Vehicle fenders – Buffer or bumper type – Composite bumper
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-23
2001-10-09
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Vehicle fenders
Buffer or bumper type
Composite bumper
C293S133000, C293S152000, C293S155000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299226
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a bumper for motor vehicles comprising a transverse support to be mounted transversely to the longitudinal supports of the motor vehicle frame by means of impact damping members.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bumpers are arranged transversely at the front and rear of a motor vehicle between the plastic covering enclosing the car body and the frame of the motor vehicle. They are provided in order to prevent damage to the motor vehicle structure upon impact at low speed. For this purpose, impact damping members, so-called crash boxes, are provided between the transverse support and the longitudinal supports of the motor vehicle. The impact damping members are designed to absorb the energy resulting from an impact by converting the energy into deformation work.
Different types of bumpers or bumper arrangements are known. For example, German patent application DE 197 00 002 A1 discloses a bumper arrangement with a rigid support which is partly formed as a hollow support and fastened by means of an impact damping members to the front ends of the longitudinal supports of the chassis, respectively, on opposite sides of the longitudinal center axis of the motor vehicle. The transverse support is connected to a deformable bumper shell.
Similar proposals can be taken from British patent application GB 2 328 654 A or European patent application EP 0 050 722 A1.
Especially in the case of the rear bumper, the free deformation stroke which is available for energy absorption is short as a result of the motor vehicle construction because the available space is limited by the trunk cover. Therefore, it is desirable to form the transverse support already as a deformation element positioned upstream of the crash boxes in the direction of impact in the manner of a serial connection in order to provide energy absorption as high as possible from the beginning of the impact. Such systems are comprised usually of a transverse support which is embodied as a closed hollow chamber profile or as a closed pressed shell part, as is disclosed also in the above mentioned references. The weight of such a construction is relatively high because of the amount of material used. Also, painting or surface protection of the transverse support is complex because of the closed construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to improve a bumper by means of a weight-reducing construction wherein the transverse support has a deformation capability and contributes to energy absorption during impact in cooperation with the crash boxes.
In accordance with the present invention, this is achieved in that the transverse support is configured as an open profiled member that is open toward the impact damping members and is comprised of an upper shell and a lower shell, wherein a rearwardly oriented leg adjoins the upper longitudinal edge and the lower longitudinal edge of the front stay of the transverse support, respectively, which leg is comprised of a vertical portion and an angled reinforcement flange pointing toward the vehicle frame.
According to the invention, the transverse support is a profiled member that is open in a direction toward the impact damping members and is comprised of an upper shell and a lower shell which are connected to one another. The thus formed transverse support has a front stay and a leg oriented toward the rear extends from the upper and lower longitudinal edges of the front stay, respectively. This leg is embodied as a deformation fold with a vertical section and an adjoining angled reinforcement flange pointing toward the frame of the motor vehicle. Preferably, the vertical section, with respect to the open profiled member is pulled inwardly and the reinforcement flange is oriented approximately at a right angle to the vertical section.
Because of the open profiled member of the transverse support, a considerable weight reduction is achieved. Moreover, material can be saved. The shaping of the two-part transverse support with fold formation and flange formation imparts a deformation behavior to the transverse member that is comparable to that of an impact damping member.
Advantageously, the upper shell and the lower shell, relative to the longitudinal center plane, are arranged symmetrically to one another. The upper shell and the lower shell can then be formed as identical components with identical cross-section configuration. This means that tool costs can be saved. The tailored optimized design of the profile furthermore contributes to an improved material use.
The upper shell overlaps portions of the lower shell when assembled to form the transverse support, and the two shells are connected, for example, by welding.
Receiving members for attaching the impact damping members are integrated into the transverse support. The receiving members are pocket-shaped and are introduced during the pressing or stamping process into the upper shell and the lower shell. In this context, the shell design can be adjusted to different impact damping configurations.
In this connection, a transverse member whose receiving members have length portions which are parallel to the upper side and the lower side of the impact damping members is considered to be advantageous. These length portions have a continuous transition into the longitudinal legs of the upper and lower shells. The receiving members are formed by partially widening the legs at the upper shell and the lower shell. In the finished bumper, the receiving members receive the end portions of the impact damping members in a positive-locking way.
Expediently, the impact damping members are also formed as a two-part shell with an upper shell and a lower shell. The upper shell and the lower shell are connected to one another via the longitudinal edges of their lateral legs.
The impact damping members are open in the direction toward the transverse support. Their end faces facing the longitudinal supports of the vehicle have a connecting flange for attachment to the longitudinal supports, respectively.
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Goer Peter
Kröning Achim
Straznikiewiecz Dariusz
Wang Hui
Benteler AG
Chenevert Paul
Friedrich Kueffner
Pape Joseph D.
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