Spring devices – Resilient shock or vibration absorber – Bumper
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-29
2001-04-03
Butler, Douglas C. (Department: 3613)
Spring devices
Resilient shock or vibration absorber
Bumper
C267S141000, C267S153000, C052S173100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209857
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a bumper device which is to be mounted on a stationary object to absorb a shock in the case a vehicle collides against the object.
According to the known art a bulky block of rubber is generally fixed to the wall in question, for instance using bolts which are fastened in the wall in countersunk position in the rubber. Protection is provided by the rubber both to the wall and the vehicle which can bump against it.
The drawback of the known art is that the known bumper device is unprotected, i.e. while the bumper device consisting of a block of rubber provides the desired protection against the shocks or impacts in the travel direction of the vehicle, the bumper device itself incurs damage, particularly when the vehicle does not drive exactly straight onto the known bumper device, and more particularly when the vehicle moves up and downward under the influence of the suspension thereof, for instance during loading and unloading. These conditions have a destructive effect on the bumper device, wherein the block of rubber is ripped apart such that it will have to be replaced after a short time. The associated cost in labour and material is high.
A further drawback is that not only must the bumpers be replaced, but frequently the anchoring bolts as well, because the rubber material is highly compressible and friction forces caused by the vehicle are hereby transmitted to the bolts, the heads of which are located at a distance from the relevant wall. As a result these bolts can bend, break or even be pulled entirely out of the relevant wall. This latter is only possible a limited number of times since too many holes will have to be drilled in the concrete for new bolts.
It is otherwise also known to make use of a contact element of steel or metal which has some freedom of movement in the case of a collision or contact with a vehicle. This known device has the main drawback however that a coefficient of friction between objects of metal which are in mutual contact is still very high, so that great forces are exerted on the device. Such a known device is provided with a stop for blocking movement of the contact element in downward direction, which corresponds with loading of a vehicle, and does not have a symmetrical form in the case of rotation as seen in front view or reversal of the contact element, so that it cannot withstand very well the friction forces occurring during unloading of a vehicle, and that in the case of damage thereto the contact element must certainly be replaced since no other option is available for the positioning of this contact element.
According to the invention a bumper device is provided with which the above stated drawbacks are obviated. To this end there is provided a bumper device with at least one body of resilient material; and, at least on the front part of the body, a closed and flat front element of material with a low coefficient of friction in the case of contact with material of the vehicle.
The front element herein serves to protect the body of resilient material which can be formed for instance from a block of rubber or a number of springs, which are per se very sensitive to the above mentioned up and downward movement of the vehicle, for instance during loading and/or unloading thereof.
A bumper device according to the present invention preferably comprises a base on the rear side of the body. In this way the body is enclosed between the base and the front element, which results in a simple and reliable configuration.
The base is preferably plate-like with at least two side edges distributed round the periphery thereof, wherein the side edges enclose sides of the front element in close-fitting manner. In this way a movement other than that of the base and the front element away from and toward each other is limited and preferably even wholly eliminated. In order to still enable the movement of the base and the front element away from and toward each other, a bumper device according to the present invention is such that the side edges comprise engaging means which act on the front element with clearance, wherein the base and the front element are movable toward and away from each other.
In addition, a bumper device according to the present invention is preferably such that the base can be arranged on the object with fixing means, so that in this manner the fixing takes place using a preferably hard and stiff element and not, as in the known art, through a soft and compressible material. It is preferably the case here that an outer end of the side edges forms a stop with which the space available for relative movement of the base and the front element is limited. The thus formed stop defines the space available for the relative movement and limits it. It will be possible during use to reach the extreme position predetermined by the stop, wherein the energy of the collision of the vehicle with the bumper device is largely dissipated prior thereto by the resilient body.
In another preferred embodiment a bumper device according to the present invention is such that the base is plate-like, at least one side edge of which is folded, and the side edge and a closing element to be releasably connected to the base enclose the front element in close-fitting manner. During assembly of the bumper device according to the invention the front element can in this way be positioned simply relative to the base already fixed to the object prior thereto, wherein the body is situated between the base and the front element, whereafter the closing element is arranged to subsequently enclose the front element in close-fitting manner and hold it in place. A simple exchange of a damaged front element with a new one is hereby realized. A damaged front element can thus also be reversed in simple manner to provide a less battered surface on the front for collision with or sliding off of the vehicle.
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Butler Douglas C.
Stertil B.V.
Zovko Mark
LandOfFree
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