GB1569052A

GB1569052A - Vehicle impact protection device

Info

Publication number: GB1569052A
Application number: GB119178A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-01-12
Filing date: 1978-01-12
Publication date: 1980-06-11

Description

(54) A VEHICLE IMPACT PROTECTION DEVICE (71) I, KEVIN ERROL KOCH, Australian otien, of 47, Kinkaid Avenue, North Plympt State of South Australia, Common wealth f Australia, do hereby declare the insention, for wilich I pray that a patent mmty be granted to me, and the niethod by which it is to be performed, to be particu iiy described in and by the following state his.invention relates to a vehicle impact protection device which is useful for protecting a vehicle against relatively light impact loading, for example, such as may be encountered in speeds up to but not exceeding 45 h, and loads up to but not exceeding 100 kg.

Vehicles are normally provided with bumper bars which function efficiently for protecting the vehicles from damage in many instances, but there are many instances where damage occurs notwithstanding use of bumper bars, for example if the vehicle runs into an animal, or if a vehicle is damaged during parking. This need has been recognised heretofore, and it is known to mount heavy steel tubes on spaced support bars for protecting a vehicle against damage due to animals.

The prior art devices however are subject to a number of disabilities, one being that the excessive weight is most undesirable at one end of the vehicle, particularly the front end, since the vehicle loses much of its balance and safety standards are impaired.

Steering can be rendered more difficult or unpredictable, and the steel tubes can and frequently do interfere with clear vision of lighting equipment and turn indicators.

The present invention seeks to provide a relatively light weight and resilient vehicle protection device which will perform some at least of the functions of reducing damage to a vehicle in the case of impact and reducing likelihood of damage to other vehicles when parking.

According to the present invention there is provided a vehicle impact protection device comprising a pair of spaced tubular steel support bars, each support bar having a clamping portion which may be clamped to a vehicle said support bar also having an upstanding bumper carrier portion, at least two transversely extending bumper bars of resilient polymeric material, each said bumper bar being a tube, and a plurality of clamps clamping each bumper bar to the upstanding bumper carrier portions of respective said support bars, each said clamp comprising elastomeric material which engages the said bumper bar, such that, when said support bars are clamped to vehicle chassis members at one end of the vehicle, the bumper bars extend transversely across the vehicle at said vehicle end. In most instances the device is used at the front end of the vehicle to project forwardly of the vehicle, but in some instances it can be utilised at the rear end of the vehicle.

Resilience is a matter of considerable importance, and to achieve the required lower weight, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, use is made of tubes formed from polycarbonate having a modulus of elasticity exceeding 290,0001bs per per square inch. Such material is light in weight, is transparent, and is reilient. However, it is subject to the disability that if clamped by rigid clamps, the tube develops stress concentration points. In the present invention, use is made of clamps to clamp the bumper bars to the support bars. These clamps preferably each comprise an assembly of three rubber blocks in tandem and lying in face to face relationship so as to form two separation planes, each separation plane being a diametral plane of circular walls defining a clamping aperture, end plates on the assembly, and clamping bolts extending through said rubber blocks and end plates.

These rubber blocks reduce the tendency for formation of stress concentration points.

However, even when rubber blocks are used for clamping polycarbonate tubes, difficulties can be encountered if the pressure applied is too high, and in an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, there are provided limit tubes which extend through the clamping blocks and surround the clamping bolts, the limit tubes being effective in reducing the interference between the rub ber blocks and the tubes to not exceed 4% of the tube diameter. Thus, a 35 mm diameter tube may be provided which extends through an aperture, and which, upon assembly of the rubber blocks and clamping thereof with the clamping bolts, provides an interference which does not exceed 1.4 mm.

Preferably the interference is about 2.5% of the tube diameter, since such interference will not under ordinary conditions cause stress conditions to be set up to such an extent that the tube is liable to serious damage.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle protection device mounted at the front end of a vehicle, Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a vehicle protection device mounted at the rear end of the vehicle, Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device, Fig. 4 is a plan of same, Fig. 5 is an end elevation of same, Fig. 6 is a central section taken through the clamp assembly showing the manner in which a bumper bar is clamped to a support bar, and Fig. 7 is a section taken on the plane parallel to that illustrated in Fig. 6 and showing a limit pin arrangement around clamping bolts.

