GB2401233A - An identification plate and an identification plate holder for a motor vehicle - Google Patents
An identification plate and an identification plate holder for a motor vehicle Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2401233A GB2401233A GB0300646A GB0300646A GB2401233A GB 2401233 A GB2401233 A GB 2401233A GB 0300646 A GB0300646 A GB 0300646A GB 0300646 A GB0300646 A GB 0300646A GB 2401233 A GB2401233 A GB 2401233A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- identification plate
- holder
- identification
- support
- channel
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 239000006260 foam Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 18
- 239000003999 initiator Substances 0.000 abstract description 2
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 7
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 7
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 6
- 230000006378 damage Effects 0.000 description 5
- 238000007373 indentation Methods 0.000 description 5
- 208000027418 Wounds and injury Diseases 0.000 description 4
- 208000014674 injury Diseases 0.000 description 4
- 239000007769 metal material Substances 0.000 description 4
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000003313 weakening effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000002745 absorbent Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000002250 absorbent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002390 adhesive tape Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001010 compromised effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000012634 fragment Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R13/00—Elements for body-finishing, identifying, or decorating; Arrangements or adaptations for advertising purposes
- B60R13/10—Registration, licensing, or like devices
- B60R13/105—Licence- or registration plates, provided with mounting means, e.g. frames, holders, retainers, brackets
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)
- Vibration Dampers (AREA)
Abstract
An identification plate holder 20 for a motor vehicle 10 has a plate-like support 22 to which a foam block 21 is bonded. The support 22 has a flat front face to allow an identification plate 14 to be attached to it and is weakened on its rear face by means of a grid shaped channel 23 so as to improve the flexibility of the support 22. The channel 23 can act as a fracture initiator so as to cause the support 22 to fracture when a load beyond a certain magnitude is applied to it, thereby allowing the full benefits of the foam block 21 to be utilised. In an alternative arrangement, there is no separate identification plate 14 and the identification plate is itself constructed in the same manner as the support 22.
Description
240 1 233 An identification plate and an identification plate holder for a
motor vehicle This invention relates to motor vehicles and in particular to an identification plate and an identification plate holder for a motor vehicle.
It is well known for example from EP-A-1197395 to provide an identification plate holder variously known as a number plate holder, license plate holder or registration plate holder for a motor vehicle. The identification plate holder is used to attach an identification plate to the vehicle and normally comprises a rigid plate like structure with fastenings to attach the holder to part of the vehicle, normally to the front and rear bumpers.
There is an ever increasing need to improve the impact performance of motor vehicles and in particular the safety performance when involved in a collision with a pedestrian.
Numerous improved bumper arrangements have been developed in recent years to reduce the injury inflicted upon a pedestrian when impacted against by a vehicle. However, the safety performance of these bumper arrangements can be compromised if a collision occurs between a leg of a pedestrian and a conventional type of identification plate holder because the conventional identification plate holder represents a relatively hard region on an otherwise relatively soft impact absorbent bumper arrangement.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved identification plate and an improved identification plate holder for a motor vehicle.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an identification plate holder for attachment to a motor vehicle having an identification plate support and an energy absorbing member wherein the identification plate support is weakened so as to improve its flexibility and the energy absorbing member is interposed in use between the identification plate support and the part of the motor vehicle to which the identification plate holder is fastened so as to improve the energy absorbing properties of the identification plate holder.
The identification plate support may have at least one channel formed in a rear face thereof so as to locally reduce the thickness of the identification plate support and improve its flexibility. There may be a single channel defining a grid on the rear face of the identification plate support.
The energy absorbing member may be a foam block, in which case, the foam block may be adhesively bonded to a rear face of the identification plate support.
The depth of the or each channel may be such that the identification plate support will fracture when an impact beyond a certain magnitude is applied thereto.
The or each channel may be 'U'-shaped or may be 'V'-shaped.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a motor vehicle having an identification plate holder in accordance with said first aspect of the invention.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided an identification plate for a motor vehicle wherein the identification plate has a front face for displaying an identification of the motor vehicle to which the identification plate is fastened and the identification plate is weakened so as to improve its flexibility.
