JP2005007921A - Bumper device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bumper device capable of effectively mitigating and absorbing an impact in a collision. <P>SOLUTION: The bumper device 14 comprises a bumper 16 which can be increased in width in the vertical direction of a vehicle, and a collision prediction means to predict the collision with an obstacle. The bumper 16 having an airbag 26 inside is preferable. The airbag 26 is inflated by an inflator 28. In this configuration, the collision prediction means inflates the airbag 26 by operating the inflator 28 based on the collision prediction with an obstacle, and increases the width of the bumper 16 in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The contact area with the obstacle in the collision is increased thereby, energy absorption is increased, and a cushioning effect is enhanced. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle such as an automobile, and more particularly to a bumper device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A vehicle such as an automobile is provided with a bumper to mitigate and absorb the impact of a collision with an oncoming vehicle and other obstacles. However, obstacles that are low in height do not hit the bumper and may go underneath. Even when vehicles collide with each other, the height of the bumper varies depending on the manufacturer and vehicle type, so that one vehicle may slip under the other vehicle. In order to deal with such a problem, it is conceivable to enlarge the bumper by extending it in the vertical direction, particularly downward, but there is a problem that the lower surface of the bumper is damaged depending on the state of the road surface. In addition, since the bumper is disposed in front of the radiator and the engine, the cooling performance is hindered. Furthermore, it may not be preferable to increase the size of the bumper from the viewpoint of design.
[0003]
Thus, conventionally, a bumper device such as that described in Patent Document 1 has been proposed. The bumper device described in Patent Document 1 includes a movable sub-bumper in addition to a general main bumper provided at the front end of the vehicle, and is provided below the main bumper only when a collision is predicted. The secondary bumper is moved, and the entire area of the bumper is expanded vertically in the event of a collision. Since the auxiliary bumper is normally disposed at a position behind the main bumper, the appearance of the vehicle is not impaired.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-165601
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional configuration described in Patent Document 1 described above, the sub-bumper is arranged behind the vehicle front end and across the side member, so that the space for arranging the components in the body frame is limited. It will end up.
[0006]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a bumper device that solves the above-described problems and can effectively reduce and absorb the impact at the time of collision.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The bumper device according to the present invention is provided at least at the front portion of the vehicle, and includes a bumper capable of expanding the width in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and a collision prediction means for predicting a collision with an obstacle. Moreover, the collision prediction means expands the width of the bumper in the vehicle vertical direction based on the collision prediction with the obstacle.
[0008]
In this configuration, the width of the bumper itself in the vertical direction is normally kept narrow during normal operation. On the other hand, when a collision with the obstacle is predicted by the collision predicting means, the width of the bumper itself in the vertical direction of the vehicle is increased, the load when colliding with the obstacle is increased, and the amount of energy absorption is increased, that is, the buffering is performed. The effect is improved. In particular, when the bumper is expanded downward, obstacles can be prevented from being trapped.
[0009]
Moreover, as a bumper, the airbag arrange | positioned in the inside can be provided. In this case, the collision prediction means inflates the airbag based on the collision prediction with the obstacle so as to increase the width of the bumper in the vehicle vertical direction. In this configuration, by inflating the airbag, the bumper can be instantaneously inflated in the vertical direction, and the airbag can also have a function as a bumper.
[0010]
The bumper may be a nested structure, for example, an internal bumper housed inside the bumper so as to be movable downward. Then, the collision prediction means moves the internal bumper downward based on the collision prediction with the obstacle, so that the vertical width of the bumper itself is expanded.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol shall be used for the same element and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted. Further, in this specification, the forward direction when the vehicle is moving forward is defined as “front”, and terms such as “front”, “rear”, “right”, and “left” are used.
[0012]
<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a bumper device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and is a view in which a front portion of a vehicle is taken in a vertical section along a front-rear direction. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main part in the front portion of the vehicle shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the vehicle is a saloon type passenger car.
