US20160144811A1 - Bumper assemblies including lower reinforcement members - Google Patents
Bumper assemblies including lower reinforcement members Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20160144811A1 US20160144811A1 US14/551,562 US201414551562A US2016144811A1 US 20160144811 A1 US20160144811 A1 US 20160144811A1 US 201414551562 A US201414551562 A US 201414551562A US 2016144811 A1 US2016144811 A1 US 2016144811A1
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- Prior art keywords
- bumper
- vehicle
- fascia
- reinforcement
- bumper fascia
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- 238000012360 testing method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229920002397 thermoplastic olefin Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 239000004952 Polyamide Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000004743 Polypropylene Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000033228 biological regulation Effects 0.000 description 1
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- 239000004814 polyurethane Substances 0.000 description 1
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- 210000002303 tibia Anatomy 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R19/00—Wheel guards; Radiator guards, e.g. grilles; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions
- B60R19/02—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects
- B60R19/04—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects formed from more than one section in a side-by-side arrangement
- B60R19/12—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects formed from more than one section in a side-by-side arrangement vertically spaced
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R19/00—Wheel guards; Radiator guards, e.g. grilles; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions
- B60R19/02—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects
- B60R19/18—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects characterised by the cross-section; Means within the bumper to absorb impact
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R21/00—Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks
- B60R21/34—Protecting non-occupants of a vehicle, e.g. pedestrians
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R19/00—Wheel guards; Radiator guards, e.g. grilles; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions
- B60R19/02—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects
- B60R19/18—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects characterised by the cross-section; Means within the bumper to absorb impact
- B60R2019/1806—Structural beams therefor, e.g. shock-absorbing
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R19/00—Wheel guards; Radiator guards, e.g. grilles; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions
- B60R19/02—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects
- B60R19/18—Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects characterised by the cross-section; Means within the bumper to absorb impact
- B60R2019/1886—Bumper fascias and fastening means therefor
Definitions
- the present specification generally relates to bumper assemblies and vehicles that include bumper assemblies, and more specifically, bumper assemblies that include lower reinforcement members.
- Vehicles may be equipped with bumper assemblies and impact protection structures that elastically and plastically deform to absorb energy in the event of an impact.
- a number of standards and tests currently exist.
- Various organizations are introducing a number of pedestrian regulations and rating criteria for automotive vehicles.
- test methods have been developed to assess the protection of an adult pedestrian by simulating leg-impact conditions during a car-to-pedestrian impact.
- a bumper assembly that is closer to the ground will decrease a bending moment seen by lower parts of the leg. Accordingly, bumper assemblies are desired that are lower to the ground.
- a bumper assembly in one embodiment, includes a bumper fascia and a bumper reinforcement beam covered by the bumper fascia providing an upper projecting bumper portion.
- a lower reinforcement member is below the bumper reinforcement beam in a vehicle vertical direction and is covered by the bumper fascia providing a lower projecting bumper portion.
- the lower reinforcement member includes a reinforcement body having a front end and a rear end. The bumper fascia is connected to the lower reinforcement member at a fastening location that is located below reinforcement body.
- a vehicle in another embodiment, includes a vehicle support member at an underside of the vehicle.
- a bumper assembly at a front of the vehicle including a bumper fascia and a bumper reinforcement beam covered by the bumper fascia providing an upper projecting bumper portion.
- a lower reinforcement member is connected to the vehicle support member at a location below the bumper reinforcement beam in a vehicle vertical direction that is covered by the bumper fascia providing a lower projecting bumper portion.
- the lower reinforcement member includes a reinforcement body having a front end and a rear end.
- the bumper fascia is connected to the lower reinforcement member at a fastening location that is located below reinforcement body.
- a method of changing a characteristic of a bumper assembly of a vehicle includes providing a bumper assembly at a front of the vehicle comprising a bumper fascia.
- a bumper reinforcement beam is covered by the bumper fascia providing an upper projecting bumper portion.