Preferably, the identification plate has at least one channel formed in a rear face thereof so as to locally reduce the thickness of the identification plate and improve its flexibility. There may be a single channel defining a grid on the rear face of the identification plate support.
An energy absorbing member may be attached to the rear face of the identification plate so as to improve the energy absorbing properties of the identification plate. - 3
The energy absorbing member may be a foam block. The foam block may be adhesively bonded to the rear face of the identification plate.
The depth of the or each channel may be such that the identification plate will fracture when an impact beyond a certain magnitude is applied thereto. The or each channel may be 'U'-shaped or may be 'V'-shaped.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a motor vehicle having an identification plate in accordance with said third aspect of the invention.
The invention has the advantages that injuries to pedestrians are likely to be decreased, it is adaptable to many typed of vehicle because the foam block is able to adapt to various shapes, there is less likelihood that the identification plate holder will break at very low speeds because of its improved flexibility and there is less likelihood of damage to the underlying bumper assembly.
The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing of which: Fig. 1 is a partially cross-sectioned side view of the front of a motor vehicle having an identification plate holder in accordance with the invention; Fig.2 is a rear view of an identification plate support forming part of the identification plate holder shown in Fig.1; and Fig.3 is a cross-section along the line X-X on Fig.2 but showing in addition an energy absorbing member in place on a rear face of the identification plate support.
With reference to Figs. 1 to 3 there is shown a motor vehicle 10 having a front bumper assembly 11, a bonnet 12, an identification plate holder 20 fastened to the front bumper assembly 11 and an identification plate 14 attached to the identification plate holder 20.
The identification plate holder 20 comprises an identification plate support 22 and an energy absorbing member in the form of a foam block 21 adhesively attached to a rear face of the identification plate support 22. The identification plate support 22 is made from a plastics material and has a substantially planar front face to which the identification plate 14 is attached by, for example, double sided adhesive tape and is weakened on its rear face so as to improve the flexibility of the identification plate support 22. It will be appreciated that the identification plate holder could alternatively be made from a metallic material or be of a sandwich construction using different plastic materials or a combination of plastic materials and metallic materials.
As can best be seen in Fig.2 the rear face of the identification plate support 22 has a grid shaped 'V' groove or 'V'-shaped channel 23 formed therein defining a number of islands 24. The thickness of the identification plate support 22 is greater in the region of the islands 24 than it is in the region of the channel 23. That is to say, the channel 23 locally reduces the thickness of the identification plate support 22 so as to weaken the identification plate support 22 and make it more flexible.
The front face of the identification plate support 22 has two indentations 26 formed therein to accommodate the heads of two bolts (not shown) used to fasten the identification plate holder 20 to the front bumper 11. Each of the bolts extends through respective apertures 25, 27 formed in the indentations in the identification plate support 22 and in the foam block 21.
The indentations 26 ensure that the heads of the two bolts are set back with respect to the front face of the identification plate support 22 and so do not act as hard points upon contact with a body part of a pedestrian.
The particular arrangement of the weakening can be of various forms and is not limited to the grid pattern shown or to the use of a 'V'-shaped channel. The channel could for example be 'U'-shaped and there could be a number of separate channels or slots formed in the identification plate support. - 5
If the vehicle 10 is involved in a collision with a pedestrian which causes a leg of the pedestrian to be brought into contact with the identification plate 14, the identification plate 14 will be deformed rearwardly by the impact. Due to the flexible nature of the identification plate support 22 and the presence of the foam block 21, such an impact will be partially absorbed so reducing the severity of any potential injury to the pedestrian.
Depending upon the severity of the impact and the particular plastic chosen, the identification plate support 22 can be designed to fracture along the grid formed by the channel 23 so that full energy absorbing properties of the foam block 21 can be utilised.
Such fracture can for example be designed to occur in the event of a high strain rate incident such as when an impact beyond a certain magnitude is applied to the identification plate support 22.