[0013]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, side members 12 constituting a body frame are disposed on both the left and right sides of the vehicle 10. A bumper 16 in the bumper device 14 is provided at the front end of the side member 12. In addition, a radiator, an engine, a cabin, and the like (not shown) are arranged behind the bumper 16 and between the left and right side members 12. Although not shown, a crash box is preferably interposed between the bumper 16 and each side member 12. The crash box is an impact absorbing member having a hollow portion, and is easily deformed so as to absorb the impact when the impact due to the collision of the vehicle is received through the bumper 16.
[0014]
The bumper 16 includes a bumper reinforcement 18 provided so as to be laid across the front ends of the left and right side members 12 in the vehicle width direction. The bumper reinforcement 18 is formed of a lightweight aluminum or the like into a hollow shape. A thin wall portion 18a extends horizontally on the front wall portion of the bumper reinforcement 18, and thin wall portions 18b and 18c extend horizontally on the rear wall portion. These thin-walled portions 18a, 18b, and 18c function as so-called weakened portions that break with a relatively small force when a tensile force is applied to both sides thereof. Therefore, when the upper and lower plate portions of the bumper reinforcement 18 are applied with a force above and below a predetermined amount, the bumper reinforcement 18 is divided vertically along the thin wall portions 18a, 18b, and 18c. It has become. Note that the bumper reinforcement 18 is connected to the front end surface of the side member 12 (with a crash box when a crash box is provided) at the rear wall portion between the thin portions 18b and 18c.
[0015]
The bumper reinforcement 18 is provided with a bumper cover 20 so as to cover the front surface thereof. The bumper cover 20 is made of a material having high impact absorption such as polyurethane. Further, the bumper cover 20 also has a thin wall portion 20a formed horizontally at a position facing the thin wall portion 18a of the bumper reinforcement 18. The thin-walled portion 20a also functions as a so-called weakened portion that breaks with a relatively small force when a tensile action is applied to both the upper and lower sides. Therefore, when a force above and below the bumper cover 20 is applied, the bumper cover 20 is divided up and down along the thin portion 20a.
[0016]
In this embodiment, in order to connect the bumper cover 20 and the bumper reinforcement 18, connecting members 22a and 22b extending rearward are integrally attached to an upper part and a lower part of the bumper cover 20, and the connecting member 22a. , 22b are fixed to the upper and lower surfaces of the bumper reinforcement 18, respectively. Further, a bumper bar 24 is attached to the lower side of the bumper cover 20.
[0017]
Inside the bumper reinforcement 18, an airbag 26 is provided in a contracted state so as to divide it up and down. The airbag 26 is made of a material that does not easily burst, for example, a material similar to a general airbag provided on a steering wheel. The airbag 26 is disposed over substantially the entire length of the bumper reinforcement 18 and expands in a substantially vertical direction when inflated. The volume of the airbag 26 is larger than the volume of the internal space of the bumper reinforcement 18, preferably twice. It will be about.
[0018]
As a means for inflating the airbag 26, an inflator 28 that generates a gas sealed in the airbag 26 is provided at the distal end portion of at least one side member 12. The inflator 28 includes therein an electric ignition type ignition device 28a, a transfer agent (not shown) and a gas generating agent (not shown), and the flame propagates to the transfer agent and the gas generating agent by ignition by the ignition device 28a. And gas is generated. In order to guide the generated gas from the inflator 28 to the airbag 26, a tube 30 is provided from the front end of the inflator 28 to the inside of the airbag 26 through the rear wall portion 18 d of the bumper reinforcement 18. The pressure of the gas sent from the inflator 28 is set to a magnitude that is sufficient to break the thin wall portions 18a, 18b, and 18c and divide the bumper reinforcement 18 vertically.
[0019]
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, between the left and right sides of the bumper reinforcement 18 and the end face of the bumper reinforcement 18, the bumper reinforcement 18 is separated from the side member 12 when the bumper reinforcement 18 is divided. Two stays 32 and 34 are provided. One ends of the stays 32 and 34 are pivotally supported by the side member 12 by a common pin 36. The other ends of the stays 32 and 34 are pivotally supported on the upper and lower portions of the end face of the bumper reinforcement 18, respectively. The lower stay 34 is preferably provided with an appropriate stopper (not shown) so as not to move downward by a predetermined amount or more.