- a lower reinforcement member is connected to a vehicle support member at a location below the bumper reinforcement beam in a vehicle vertical direction that is covered by the bumper fascia providing a lower projecting bumper portion.
- the lower reinforcement member includes a reinforcement body having a front end and a rear end.
- the bumper fascia is connected to the lower reinforcement member at a fastening location. A distance of the front end of the reinforcement body is reduced from the ground by applying a moment at the fastening location when an impact is made with the bumper fascia at the lower projecting bumper portion.
- FIG. 1 schematically depicts a perspective view of a vehicle according to one or more embodiments shown or described herein;
- FIG. 2 depicts a diagrammatic sectional side view of a bumper assembly of the vehicle of FIG. 1 according to one or more embodiments shown or described herein;
- FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of a lower projecting bumper portion including lower reinforcement member and bumper fascia according to one or more embodiments shown or described herein;
- FIG. 4 depicts a bottom view of the lower projecting bumper portion of FIG. 3 according to one or more embodiments shown or described herein;
- FIG. 5 depicts a diagrammatic side section view of the lower projecting bumper portion of FIG. 3 in operation according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein;
- FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary plot of movement at a front end of the lower reinforcement member versus time during an impact.
- Vehicles according to the present specification include a bumper assembly including a bumper fascia and a bumper reinforcement beam that extends in a vehicle lateral direction that is covered by the bumper fascia forming an upper projecting bumper portion.
- a lower projecting bumper portion is located below the upper projecting bumper portion, nearer to the ground or road surface.
- the lower projecting bumper portion is formed by the bumper fascia covering a lower reinforcement member that is cantilevered to a vehicle support member and extends longitudinally forward, under hanging the bumper reinforcement beam.
- the bumper fascia is connected to a bottom side of the lower reinforcement member such that when the lower projecting bumper portion is impacted, the lower reinforcement member flexes downwardly toward the ground such that a forward end of the lower reinforcement member lowers in elevation to decrease its distance from the ground.
- vehicle longitudinal direction refers to the forward-rearward direction of the vehicle (i.e., in the +/ ⁇ vehicle F-direction depicted in FIG. 1 ).
- vehicle lateral direction refers to the cross-vehicle direction (i.e., in the +/ ⁇ vehicle IN-direction depicted in FIG. 1 ), and is transverse to the vehicle longitudinal direction.
- vehicle vertical direction refers to the upward-downward direction of the vehicle (i.e., in the +/ ⁇ vehicle U-direction depicted in FIG. 1 ).
- inboard and outboard are used to describe the relative positioning of various components of the vehicle with respect to a centerline of the vehicle.
- Motor vehicles that incorporate elements according to the present disclosure may include a variety of construction methodologies that are conventionally known, including the unibody construction methodology depicted in FIG. 1 as well as a body-on-frame construction methodology. While the embodiments of the present disclosure are described and depicted herein in reference to unibody structures, it should be understood that vehicles that are constructed with body-on-frame construction may incorporate the elements that are shown and described herein.
- the vehicle 10 includes a unibody 12 onto which a vehicle drivetrain is coupled.
- the vehicle 10 also includes a cabin 13 that is integral with the unibody 12 .
- the cabin 13 generally defines a passenger cabin of the vehicle 10 .
- the vehicle 10 includes a front end assembly 16 that includes a hood 18 , front fenders 20 and 22 , an upper grille assembly 24 , a front bumper assembly 26 and a lower grille assembly 28 extending between the front fenders 20 and 22 .
- the lower grille assembly 28 includes a covering portion 30 with a number of horizontally disposed grille deflectors 32 , a mesh or other suitable covering that protects a radiator behind the covering portion 30 , while allowing air to flow past the covering and over the radiator.
- the front end assembly 16 includes an outer covering or bumper fascia 34 , an upper projecting bumper portion 36 and a lower projecting bumper portion 38 that under hangs the upper projecting bumper portion 36 .
- the lower grille assembly 28 may be located between the upper projecting bumper portion 36 and the lower projecting bumper portion 38 .