Referring first to Fig. 1, a vehicle 10 is partly shown to have a pair of steel tubular support bars 11 extending forwardly of the front end of the vehicle, the support bars 11 having on them bumper bars 12. In Fig. 2 the same arrangement is shown at the rear end of a vehicle 14. Each bumper bar 12 is formed from polycarbonate, being a material having a modulus elasticity exceeding 290,0001b per square inch, and an ultimate tensile strength exceeding 1000 Ibs. per square inch. Each bumper bar 12 is in the form of a tube, and the tube ends are closed with caps designated 16. The tubes and caps are all of transparent material so that there is very little interference with the vision of turning indicators, head lights or other illuminated parts of the vehicle.

The support bars 11 are each provided with clamping ends designated 18 and a bumper pad carrier portion 19 to which the bumpers 12 are clamped. The clamp end 18 is secured to the chassis portions of a vehicle in a manner which varies widely with different vehicles, but nevertheless forms part of known art. For this reason the clamping member is not separately illustrated, but it should be noted that it can be in the form of U-bolts, bolts passing through the clamping ends, or can be plate-like clamps.

Each clamping assembly is generally designated 21, and comprises three rubber blocks in tandem, the rubber blocks lying in a face to face relationship so as to form two separation planes designated 23. The rearmost clamp rubber block is designated 24, the intermediate block 25 and the outermost or forward block 26. The two separation planes 23 are each co-incident with diametral planes of the restrictive apertures which clamp over the bumper bars and support bars. The two outer blocks of the assembly have on them non-circular bosses designated 28 and these locate and protrude through end plates 29, and the end plates 29 themselves slide over respective limit tubes 30. Bolts 31 extend through the limit tubes 30 and abut the plates 29 at their ends, or alternatively, terminate a short distance in from the end plates 29. The arrangement is such that upon clamping there is an interference around both the support bars and bumper bars by the walls of two "hole halves" which are drawn towards one another as the nuts are tightened on the bolts 31. However the limit tubes function to limit inward movement of the end plates 29 towards one another, thereby preventing crushing of the relatively light polycarbonate tube.

The rubber selected in this embodiment is SBR (styrene butadiene rubber) and has a hardness of 90 to 95 shore A, an elongation of 360% and a tensile strength of 1900 lbs.

per square inch. With such rubber, an interference of 2-5 % of diameter, (that is the free diameter of the aperture is 2-5% less than the diameter of the tube), and it is found with this degree of interference the polycarbonate tubes are firmly clamped but there is very little development of stress due to the clamping.

Surprisingly it has been found that a bumper assembly using two bumper bars is capable of being driven at 40. kph. into a suspended weight of 100 kg. without destroying the bumper bars. This is particularly useful in limiting damage to a motor vehicle, and since the device extends across the front end of the vehicle, and in some instances also extends across the rear of the vehicle, driving is greatly facilitated when a vehicle is to be moved into a tight parking area, in that the limits of the vehicle are clearly viable to the driver, and interference with an adjacent vehicle is less likely to damage that vehicle.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A vehicle impact protection device comprising a pair of spaced tubular steel support bars, each support bar having a clamping portion which may be clamped to a vehicle, said support bar also having an upstanding bumper carrier portion, at least two transversely extending bumper