[0020]
Next, a system for operating the airbag 26 will be described with reference to FIG. A millimeter wave radar 38 is installed at the front end of the vehicle 10. The millimeter wave radar 38 irradiates and scans the front of the vehicle with radio waves to detect obstacles (oncoming vehicles, preceding vehicles, guardrail roadside objects, etc.). An ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 40 that receives a detection signal transmitted from the millimeter wave radar 38 and predicts a collision with an obstacle is provided.
[0021]
The collision prediction by the ECU 40 is performed based on the fact that the distance between the vehicle 10 and the obstacle is within a predetermined range, and the relative speed between the vehicle 10 and the obstacle is approaching at a speed equal to or higher than a predetermined value. When a collision is predicted by the ECU 40, an ignition signal is transmitted to the inflator 28.
[0022]
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. First, the vehicle 10 is brought into a travelable state by a start key. At this time, the inflator 28 is not operating, the airbag 26 is in a contracted state, and the bumper reinforcement 18 is also in an integrated state (position shown by a solid line in FIG. 1). In this state, the width of the bumper 16 in the vertical direction is the same as that of a conventional one and does not hinder the cooling performance of the engine, the radiator, and the like.
[0023]
After the vehicle 10 is ready to travel, obstacle detection by the millimeter wave radar 38 is continuously performed, and a detection signal is transmitted to the ECU 40 (step 101). During traveling, the ECU 40 calculates the distance between the obstacle and the vehicle 10 and the relative speed at which the obstacle approaches the vehicle 10, and determines whether or not a collision is predicted at a speed higher than a predetermined value (step 102). ). Here, when a collision is not predicted or when the predicted collision speed is low, steps 101 to 102 are repeated, and the obstacle detection is continued. During this time, the inflator 28 is not operating.
[0024]
On the other hand, when the ECU 40 recognizes in step 102 that the distance between the vehicle 10 and the obstacle is within a predetermined range and the predicted collision speed approaching the obstacle is greater than or equal to a predetermined value during step 102, the ECU 40 An ignition signal is transmitted to. The inflator 28 ignites with this ignition signal (step 103). That is, the ignition device 28a built in the inflator 28 is ignited, a flame is instantaneously propagated to a transfer agent and a gas generating agent (not shown), and gas is generated from the gas generating agent. This gas is enclosed in the airbag 26 through the tube 30 shown in FIG. 1, and the airbag 26 is instantly inflated (step 104). In consideration of the time required for the airbag 26 to inflate, it is preferable that the ignition signal is transmitted from the ECU 40 before a predetermined time when the collision is predicted, for example, about 1 second.
[0025]
A two-dot chain line in FIG. 1 shows a state when the inflator 28 is operated and the airbag 26 is inflated. As shown in FIG. 1, when the airbag 26 is inflated in the vertical direction, the bumper reinforcement 18 is divided along the thin-walled portions 18a, 18b, and 18c. As the airbag 26 is inflated, the bumper cover 20 is also pressed up and down by the connecting members 22a and 22b, and is divided along the thin portion 20a.
[0026]
At this time, the airbag 26 is made of a material that does not easily rupture and is filled with gas, and thus functions as a cushion material or a bumper 16. Therefore, the bumper reinforcement 18 that has been divided and moved up and down and the airbag 26 have expanded the area of the bumper 16 itself that receives the colliding obstacle in the vertical direction. Therefore, even if there is a difference in the height between the obstacle and the original bumper 16 of the vehicle 10, the bumper height is brought into contact with the obstacle by expanding the airbag 26 and the bumper reinforcement 18 in the vertical direction. 16 comes to exist. Further, since the obstacle can be reliably received by the airbag 26 and the bumper reinforcement 18, the load at the initial stage of the collision is increased, the amount of impact energy absorbed at the time of the collision is increased, and the radiator provided behind the bumper 16 The impact transmitted to the engine, cabin, etc. can be reduced. When the crash box is interposed between the bumper 16 and the side member 12, the shock received by the bumper 16 can be more reliably absorbed by the crash box, so that the buffering effect is further improved. As a result, the distance FR overhang from the front wheel tire to the vehicle front end can be shortened (short overhang) in design. This is the same as the effect of increasing the amount of energy absorption even when the obstacle is a vehicle having a different bumper 16 height position.