- the bumper fascia 34 is an outer covering for covering a bumper reinforcement beam 40 and a lower reinforcement member 42 that both extend in the vehicle lateral direction between the front fenders 20 and 22 .
- the bumper reinforcement beam 40 may generally have a curved shape in the vehicle lateral direction and extend forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction to a front face 44 .
- the bumper fascia 34 also extends forward in the upper projecting bumper portion 36 to cover the bumper reinforcement beam 40 .
- a space 46 may be provided between the bumper fascia 34 and the bumper reinforcement beam 40 .
- the space 46 can allow for some rearward deformation of the bumper fascia 34 at the upper projecting bumper portion 36 before contacting the bumper reinforcement beam 40 .
- the space 46 may not be provided between the bumper fascia 34 and the bumper reinforcement beam 40 .
- the bumper fascia 34 may be connected directly to the bumper reinforcement beam 40 .
- the lower reinforcement member 42 is located below or closer to the ground than the bumper reinforcement beam 40 and extends forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction to a front end 50 .
- the bumper fascia 34 also extends forward in the lower projecting bumper portion 38 to cover the lower reinforcement member 42 .
- a space 52 may be provided between the bumper fascia 34 and the lower reinforcement member 42 .
- the space 52 can allow for some rearward deformation of the bumper fascia 34 at the lower projecting bumper portion 38 before contacting the lower reinforcement member 42 .
- the space 52 may not be provided between the bumper fascia 34 and the lower reinforcement member 42 .
- the bumper fascia 34 may be connected directly to the lower reinforcement member 42 at the front end 50 .
- FIG. 3 illustrates a vehicle lateral portion 55 of the lower reinforcement member 42 and bumper fascia 34 in isolation to illustrate features of the lower reinforcement member 42 .
- the lower reinforcement member 42 includes a reinforcement body 56 that has the front end 50 and a rear end 58 opposite the front end 50 .
- the front end 50 may generally have a curved shape; however, other shapes are possible such as straight of any other suitable shape.
- the reinforcement body 56 can be divided into a front portion 60 and a rear portion 62 .
- the front portion 60 may include a series of longitudinal reinforcement ribs 64 that are spaced-apart in the vehicle lateral direction and a series of lateral reinforcement ribs 66 that are spaced-apart in the vehicle longitudinal direction and intersect the longitudinal reinforcement ribs 64 .
- the rear portion 62 of the reinforcement body 56 may include one or more of the reinforcement ribs 64 , 66 .
- a fascia connection structure 70 is provided between the front portion 60 and the rear portion 62 of the reinforcement body 56 .
- the fascia connection structure 70 may be formed as a pocket-shaped protrusion that extends downwardly from a bottom side 72 of the reinforcement body 56 toward the ground at a location spaced from both the front end 50 and the rear end 58 .
- the fascia connection structure 70 includes a side wall 74 extending outwardly from the bottom side 72 in the vehicle vertical direction and a connecting base 76 that extends outwardly from the side wall 74 in the vehicle longitudinal direction.
- the connecting base 76 may include a connector opening 78 extending therethrough for receiving a connecting structure, such as a fastener for fastening the reinforcement body 56 to the bumper fascia 34 .
- the vehicle lateral portion 55 of the lower reinforcement member 42 and bumper fascia 34 is only one of multiple vehicle lateral portions 55 a - 55 d spaced-apart in the vehicle lateral direction, each having a fascia connection structure 70 a - 70 b .
- the bumper fascia 34 may include multiple connectors 80 a - 80 d that extend beyond a lower edge 82 of the bumper fascia 34 in the vehicle longitudinal direction.
- the connectors 80 a - 80 d are strip form connectors 80 a - 80 d that may or may not be integrally formed with the bumper fascia 34 .
- the connectors 80 a - 80 d may be integrally formed with the bumper fascia 34 of the same material using any suitable process and connected to the fascia connection structures 70 a - 70 d .
- the connectors 80 a - 80 d may be formed separately from the bumper fascia 34 of a rigid or semi rigid material and connected to both the bumper fascia 34 and fascia connection structures 70 a - 70 d using any suitable connection, such as fasteners thereby forming spaced-apart point connection locations to the lower reinforcement member 42 .
