GB2134858A

GB2134858A - Motor vehicle bumper members

Info

Publication number: GB2134858A
Application number: GB08303106A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Vaughan Williams
Original assignee: Talbot Motor Co Ltd
Current assignee: Peugeot Motor Co PLC
Priority date: 1983-02-04
Filing date: 1983-02-04
Publication date: 1984-08-22
Also published as: GB2134858B; GB8303106D0

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a vehicle bumper (10) formed in two parts each comprising an elongate element (11) formed of a multiplicity of side by side hollow section cells (12) to provide impact exorbitance and an end "wrap- round" part (13) formed integrally with the part 11 and having a finished outer profile (14). The two parts (11) are slotted in a bumper front wall (23) having the required outer profile which measures with and forms a continuation of the outer profiles (14) of the end parts (13). The two parts 11 of the bumper are held together behind the front wall by interlocking detents (16) at the adjacent ends of the bumper parts. The arrangement which is applicable to both front and rear bumpers of the motor vehicle provides a simple set of components for the bumper which can readily be assembled at the side of the vehicle assembly track before application to the vehicle without the need of special tools or equipment. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Motor vehicle bumper members This invention relates to motor vehicle bumper members and also to bumper assemblies incorporating such bumper members.

The invention provides a motor vehicle bumper member comprising an elongate element to extend along the front or rear of a motor vehicle body and composed of a multiplicity of energy absorbent cells extending laterally of the member to absorb by crushing an impact on the member and thereby protect the vehicle body from the impact and an integral bumper end at one end of the member having a profiled outer face of the required form and surface finish, the elongate element and bumper end being formed as a one piece integral plastics moulding.

The following is a description of one embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a motor vehicle bumper member; Figure 2 illustrates end parts of two bumper members and means for attachment thereof; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a bumper mounting element for mounting a bumper end on a vehicle body structure; Figure 4 is a perspective view of an end part of a front wall for an assembly including a pair of the bumper members: Figure 5 is a perspective view of a number plate; and Figures 6 to 9 illustrate the stage-by-stage construction and mounting of a complete bumper assembly on a motor vehicle body.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown a motor vehicle bumper member indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 and comprising an elongate element 11 the length of which is such that the element extends approximately half-way across the motor vehicle end to which the member is to be mounted. The member comprises a multiplicity of side-by-side hollow section cells 12 extending transversely of the member to form a structure which is crushed by local impact to absorb the energy of the impact and thereby protect the vehicle body to which the member is mounted.

At one end of the element 11 there is an integral "wrap-round" impact resistant bumper end 13 formed with a finished outer profile 14 which includes a horizontal groove 1 5. The bumper end 1 3 is moulded integrally with the element 11 in a high-density polyethylene plastic.

Different plastics for the two parts of the bumper member may be injected using a dual injection process or the complete member, that is the element and bumper end may be formed in a single plastic composition to a compromise specification between the requirements of the crushable element 11 and impact resistant bumper end 13.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the other end of the element 11 is formed with a projecting detent 1 6.

As described later, two symmetrical elements 11 are arranged end-to-end along the vehicle body structure and the adjacent detent 1 6 interlocked to hold the elements together.

The element 11 is further formed with a downwardly projecting abutment 1 7 adjacent said other and to hold a number plate mounting in place as described later.

The rearward side of the element 11 has a bolt (not shown) projecting outwardly therefrom to engage in a mounting on the vehicle body structure for securing the element to the body and the inner side of the wrap round bumper end 1 3 is formed with a slide mounting (not shown) shaped to interlock with a mounting 1 8 (see Figure 3) cn the side corner of the vehicle structure and held in place by a drive-in pin fixing 19.

The bumper element 11 has a forward side designated 20 and a shoulder 21 is formed on the bumper end between the forward side of the element and the outer profile 14 of the bumper end, the shoulder 21 facing along the bumper element towards said other end of the element.

Spaced along the forward side of the element 20 there are a number of partition walls 22 forming the side walls of the cells of the element 11 as described above and the edges of the partitions 22 are profiled to interlock by sliding in a separate bumper front wall 23 of channel section which is illustrated in Figure 4. The front wall which may be of plastic extrusion in, for example, modified propylene about 4 mm thick or, for example, super-tough nylon about 2.5 mm thick or a steel rolled section or aluminium extrusion is formed on its outer side to the required finish and profile for the bumper assembly and includes a dovetail section groove 24 extending along the centre of the section.The channel has inturned flanges 25 along its upper and lower edges to form a slideway to receive the forward side of the elements 11 and in particular the profiled partitions 22 which are shaped to engage in the channel formed by the flanges 25 and interlocked therewith. It will be seen that the partitions 22 have central notches 22a to provide clearance for the dovetail section groove 24 in the front wall.

The dovetail section grooves 24 may be used to support a number plate mounting 26 which has dovetail section slides 27 on the rear upper edge thereof to engage in the groove 24 and projections 28 at the lower end to engage within the abutments 1 7 on the elements to restrain the plate mounting against sideways and outward movement from the bumper.

