the crumple zones in the front and the rear.<ref>{{cite web |title=Inventors Gallery: Biography Barényi |year=2004 |quote=He divided the car body into three sections: the rigid non-deforming passenger compartment and the crumple zones in the front and the rear. They are designed to absorb the energy of an impact (kinetic energy) by deformation during collision |publisher=[[German Patent and Trade Mark Office]] |url=https://www.dpma.de/ponline/erfindergalerie/e_bio_barenyi.html}}</ref><ref name=HSWcrumple1>{{cite web |last=Grabianowski |first=Ed |url=https://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/safety-regulatory-devices/crumple-zone1.htm |title=How Crumple Zones Work – Force of Impact |website=[[HowStuffWorks]] |publisher=[[System1]] |date=2008-08-11 |access-date=2019-06-11}}</ref>

The first Mercedes-Benz carbody developed using the patent was the 1959 [[Mercedes W111]] "tail fin" saloon.<ref name=autospeed2016 /> The safety cell and crumple zones were achieved primarily by the design of the longitudinal members: these were straight in the centre of the vehicle and formed a rigid safety cage with the body panels, the front and rear supports were curved so that they deformed in the event of an accident, absorbing part of the collision energy.<ref name=autospeed2016 /><ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jgsQEPh38c |title=Historischer Werbefilm Mercedes Benz zum Thema Sicherheit 1960er Jahre S/W |language=de |trans-title=Historic commercial, safety-themed Mercedes-Benz film; 1960s B&W |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/2jgsQEPh38c |archive-date=2021-12-11 }}{{cbignore}}<!--Wayback Machine archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20200523121342/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jgsQEPh38c&gl=US&hl=en--></ref><ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOyILzo-yDY |title=Béla Barényi – a history of safety – Mercedes-Benz original |people=Mercedes-Benz |via=YouTube}}</ref>

A more recent development for these curved longitudinal members is to be weakened by vertical and lateral ribs to form telescoping "crash can" or "crush tube" deformation structures.