- Materials used to form the connectors 80 a - 80 d , bumper fascia 34 and lower reinforcement member 42 may include, as examples, thermoplastic olefins (TPOs), polycarbonates, polyesters, polypropylene, polyurethanes, polyamides, or blends of these with, for instance, glass fibers, for strength and structural rigidity. Any suitable methods can be used for forming the connection structures 80 a - 80 d , bumper fascia 34 and lower reinforcement member 42 , such as molding, machining, etc.
- TPOs thermoplastic olefins
- Any suitable methods can be used for forming the connection structures 80 a - 80 d , bumper fascia 34 and lower reinforcement member 42 , such as molding, machining, etc.
- the lower reinforcement member 42 includes the reinforcement body 56 that has the front end 50 and the rear end 58 opposite the front end 50 .
- the rear end 58 of the reinforcement body 56 may be fastened or cantilevered at a fastening location 96 to a vehicle support member 90 , such as a lower radiator support and/or other suitable load-bearing structure configured to support the lower reinforcement 42 in the illustrated position and to operate under impact conditions.
- the lower reinforcement member 42 extends from the rear end 58 that is cantilevered to the vehicle support member 90 forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction to the front end 50 .
- the front end 50 may be elevated in the vehicle vertical direction higher or further from the ground than the rear end 58 creating a somewhat downward slope from the front end 50 to the rear end 58 .
- the fascia connection structure 70 is provided between the front portion 60 and the rear portion 62 of the reinforcement body 56 .
- the fascia connection structure 70 extends downwardly from the bottom side 72 of the reinforcement body 56 to a fastening location 100 .
- the fascia connection structure 70 places the fastening location 100 between the fastening location 96 of the rear end of the reinforcement body 56 and the bottom side 72 at the front end 50 of the reinforcement body 56 in the vehicle vertical direction.
- the fastening location 100 may also place the connectors 80 below a front face 110 of the lower projecting bumper portion 38 of the bumper fascia 34 creating a somewhat downward slope from the front face 110 of the bumper fascia 34 to the fastening location 100 of the connectors 80 .
- FIG. 5 illustrates operation of the lower reinforcement member 42 during an impact.
- a force F impacts the front face 110 of the bumper fascia 34
- the bumper fascia 34 tends to deflect rearwardly in the vehicle longitudinal direction, particularly in light of the space 52 provided between the bumper fascia 34 and the lower reinforcement member 42 .
- a force F′ is applied through the connectors 80 at the fastening location 100 between the reinforcement body 56 and the connectors 80 , which, in this example, has both vertical (downward) and horizontal (rearward) components.
- This force F′ can produce a bending moment in the direction of arrow M, which tends to pull the front end 50 of the reinforcement body 56 downwardly in the vehicle vertical direction thereby decreasing the distance between the front end 50 of the reinforcement body 56 to the ground (illustrated by dashed lines), at least initially (e.g., before the bumper fascia 34 contacts the front end 50 of the reinforcement body 56 ) under relatively low impact forces, such as less than 10 kN, such as less than 5 kN, such as less than 1 kN, such as between 1 kN and 10 kN. At higher impact forces, such as greater than 10 kN, the front end 50 of the reinforcement body 56 may move upwardly (e.g., after the bumper fascia 34 contacts the front end 50 of the reinforcement body 56 ), increasing the distance of the front end 50 from the ground.
- Section A of movement line 120 illustrates a baseline position of the front end 50 of the reinforcement body 56 under normal vehicle operating conditions and without impact.
- the front end 50 of the reinforcement body 56 moves downward thereby decreasing a distance between the front end 50 and the ground in a somewhat linear fashion in section B.
- This movement can occur before contact is made between the bumper fascia 34 and the front end 50 of the reinforcement body 56 due to the space 52 ( FIG. 5 ).
- the distance between the front end 50 of the reinforcement body 56 and the ground may decrease for about 1 millisecond and a distance of about 1.5 millimeters.