A bumper assembly is built up and mounted on the motor vehicle body as illustrated in Figures 6 to 9 which will now be described.

Firstly the mountings 1 8 are attached to the side of the vehicle bodywork by means of the pin fixings 19. The number plate mounting 26 is then slid on to the front wall 23 and located approximately centrally along the wall. The elements 11 of two bumper members are then slid into the rearward side of the front wall from opposite ends thereof until the ends of the front wall engage the shoulders 21 on the bumper ends 13 and the detents 16 of the two bumper elements interlock to hold the elements in situ.

The outer profiles 14 of the bumper ends form a continuation of the profile of the front wall 23, the grooves 1 5 of the bumper ends lining up with the groove 24 in the front wall.

Referring now to Figure 9 of the drawings a lower part of the vehicle body 30 is illustrated formed with a shallow recess 31 to receive the rearward side of the bumper element 11. The body is formed with bolt holes 32 to receive the projecting bolts on the element 11 and nuts 33 are provided behind the holes to screw on to the bolts. The recess 31 extends around the corners to the adjacent sides of the vehicle bodywork and deepens to receive the inner edges of the bumper ends 13. The bumper end mountings 1 8 referred to above are located in situ in the side recesses as can be seen in Figure 9.

The completed bumper assembly as described above is offered up to the vehicle body, the mountings on the inner sides of the bumper ends one of which can be seen indicated at 34 on Figure 9 being engaged with the mountings 18 in the recesses and the connecting bolts on the elements 11 being passed through the holes 32.

The bumper elements 11 are dimensioned so that the ends touch the body before the mounting bolts penetrate fully. When the nuts 33 are tightened on to the bolts, the bumper ends are splayed outwardly slightly and the resulting bending moment applied to the elements 11 causes the elements to grip firmly the channel walls of the front wall 23 to resist lateral movement of the bumper elements in the front wall on the bumper elements.

The arrangement is suitable for both rear and front bumpers of a vehicle. It will be appreciated from the above description that the construction provides a simple set of components which can readily be assembled at the track side before application to the vehicle without the need of special tools or equipment.

It will be appreciated that many modifications may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the scope of protection of the invention. For example, the element 11 may extend only part way towards the centre of the vehicle and the assembly may be completed by an intermediate element or elements similar in form to elements 11 (but omitting the bumper ends) and connected together end-to-end with elements 11.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle bumper member comprising an elongate element to extend along the front or rear of a motor vehicle body and composed of a multiplicity of energy absorbent cells extending laterally of the member to absorb by crushing an impact on the member and thereby protect the vehicle body from the impact and an integral bumper end at one end of the member having a profiled outer face of the required form and surface finish, the elongate element and bumper end being formed as a one piece integral plastics moulding.

2. A bumper member as claimed in claim 1 wherein the elongate element has, at the opposite end to said bumper end a detent for interlocking with a corresponding element of a similar member to hold the two members end-to-end along a vehicle end.

3. A bumper member as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the member is moulded in polyethylene.

4. A bumper member as claimed in claim 3 wherein the elongate element of the member is moulded in low density polyethylene and the integral bumper end is moulded in high density polyethylene.

5. A bumper member as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the bumper end is curved to form a "wrap-round" end to the bumper for protecting the vehicle corner.

6. A bumper member as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein means are provided on the element and bumper end for attachment to the vehicle body.

7. A motor vehicle bumper member as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the bumper end is formed with a shoulder facing along the outer side of the element and bridging the outer profile of the bumper end with the outer side of the element.

8. A motor vehicle bumper assembly comprising an elongate bumper front wall having an outer side shaped to a required profile and two bumper members in accordance with any of claims 1 to 7 with the elongate elements thereof arranged end-to-end and mounted on the inner side of the front wall so that the front wall extends between the bumper ends.

9. An assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein the elements of the bumper members are interlocked with the front wall member by sliding engagement in the lengthwise direction thereof.

10. An assembly as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 and in the case where each bumper member is formed with a shoulder on the bumper end facing along the elongate element, wherein the ends of the front wall engage the shoulders of the two bumper members and the outer profile of the bumper ends forms a continuation of the outer profile of the front wall.

11. A bumper assembly as claimed in any of claims 8 to 10 wherein the front wall has, in its outer profile, a dovetail section groove extending along the length thereof and a number plate has a dovetail section slide engageable in the groove to support the plate on the front wall of the bumper assembly.

12. A motor vehicle bumper assembly as claimed in claim 11 wherein the elongate elements of the bumper members have abutments near their adjacent ends and the number plate has projections to engage within the abutments and locate the plate at the centre of the front wall.

13. A motor vehicle bumper member substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

14. A motor vehicle bumper assembly as claimed in any of claims 8 to 13 wherein an intermediate elongate element or elements is/are provided between the first mentioned elements, the intermediate element or elements also being composed of a multiplicity of laterally extending energy absorbent cells.

1 5. A motor vehicle bumper assembly substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.