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. ber blocks and the tubes to not exceed 4% of the tube diameter. Thus, a 35 mm diameter tube may be provided which extends through an aperture, and which, upon assembly of the rubber blocks and clamping thereof with the clamping bolts, provides an interference which does not exceed 1.4 mm. Preferably the interference is about 2.5% of the tube diameter, since such interference will not under ordinary conditions cause stress conditions to be set up to such an extent that the tube is liable to serious damage. An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle protection device mounted at the front end of a vehicle, Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a vehicle protection device mounted at the rear end of the vehicle, Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device, Fig. 4 is a plan of same, Fig. 5 is an end elevation of same, Fig. 6 is a central section taken through the clamp assembly showing the manner in which a bumper bar is clamped to a support bar, and Fig. 7 is a section taken on the plane parallel to that illustrated in Fig. 6 and showing a limit pin arrangement around clamping bolts. Referring first to Fig. 1, a vehicle 10 is partly shown to have a pair of steel tubular support bars 11 extending forwardly of the front end of the vehicle, the support bars 11 having on them bumper bars 12. In Fig. 2 the same arrangement is shown at the rear end of a vehicle 14. Each bumper bar 12 is formed from polycarbonate, being a material having a modulus elasticity exceeding 290,0001b per square inch, and an ultimate tensile strength exceeding 1000 Ibs. per square inch. Each bumper bar 12 is in the form of a tube, and the tube ends are closed with caps designated 16. The tubes and caps are all of transparent material so that there is very little interference with the vision of turning indicators, head lights or other illuminated parts of the vehicle. The support bars 11 are each provided with clamping ends designated 18 and a bumper pad carrier portion 19 to which the bumpers 12 are clamped. The clamp end 18 is secured to the chassis portions of a vehicle in a manner which varies widely with different vehicles, but nevertheless forms part of known art. For this reason the clamping member is not separately illustrated, but it should be noted that it can be in the form of U-bolts, bolts passing through the clamping ends, or can be plate-like clamps. Each clamping assembly is generally designated 21, and comprises three rubber blocks in tandem, the rubber blocks lying in a face to face relationship so as to form two separation planes designated 23. The rearmost clamp rubber block is designated 24, the intermediate block 25 and the outermost or forward block 26. The two separation planes 23 are each co-incident with diametral planes of the restrictive apertures which clamp over the bumper bars and support bars. The two outer blocks of the assembly have on them non-circular bosses designated 28 and these locate and protrude through end plates 29, and the end plates 29 themselves slide over respective limit tubes 30. Bolts 31 extend through the limit tubes 30 and abut the plates 29 at their ends, or alternatively, terminate a short distance in from the end plates 29. The arrangement is such that upon clamping there is an interference around both the support bars and bumper bars by the walls of two "hole halves" which are drawn towards one another as the nuts are tightened on the bolts 31. However the limit tubes function to limit inward movement of the end plates 29 towards one another, thereby preventing crushing of the relatively light polycarbonate tube. The rubber selected in this embodiment is SBR (styrene butadiene rubber) and has a hardness of 90 to 95 shore A, an elongation of 360% and a tensile strength of 1900 lbs. per square inch. With such rubber, an interference of 2-5 % of diameter, (that is the free diameter of the aperture is 2-5% less than the diameter of the tube), and it is found with this degree of interference the polycarbonate tubes are firmly clamped but there is very little development of stress due to the clamping. Surprisingly it has been found that a bumper assembly using two bumper bars is capable of being driven at 40. kph. into a suspended weight of 100 kg. without destroying the bumper bars. This is particularly useful in limiting damage to a motor vehicle, and since the device extends across the front end of the vehicle, and in some instances also extends across the rear of the vehicle, driving is greatly facilitated when a vehicle is to be moved into a tight parking area, in that the limits of the vehicle are clearly viable to the driver, and interference with an adjacent vehicle is less likely to damage that vehicle. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A vehicle impact protection device comprising a pair of spaced tubular steel support bars, each support bar having a clamping portion which may be clamped to a vehicle, said support bar also having an upstanding bumper carrier portion, at least two transversely extending bumper

bars of resilient polymeric material, each said bumper bar being a tube, and a plurality of clamps clamping each bumper bar to the upstanding bumper carrier portions of respective said support bars, each said clamp comprising elastomeric material which engages the said bumper bar, such that, when said support bars are clamped to vehicle chassis members at one end of the vehicle, the bumper bars extend transversely across the vehicle at said vehicle end.

2. A vehicle impact protection device according to claim 1 wherein each said bumper bar is a polycarbonate tube having a modulus of elasticity exceeding 290,000 pounds per square inch.

3. A vehicle impact protection device according to any preceding claim wherein each said clamp comprises an assembly of three rubber blocks in tandom and Iying in face to face relationship so as to form two separation planes, each separation plane being a diametrical plane of circular walls defining a clamping aperture, end plates on the assembly, and clamping bolts extending through said rubber blocks and end plates.

4. A vehicle impact protection device according to claim 3 further comprising limit tubes around respective said clamping bolts, extending through said rubber blocks and limiting clamping movement of said end plates.

5. A vehicle impact protection device according to claim 4 wherein clamping movement of the end plates is limited such that interference between the clamping aperture walls of each said clamping aperture and the said bar clamped thereby is less than four percentum (4%) of the diameter of the tube.

6. A vehicle impact protection device constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.