- the front end 50 of the reinforcement body 56 begins an ascent at turnaround point 124 at section C thereby increasing in distance from the ground from the turnaround point 124 . While a descent of about 1.5 mm is illustrated, movement of the front end 50 of the reinforcement body 56 toward the ground may be between about 1 mm and about 5 mm.
- the above-described bumper assemblies provide bumper fascias that connect to the underside of lower reinforcement assemblies below the reinforcement bodies. Attachment of the bumper fascias to the undersides of the lower reinforcement assemblies provide a downward movement of the front end of the reinforcement bodies thereby decreasing a distance between the front end and the ground. Such decreases in distance between the front end and the ground can result in a decrease a bending moment seen by lower parts of the leg, such as the tibia.
- the location of the fastening location between the bumper fascia and lower reinforcement assembly can be tuned to provide a variety of movement characteristics, for example, based on vehicle model.
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Abstract
Description
- The present specification generally relates to bumper assemblies and vehicles that include bumper assemblies, and more specifically, bumper assemblies that include lower reinforcement members.
- Vehicles may be equipped with bumper assemblies and impact protection structures that elastically and plastically deform to absorb energy in the event of an impact. A number of standards and tests currently exist. Various organizations are introducing a number of pedestrian regulations and rating criteria for automotive vehicles. As one example, test methods have been developed to assess the protection of an adult pedestrian by simulating leg-impact conditions during a car-to-pedestrian impact. Generally, under such testing conditions, a bumper assembly that is closer to the ground will decrease a bending moment seen by lower parts of the leg. Accordingly, bumper assemblies are desired that are lower to the ground.
- In one embodiment, a bumper assembly includes a bumper fascia and a bumper reinforcement beam covered by the bumper fascia providing an upper projecting bumper portion. A lower reinforcement member is below the bumper reinforcement beam in a vehicle vertical direction and is covered by the bumper fascia providing a lower projecting bumper portion. The lower reinforcement member includes a reinforcement body having a front end and a rear end. The bumper fascia is connected to the lower reinforcement member at a fastening location that is located below reinforcement body.
- In another embodiment, a vehicle includes a vehicle support member at an underside of the vehicle. A bumper assembly at a front of the vehicle including a bumper fascia and a bumper reinforcement beam covered by the bumper fascia providing an upper projecting bumper portion. A lower reinforcement member is connected to the vehicle support member at a location below the bumper reinforcement beam in a vehicle vertical direction that is covered by the bumper fascia providing a lower projecting bumper portion. The lower reinforcement member includes a reinforcement body having a front end and a rear end. The bumper fascia is connected to the lower reinforcement member at a fastening location that is located below reinforcement body.
- In another embodiment, a method of changing a characteristic of a bumper assembly of a vehicle is provided. The method includes providing a bumper assembly at a front of the vehicle comprising a bumper fascia. A bumper reinforcement beam is covered by the bumper fascia providing an upper projecting bumper portion. A lower reinforcement member is connected to a vehicle support member at a location below the bumper reinforcement beam in a vehicle vertical direction that is covered by the bumper fascia providing a lower projecting bumper portion. The lower reinforcement member includes a reinforcement body having a front end and a rear end. The bumper fascia is connected to the lower reinforcement member at a fastening location. A distance of the front end of the reinforcement body is reduced from the ground by applying a moment at the fastening location when an impact is made with the bumper fascia at the lower projecting bumper portion.
- These and additional features provided by the embodiments described herein will be more fully understood in view of the following detailed description, in conjunction with the drawings.
