Vehicle fenders – Buffer or bumper type – Bumper guard
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-18
2004-05-11
Coletta, Lori L. (Department: 3612)
Vehicle fenders
Buffer or bumper type
Bumper guard
C293S102000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06733055
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure of an automotive bumper disposed at a front end or at a rear end of a vehicle and more particularly to a bumper structure having protector means at left and right ends of a bumper beam.
2. Discussion of Related Arts
Generally, a vehicle has a bumper at front and rear ends thereof, respectively. As illustrated in
FIG. 6
, a well known bumper has a transversely elongated hollow bumper beam
11
and a pair of left and right stays
12
supporting the bumper beam
11
on a body side and secured to a vehicle body. The bumper beam has an energy absorbing foam on an outer surface thereof or on an opposite side of the bumper beam
11
with respect to the vehicle body and the energy absorbing foam is covered on an outer surface thereof with a fascia.
The bumper beam
11
has an overhang portion
13
outwardly extending from respective stays to left and right. Further, as shown in
FIG. 6
, the bumper beam
11
is bent inwardly at a connecting portion of the bumper beam
11
and the stay
12
and the overhang portion
13
is slanted toward the vehicle body. As a result, when a corner section of the vehicle abuts against an obstacle, an impact load exerted on the vehicle can be efficiently received at the overhang portion
13
of the bumper beam
11
.
However, in the aforesaid automotive bumper structure, since the bumper beam is inwardly bent in consideration of collisions of corner sections of the vehicle with obstacles, the bumper beam structure has disadvantages in a moldability of the bumper beam and manufacturing cost of the vehicle. Further, the bumper structure has a restriction in a bending configuration of the bumper beam from the view point of the moldability of the bumper beam and a requirement of collision performances of the vehicle. As a result, freedom of molding of the fascia is also restricted and the bumper beam of the prior art is disadvantageous aerodynamically and aesthetically.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an automotive bumper structure capable of reducing manufacturing cost of a vehicle and of enlarging a freedom of molding a fascia without exacerbating collision performances of the vehicle.
In order to achieve an object, the automotive bumper structure comprises a bumper beam extending in a widthwise direction of the vehicle, a pair of left and right stays fixed to a body of the vehicle for supporting the bumper beam at each end portion of the bumper beam and a pair of left and right protector means provided at the end portion of the bumper beam for protecting an opposite side of the end portion of the bumper beam with respect to the vehicle. For example, the protector means include a beam protection section extending in a lengthwise direction of the vehicle outside of the end portion of the bumper beam and a bracket section integrally connected with the beam protection section and extending in the widthwise direction of the vehicle and fastening means for fastening the bumper beam to the body of the vehicle together with the bracket section.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4783104 (1988-11-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 5425561 (1995-06-01), Morgan
patent: 5803517 (1998-09-01), Shibuya
patent: 5997057 (1999-12-01), Gasko et al.
patent: 6042163 (2000-03-01), Reiffer
patent: 6179353 (2001-01-01), Heatherington et al.
patent: 6318775 (2001-11-01), Heatherington et al.
patent: 6334638 (2002-01-01), Yamamuro et al.
patent: 2002/0017794 (2002-02-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 196 03 958 (1997-08-01), None
patent: 1 063 135 A2 (2000-12-01), None
European Search Report, dated Jun. 13, 2003, issued by the European Patent Office, for European Patent Application No. EP 03250961.4 (4 pages).
Coletta Lori L.
Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Smith Gambrell & Russell
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