Bumper structure for automobile

Details Bumper structure for automobile Bumper structure for automobile

2001-03-27

2002-08-06

Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)

Vehicle fenders

Buffer or bumper type

Composite bumper

C293S102000, C293S120000, C293S132000, C293S133000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06428065

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a bumper structure for a vehicle and more particularly to a bumper structure capable of securing safety of a pedestrian when the vehicle traveling at low speeds contacts the pedestrian.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, automobile bumpers capable of minimizing the damage to a pedestrian when a vehicle traveling at low speeds contacts the pedestrian, have been proposed.
An example of such bumpers is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Toku-Kai-Hei 11-78732.
FIG. 7
is an exploded perspective view of the example of the a bumper
101
. The bumper includes an upper bumper beam
102
and a lower bumper beam
103
extending in a widthwise direction of a vehicle and covered at the front surface thereof with a soft-plastic-made bumper face. The upper bumper beam
102
and the lower bumper beam
103
are supported through an upper bumper stay
104
and a lower bumper stay
105
by a radiator panel
106
, respectively.
The upper bumper stay
104
comprises a long outer stay
107
and a short inner stay
108
fitted to the
107
. The outer stay
107
is connected at the front end thereof with the upper bumper beam
102
and is connected at the rear end thereof with the radiator panel
106
. On the other hand, the inner stay
108
is connected at the rear end thereof only with the radiator panel
106
. The outer stay
107
is constituted by a front stay
107
a
broadening toward the front end and having a relatively high strength and a rear stay
107
b
having a relatively low strength.
Further, the lower bumper stay
105
is connected at the front end thereof with the lower bumper beam
103
and is connected at the rear end thereof with the radiator panel
106
through a bracket (not shown). The longitudinal strength of the upper bumper stay
104
is established to be smaller than that of the lower bumper stay
105
.
According to the bumper structure described above, as shown in
FIGS. 8 and 9
, when a vehicle traveling at low speeds contacts a pedestrian M, the upper bumper beam
102
contacts a leg R in the vicinity of a knee H of the pedestrian M and the lower bumper beam
103
contacts a lower portion of the leg R.
Then, the upper bumper stay
104
supporting the upper bumper beam
102
collapses at the rear stay
107
b
and the lower bumper stay
105
collapses itself. Since the strength of the upper bumper stay
104
is smaller than that of the lower bumper stay
105
, the amount of deformation of the upper bumper stay
104
is larger than that of the lower bumper stay
105
. As a result, as shown in
FIG. 9
, a force rotating the leg R in the direction A that is, a force scooping the leg R upward is applied to the leg R. This force exerted on the leg R acts as reducing a bending angle &thgr; generating in the knee H. Thus, the damage causing to the knee H can be alleviated by properly controlling the behavior of the leg R at collisions.
When a large impact is applied, both of the front stay
107
b
having a larger strength and the inner stay
108
collapse.
The bumper structure according to Toku-Kai-Hei 11-78732, when vehicles running at low speeds contact pedestrians, provides the protection of their legs, particularly knees easily being subjected to damages.
However, in this bumper structure, depending on where a pedestrian contacts the automobile bumper, the behavior of the leg R sometimes can not be controlled properly. That is, since the upper bumper stay
104
and the lower bumper stay
105
are disposed on the left and right sides of the vehicle, respectively, for example, when the pedestrian contacts the bumper beams
102
and
103
in the vicinity of the upper bumper stay
104
and the lower bumper stay
105
, the rear stay
107
b
and the lower bumper stay
105
collapse as expected. However, in case where the pedestrian M collides with the middle portion of the upper bumper beam
102
and the lower bumper beam
103
, an impact load is dispersed into the left and right bumper stays
104
,
105
and as a result, the rear stay
107
b
and the lower bumper stay
105
provide small collapses and inadequate deformations.
Further, there is fear that the reduction of strength of the upper bumper stay
104
weakens a holding rigidity of the upper bumper beam
102
and as a result, when a large impact load is applied, such bumper structure presents a poor performance as an automobile bumper.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bumper structure having an adequate performance as an automobile bumper and at the same time capable of reducing damages to knees of pedestrians.
To achieve the object, a bumper structure for a vehicle covered with a bumper face on the front side thereof and extending in a widthwise direction of the vehicle, comprises an upper bumper beam extending in a widthwise direction of the vehicle, an upper energy absorbing member provided between the bumper face and the upper bumper beam, a lower bumper beam provided below the upper bumper beam and extending in a widthwise direction of the vehicle and a lower energy absorbing member provided between the bumper face and the lower bumper beam and having a larger strength resisting an impact load in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle than the upper energy absorbing member.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4348042 (1982-09-01), Scrivo
patent: 4671550 (1987-06-01), Molnar
patent: 4722563 (1988-02-01), Loren et al.
patent: 5094469 (1992-03-01), Yamamoto et al.
patent: 5711562 (1998-01-01), Terada et al.
patent: 6042163 (2000-03-01), Reiffer
patent: 6106039 (2000-08-01), Maki
patent: 59006151 (1984-01-01), None
patent: 62279125 (1987-12-01), None
patent: 02068245 (1990-03-01), None
patent: 1178732 (1999-03-01), None

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