- The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplary in nature and not intended to limit the subject matter defined by the claims. The following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments can be understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which:
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FIG. 1 schematically depicts a perspective view of a vehicle according to one or more embodiments shown or described herein; -
FIG. 2 depicts a diagrammatic sectional side view of a bumper assembly of the vehicle ofFIG. 1 according to one or more embodiments shown or described herein; -
FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of a lower projecting bumper portion including lower reinforcement member and bumper fascia according to one or more embodiments shown or described herein; -
FIG. 4 depicts a bottom view of the lower projecting bumper portion ofFIG. 3 according to one or more embodiments shown or described herein; -
FIG. 5 depicts a diagrammatic side section view of the lower projecting bumper portion ofFIG. 3 in operation according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein; and -
FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary plot of movement at a front end of the lower reinforcement member versus time during an impact. - Vehicles according to the present specification include a bumper assembly including a bumper fascia and a bumper reinforcement beam that extends in a vehicle lateral direction that is covered by the bumper fascia forming an upper projecting bumper portion. A lower projecting bumper portion is located below the upper projecting bumper portion, nearer to the ground or road surface. The lower projecting bumper portion is formed by the bumper fascia covering a lower reinforcement member that is cantilevered to a vehicle support member and extends longitudinally forward, under hanging the bumper reinforcement beam. As will be described herein, the bumper fascia is connected to a bottom side of the lower reinforcement member such that when the lower projecting bumper portion is impacted, the lower reinforcement member flexes downwardly toward the ground such that a forward end of the lower reinforcement member lowers in elevation to decrease its distance from the ground.
- As used herein, the term “vehicle longitudinal direction” refers to the forward-rearward direction of the vehicle (i.e., in the +/−vehicle F-direction depicted in
FIG. 1 ). The term “vehicle lateral direction” refers to the cross-vehicle direction (i.e., in the +/−vehicle IN-direction depicted inFIG. 1 ), and is transverse to the vehicle longitudinal direction. The term “vehicle vertical direction” refers to the upward-downward direction of the vehicle (i.e., in the +/−vehicle U-direction depicted inFIG. 1 ). Further, the terms “inboard” and “outboard” are used to describe the relative positioning of various components of the vehicle with respect to a centerline of the vehicle. - Motor vehicles that incorporate elements according to the present disclosure may include a variety of construction methodologies that are conventionally known, including the unibody construction methodology depicted in
FIG. 1 as well as a body-on-frame construction methodology. While the embodiments of the present disclosure are described and depicted herein in reference to unibody structures, it should be understood that vehicles that are constructed with body-on-frame construction may incorporate the elements that are shown and described herein. - Referring initially to
FIG. 1 , avehicle 10 is depicted. Thevehicle 10 includes aunibody 12 onto which a vehicle drivetrain is coupled. Thevehicle 10 also includes acabin 13 that is integral with theunibody 12. Thecabin 13 generally defines a passenger cabin of thevehicle 10. Thevehicle 10 includes afront end assembly 16 that includes ahood 18,front fenders upper grille assembly 24, afront bumper assembly 26 and alower grille assembly 28 extending between thefront fenders lower grille assembly 28 includes a coveringportion 30 with a number of horizontally disposedgrille deflectors 32, a mesh or other suitable covering that protects a radiator behind the coveringportion 30, while allowing air to flow past the covering and over the radiator. Thefront end assembly 16 includes an outer covering orbumper fascia 34, an upperprojecting bumper portion 36 and a lowerprojecting bumper portion 38 that under hangs the upperprojecting bumper portion 36. Thelower grille assembly 28 may be located between the upperprojecting bumper portion 36 and the lowerprojecting bumper portion 38. - Referring to