[0027]
Further, the air bag 26 and the bumper reinforcement 18 extending downward can prevent the oncoming vehicle and other obstacles from being trapped.
[0028]
Of course, since the bumper 16 itself is configured to expand in the vertical direction, there is no need to lay a special member between the side members 12 as in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, and the components are arranged in the body frame. There is no space limitation.
[0029]
Although the first embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.
[0030]
For example, in the first embodiment, the bumper device 14 includes the bumper 16 that includes the bumper reinforcement 18 and the bumper cover 20 and can be divided vertically. The bumper can be divided vertically. It may consist of one integral molded product.
[0031]
In order to mainly prevent the obstacle from being pulled downward, the upper part of the bumper reinforcement 18 may be fixed to the side member 12 and only the lower part may be moved downward.
[0032]
Further, as the bumper reinforcement 18, instead of the thin wall portions 18 a, 18 b, and 18 c, the bumper reinforcement 18 may be divided in advance in the vertical direction, and the divided portions locked with the metal fittings. In this case, when the airbag 26 is inflated, the metal fitting is torn and the bumper reinforcement 18 is divided and moved up and down.
[0033]
Furthermore, it is good also as a structure which divides only the bumper reinforcement 18 without dividing | segmenting the bumper cover 20. FIG. In such a configuration, since the bumper cover 20 exists at a position opposite to the exposed portion of the inflated airbag 26, the bumper cover 20 protects the airbag 26. In this case, the connecting members 22a and 22b and the thin portion 20a are not necessary.
[0034]
<Second Embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 1 schematically showing the bumper device 50 according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the vehicle 10 is a saloon type passenger car.
[0035]
As shown in FIG. 4, the bumper device 50 according to the second embodiment includes a bumper reinforcement 52 made of lightweight aluminum or the like having a U-shaped cross section. The bumper reinforcement 52 is horizontally placed between the left and right side members 12 with the opening 52a facing downward. The opening 52a is provided with a bottom lid 54 that can be opened and closed. The bottom cover 54 is connected to one end 56a of the stay 56 by bolting at the left and right end surfaces thereof, and the other end 56b of the stay 56 is supported on the outer surface of the side member 12 by a pin 58 so as to be pivotable. Has been. Accordingly, the bottom cover 54 can be opened and closed with respect to the opening 52a by pivoting the stay 56 up and down around the pin 58.
[0036]
An internal bumper 60 is fixed to the upper surface of the bottom lid 54. The internal bumper 60 is preferably a hollow shape made of lightweight aluminum or the like so as to be able to absorb an impact by deformation, but may be a solid body made of a synthetic resin having a buffering property. The external shape of the internal bumper 60 is substantially the same as the internal space of the bumper reinforcement 52. When the lower opening 52a of the bumper reinforcement 52 is closed by the bottom lid 54, the internal bumper 60 is accommodated in the bumper reinforcement 52. It has become. Further, the outer shape of the internal bumper 60 is adjusted so that the internal bumper 60 can be smoothly moved downward from the bumper reinforcement 52 when the stay 56 is pivoted downward about the pin 58. When the stay 56 is pivoted downward, the upper surface of the internal bumper 60 substantially coincides with the lower edge of the front wall portion of the bumper reinforcement 52 or the lower edge of the front wall portion of the bumper reinforcement 52. A stopper (not shown) for restricting the downward movement of the stay is provided on the side member 12 or the like so as to stop at a slightly upper position (see the position of the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5).
[0037]
In the second embodiment, the bumper cover 20 is sized so as to cover the front part of the bumper reinforcement 52 in a state where the internal bumper 60 is accommodated. is not. The bumper cover 20, the bumper reinforcement 52, and the internal bumper 60 constitute a bumper 62 in the bumper device 50 according to the second embodiment.