If the identification plate support 22 is designed to fracture then it may be preferable to use a 'V' shaped channel as this shape of channel will provide a more effective fracture initiator than a 'U'-shaped channel.
It will be appreciated that by adhesively bonding the foam block 21 to the rear surface of the identification plate support 22 any fragments that are produced when the identification plate support 22 is fractured will remain in place and so present less of a risk to the pedestrian.
In a second embodiment of the invention, instead of the identification plate support being used as a surface to which an identification plate can be attached the identification plate support itself functions as an identification plate and the identification plate has a front face for displaying an identification of the vehicle. The identification can be applied to the front face in an manner and will normally comprise of a unique combination of letters and numbers forming an alpha-numeric identification. In this case, it is the identification plate itself that is weakened. - 6
The identification plate comprises a substantially flat identification plate and an energy absorbing member in the form of a foam block adhesively attached to a rear face of the identification plate. The identification plate is made from a plastics material and is weakened on its rear face so as to improve the flexibility of the identification plate. It will be appreciated that the identification plate could alternatively be made from a metallic material or be of a sandwich construction using different plastic materials or a combination of plastic materials and metallic materials.
The rear face of the identification plate has a grid shaped 'V' groove or channel formed therein defining a number of islands. The thickness of the identification plate is greater in the region of the islands than it is in the region of the channel. That is to say, the channel locally reduces the thickness of the identification plate so as to weaken the identification plate and make it more flexible. The front face of the identification plate may have indentations similar to the indentations 26 in the support 22 to accommodate the heads of bolts used to fasten the identification plate to a front bumper of the vehicle. As in the support 22, the particular arrangement of the weakening can be of various forms and is not limited to a grid pattern to the use of a 'V,-shaped channel. The channel could for example be 'U'-shaped and there could be a number of separate channels or slots formed in the identification plate.
In use, the identification plate behaves in the same way as the identification plate support 22, i.e. if the vehicle is involved in a collision with a pedestrian and a leg of the pedestrian is brought into contact with the identification plate, the identification plate is deformed rearwardly by the impact and due to the flexible nature of the identification plate and the presence of the foam block the impact is partially absorbed so as to reduce the severity of any potential injury to the pedestrian. The identification plate can be designed to fracture is substantially the same way as the identification plate support 22. - 7
Claims (21)
1. An identification plate holder for attachment to a motor vehicle having an identification plate support and a energy absorbing member wherein the identification plate support is weakened so as to improve its flexibility and the energy absorbing member is interposed in use between the identification plate support and the part of the motor vehicle to which the identification plate holder is fastened so as to improve the energy absorbing properties of the identification plate holder.
2. A holder as claimed in claim 1 in which the identification plate support has at least one channel formed in a rear face thereof so as to locally reduce the thickness of the identification plate support and improve its flexibility.
3. A holder as claimed in claim 2 in which there is a single channel defining a grid on the rear face of the identification plate support.
4. A holder as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 in which the energy absorbing member is a foam block.
5. A holder as claimed in claim 4 in which the foam block is adhesively bonded to a rear face of the identification plate support.
6. A holder as claimed in any preceding claim in which the depth of the or each channel is such that the identification plate support will fracture when an impact beyond a certain magnitude is applied thereto.
7. A holder as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 in which the or each channel is'U'-shaped.
8. A holder as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 in which the or each channel is 'V'-shaped.
9. A motor vehicle having an identification plate holder as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8. - 8
10. An identification plate for a motor vehicle wherein the identification plate has a front face for displaying an identification of the motor vehicle to which the identification plate is fastened and the identification plate is weakened so as to improve its flexibility.
11. An identification plate as claimed in claim 10 in which the identification plate has at least one channel formed in a rear face thereof so as to locally reduce the thickness of the identification plate and improve its flexibility.
12. An identification plate as claimed in claim 11 in which there is a single channel defining a grid on the rear face of the identification plate support.