[0038]
A pull-type electromagnetic solenoid 64 is provided at the front end of at least one, preferably both the left and right side members 12. The electromagnetic solenoid 64 is a general one comprising an exciting coil (not shown) and a plunger (movable iron core) 66, and is electrically connected to the exciting coil by driving of a driver. In this embodiment, when the exciting coil is in a non-energized state (non-excited state), the plunger 66 projects forward from the exciting coil, and in the energized state driven by the driver, the plunger 66 is retracted into the exciting coil. When not energized, the protruding front end portion of the plunger 66 is inserted into a through hole 52 b formed in the rear wall portion of the bumper reinforcement 52. Further, in a state where the lower opening 52 a of the bumper reinforcement 52 is closed by the bottom lid 54, the protruding front end portion of the plunger 66 is inserted into a through hole 60 a formed in the rear wall portion of the internal bumper 60. As a result, the internal bumper 60 is locked by the plunger 66 and is not lowered by its own weight. On the other hand, when energized, the front end portion of the plunger 66 is completely separated from the through hole 60 a of the internal bumper 60.
[0039]
As in the first embodiment, the system that operates the electromagnetic solenoid 64 receives the millimeter wave radar 38 installed at the front end of the vehicle 10, and the detection signal transmitted from the millimeter wave radar 38. ECU 40 that predicts the collision of the vehicle. The collision prediction by the ECU 40 is performed based on the fact that the distance between the vehicle 10 and the obstacle is within a predetermined range, and the relative speed between the vehicle 10 and the obstacle is approaching at a speed equal to or higher than a predetermined value. When a collision is predicted by the ECU 40, a control signal is transmitted and the exciting coil of the electromagnetic solenoid 64 is energized.
[0040]
Next, the operation of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, the vehicle 10 is brought into a travelable state by the start key (start). At this time, the internal bumper 60 is accommodated in the bumper reinforcement 52. Moreover, the exciting coil of the electromagnetic solenoid 64 is in a non-energized state, the plunger 66 protrudes forward, and the internal bumper 60 is fixed in the position shown by the solid line in FIG. In this state, the vertical width of the bumper 62 is kept narrow, so that the cooling effect of the radiator and the engine disposed behind them is not impaired.
[0041]
After the vehicle is started, obstacle detection by the millimeter wave radar 38 is continuously performed, and the detection signal is transmitted to the ECU 40 (step 201). During traveling, the ECU 40 calculates the distance between the obstacle and the vehicle 10 and the relative speed at which the obstacle approaches the vehicle 10, and determines whether or not a collision at a high speed equal to or greater than a predetermined value is predicted (step). 202). Here, when a collision is not predicted or when the predicted collision speed is low, steps 201 to 202 are repeated, and the obstacle detection is continued. During this time, since the electromagnetic solenoid 64 does not operate, the bumper 62 is maintained in the state indicated by the solid line in FIG.
[0042]
On the other hand, when the distance between the vehicle 10 and the obstacle is within a predetermined range and the predicted collision speed approaching the obstacle is greater than or equal to a predetermined value during step 202 by the ECU 40, the ECU 40 Control signal is transmitted. Based on this control signal, the exciting coil of the electromagnetic solenoid 64 is energized and excited, and the plunger 66 is drawn into the electromagnetic solenoid 64. As a result, the internal bumper 60 is released from the locked state by the plunger 66 and is lowered by its own weight (step 204). At the same time, the stay 56 also pivots downward about the pin 58, but after moving a certain amount, its downward movement is blocked by a stopper (not shown).
[0043]
The state at this time is indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4, and it will be understood that the collision area with the obstacle is expanded by the lowering of the internal bumper 60 from the bumper reinforcement 52. Therefore, even if there is a difference between the height of the obstacle and the original bumper 62 of the vehicle 10, the bumper 62 is expanded in the vertical direction by the internal bumper 60 and the bumper reinforcement 52, thereby contacting the obstacle. The bumper 62 is present at the height. Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment, the load at the time of collision can be increased to increase the amount of energy absorption, and the vehicle 10 can also be short-overhanged. In addition, by expanding the bumper 62 downward, it is possible to prevent obstacles from getting in.
[0044]
Further, as in the first embodiment, since the bumper 62 itself is configured to expand in the vertical direction, it is not necessary to lay a special member between the side members 12 constituting the body frame. There is no restriction on the space for placing the parts.
[0045]
The second embodiment according to the present invention has been described above in detail, but the present invention is not limited to the second embodiment described above.
[0046]
For example, the bumper 62 in the bumper device according to the second embodiment includes the bumper reinforcement 52, the internal bumper 60, and the bumper cover 20, but the bumper cover 02 and the bumper reinforcement 52 are integrated. Various forms are conceivable.
[0047]
Further, an urging means such as a compression spring or a push-type electromagnetic solenoid may be provided inside the upper surface of the bumper reinforcement 52. In this case, since the internal bumper 60 is urged downward by the urging means such as a compression spring, there is an effect that it can be instantaneously lowered.
[0048]
A bumper is provided in the middle of the bumper reinforcement 52 so that the inner bumper is accommodated in each of the upper and lower spaces of the bumper reinforcement 52, the lower inner bumper is downward, and the upper inner bumper is You may make it move upward. In this case, the lower internal bumper is configured as in the second embodiment. The upper internal bumper has an upper biasing means such as a compression spring installed on the upper surface of the threshold plate to accommodate the internal bumper, and the plunger of the electromagnetic solenoid is protruded as in the above embodiment, so that the internal bumper is Keep it locked. In such a configuration, the upper internal bumper can be protruded upward from the upper surface of the bumper reinforcement 52 by pulling the plunger into the electromagnetic solenoid based on the collision prediction by the ECU 40. By doing in this way, the bumper 62 can be expanded in both the up and down directions.
[0049]
Furthermore, as a modification of the first and second embodiments, the ECU 40 may be set so that the airbag 26 is inflated when a collision is predicted, regardless of the predicted collision speed. Further, as the obstacle detection sensor, an obstacle may be detected by infrared rays, ultrasonic waves, radio waves, or the like instead of the millimeter wave radar 38. Furthermore, it is also possible to recognize an obstacle by image recognition. As for the system for operating the inflator 28, a system in which the ECU 40 is mounted on the millimeter wave radar 38 and an ignition signal is directly transmitted to the inflator 28 may be employed. Alternatively, the ECU 40 may be mounted on the inflator 28 and the detection signal may be directly received from the millimeter wave radar 38.
[0050]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, when the bumper device according to the present invention is in a state where a collision with an obstacle is predicted, the width of the bumper in the vertical direction is enlarged, so that the impact at the time of the collision can be effectively mitigated and absorbed. can do.
[0051]
Moreover, since the width of the bumper in the vertical direction is kept narrow during normal times, the cooling performance of the engine behind the bumper is not reduced.
[0052]
Furthermore, since a special member is not horizontally placed between the side members at a position behind the front end of the vehicle, the degree of freedom of the component layout is not impaired.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a front portion of a vehicle showing a bumper device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part in the front portion of the vehicle shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a process for operating the bumper device according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of a front portion of a vehicle, showing a bumper device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of processing for operating a bumper device according to a second embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vehicle, 12 ... Side member, 14 ... Bumper device, 16 ... Bumper, 18 ... Bumper reinforcement, 18a, 18b, 18c ... Thin part, 20 ... Bumper cover, 22a, 22b ... Connecting member, 24 ... Bumper bar, 26 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Airbag, 28 ... Inflator, 30 ... Tube, 32, 34 ... Stay, 36 ... Pin, 38 ... Millimeter wave radar (collision prediction means), 40 ... ECU (collision prediction means), 50 ... Bumper device, 54 ... Bumper Reinforcement, 54 ... bottom lid, 56 ... stay, 58 ... pin, 60 ... internal bumper, 62 ... bumper, 64 ... pull electromagnetic solenoid, 66 ... plunger.

Claims (3)

A bumper that is provided at least at the front of the vehicle and capable of expanding the width in the vehicle vertical direction;
A collision prediction means for predicting a collision with an obstacle;
With
The bumper device according to claim 1, wherein the collision prediction means is configured to increase the width of the bumper in the vehicle vertical direction based on the collision prediction with the obstacle. The bumper includes an airbag disposed therein,
2. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the collision predicting unit is configured to inflate the airbag to expand a width of the bumper in a vehicle vertical direction based on a collision prediction with the obstacle. Bumper equipment. Inside the bumper, an internal bumper is housed movably downward,
2. The collision prediction unit is configured to move the internal bumper downward based on a collision prediction with the obstacle so as to increase a vehicle vertical width of the bumper. The bumper device described in 1.

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