13. An identification plate as claimed in claim 11 or in claim 12 in which an energy absorbing member is attached to the rear face of the identification plate so as to improve the energy absorbing properties of the identification plate.
14. An identification plate as claimed in claim 13 in which the energy absorbing member is a foam block.
15. An identification plate as claimed in claim 14 in which the foam block is adhesively bonded to the rear face of the identification plate.
16. An identification plate as claimed in any of claims 11 to 15 in which the depth of the or each channel is such that the identification plate will fracture when an impact beyond a certain magnitude is applied thereto.
17. An identification plate as claimed in any of claims 11 to 16 in which the or each channel is 'U'-shaped.
18. An identification plate as claimed in any of claims 11 to 16 in which the or each channel is 'V'-shaped. -9 -
19. A motor vehicle having an identification plate as claimed in any of claims 10 to 18.
20. An identification plate holder substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.
21. A motor vehicle having an identification plate substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.
21. A motor vehicle having an identification plate holder substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.
22. An identification plate substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0300646A GB2401233B (en) | 2003-01-13 | 2003-01-13 | An identification plate and an identification plate holder for a motor vehicle |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0300646A GB2401233B (en) | 2003-01-13 | 2003-01-13 | An identification plate and an identification plate holder for a motor vehicle |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB0300646D0 GB0300646D0 (en) | 2003-02-12 |
| GB2401233A true GB2401233A (en) | 2004-11-03 |
| GB2401233B GB2401233B (en) | 2006-04-05 |
Family
ID=9951002
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0300646A Expired - Fee Related GB2401233B (en) | 2003-01-13 | 2003-01-13 | An identification plate and an identification plate holder for a motor vehicle |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2401233B (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP2272719A1 (en) * | 2005-06-23 | 2011-01-12 | Hills Numberplate Holdings Limited | Supports and signs |
| WO2017129202A1 (en) * | 2016-01-28 | 2017-08-03 | Audi Ag | Protective radiator shroud for a motor vehicle, and motor vehicle |
Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4314417A (en) * | 1978-07-25 | 1982-02-09 | Jnpc Investments (Proprietary) Limited | Motor vehicle registration plate holder |
| EP0519288A1 (en) * | 1991-06-15 | 1992-12-23 | Tino Peuker | Device for holding plates in vehicle licence frames |
| US5518350A (en) * | 1994-08-24 | 1996-05-21 | Kyprios; Petros | Flexible license plate mounting device |
| US5813640A (en) * | 1994-08-29 | 1998-09-29 | Koch; Albert C. | Removable license plate holder and mounting system |
-
2003
- 2003-01-13 GB GB0300646A patent/GB2401233B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4314417A (en) * | 1978-07-25 | 1982-02-09 | Jnpc Investments (Proprietary) Limited | Motor vehicle registration plate holder |
| EP0519288A1 (en) * | 1991-06-15 | 1992-12-23 | Tino Peuker | Device for holding plates in vehicle licence frames |
| US5518350A (en) * | 1994-08-24 | 1996-05-21 | Kyprios; Petros | Flexible license plate mounting device |
| US5813640A (en) * | 1994-08-29 | 1998-09-29 | Koch; Albert C. | Removable license plate holder and mounting system |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP2272719A1 (en) * | 2005-06-23 | 2011-01-12 | Hills Numberplate Holdings Limited | Supports and signs |
| WO2017129202A1 (en) * | 2016-01-28 | 2017-08-03 | Audi Ag | Protective radiator shroud for a motor vehicle, and motor vehicle |
| US10358102B2 (en) | 2016-01-28 | 2019-07-23 | Audi Ag | Protective radiator shroud for a motor vehicle, and motor vehicle |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB0300646D0 (en) | 2003-02-12 |
| GB2401233B (en) | 2006-04-05 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| COOA | Change in applicant's name or ownership of the application |
Owner name: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC Free format text: FORMER APPLICANT(S): FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. |
|
| 746 | Register noted 'licences of right' (sect. 46/1977) |
Effective date: 20061031 |
|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 20210113 |