FIG. 2 , thebumper fascia 34 is an outer covering for covering abumper reinforcement beam 40 and alower reinforcement member 42 that both extend in the vehicle lateral direction between thefront fenders bumper reinforcement beam 40 may generally have a curved shape in the vehicle lateral direction and extend forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction to afront face 44. Thebumper fascia 34 also extends forward in the upper projectingbumper portion 36 to cover thebumper reinforcement beam 40. Aspace 46 may be provided between thebumper fascia 34 and thebumper reinforcement beam 40. Thespace 46 can allow for some rearward deformation of thebumper fascia 34 at the upper projectingbumper portion 36 before contacting thebumper reinforcement beam 40. In other embodiments, thespace 46 may not be provided between thebumper fascia 34 and thebumper reinforcement beam 40. For example, thebumper fascia 34 may be connected directly to thebumper reinforcement beam 40. - The
lower reinforcement member 42 is located below or closer to the ground than thebumper reinforcement beam 40 and extends forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction to afront end 50. Thebumper fascia 34 also extends forward in the lowerprojecting bumper portion 38 to cover thelower reinforcement member 42. Aspace 52 may be provided between thebumper fascia 34 and thelower reinforcement member 42. Thespace 52 can allow for some rearward deformation of thebumper fascia 34 at the lower projectingbumper portion 38 before contacting thelower reinforcement member 42. In other embodiments, thespace 52 may not be provided between thebumper fascia 34 and thelower reinforcement member 42. For example, thebumper fascia 34 may be connected directly to thelower reinforcement member 42 at thefront end 50. -
FIG. 3 illustrates a vehicle lateral portion 55 of thelower reinforcement member 42 andbumper fascia 34 in isolation to illustrate features of thelower reinforcement member 42. Thelower reinforcement member 42 includes areinforcement body 56 that has thefront end 50 and arear end 58 opposite thefront end 50. In some embodiments, thefront end 50 may generally have a curved shape; however, other shapes are possible such as straight of any other suitable shape. Thereinforcement body 56 can be divided into a front portion 60 and a rear portion 62. The front portion 60 may include a series of longitudinal reinforcement ribs 64 that are spaced-apart in the vehicle lateral direction and a series of lateral reinforcement ribs 66 that are spaced-apart in the vehicle longitudinal direction and intersect the longitudinal reinforcement ribs 64. In some embodiments, the rear portion 62 of thereinforcement body 56 may include one or more of the reinforcement ribs 64, 66. - A
fascia connection structure 70 is provided between the front portion 60 and the rear portion 62 of thereinforcement body 56. Thefascia connection structure 70 may be formed as a pocket-shaped protrusion that extends downwardly from abottom side 72 of thereinforcement body 56 toward the ground at a location spaced from both thefront end 50 and therear end 58. In the illustrated embodiment, thefascia connection structure 70 includes a side wall 74 extending outwardly from thebottom side 72 in the vehicle vertical direction and a connecting base 76 that extends outwardly from the side wall 74 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The connecting base 76 may include a connector opening 78 extending therethrough for receiving a connecting structure, such as a fastener for fastening thereinforcement body 56 to thebumper fascia 34. - Referring briefly to
FIG. 4 , as can be seen, the vehicle lateral portion 55 of thelower reinforcement member 42 andbumper fascia 34 is only one of multiple vehicle lateral portions 55 a-55 d spaced-apart in the vehicle lateral direction, each having afascia connection structure 70 a-70 b. Thebumper fascia 34 may includemultiple connectors 80 a-80 d that extend beyond alower edge 82 of thebumper fascia 34 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. In the illustrated example, theconnectors 80 a-80 d arestrip form connectors 80 a-80 d that may or may not be integrally formed with thebumper fascia 34. For example, in one embodiment, theconnectors 80 a-80 d may be integrally formed with thebumper fascia 34 of the same material using any suitable process and connected to thefascia connection structures 70 a-70 d. In another embodiment, theconnectors 80 a-80 d may be formed separately from thebumper fascia 34 of a rigid or semi rigid material and connected to both thebumper fascia 34 andfascia connection structures 70 a-70 d using any suitable connection, such as fasteners thereby forming spaced-apart point connection locations to thelower reinforcement member 42. Materials used to form theconnectors 80 a-80 d,bumper fascia 34 andlower reinforcement member 42 may include, as examples, thermoplastic olefins (TPOs), polycarbonates, polyesters, polypropylene, polyurethanes, polyamides, or blends of these with, for instance, glass fibers, for strength and structural rigidity. Any suitable methods can be used for forming theconnection structures 80 a-80 d,bumper fascia 34 andlower reinforcement member 42, such as molding, machining, etc. - Referring to
FIG. 5 , a diagrammatic view of the lower projectingbumper portion 38 including thebumper fascia 34 and thelower reinforcement member 42 is illustrated. Thelower reinforcement member 42 includes thereinforcement body 56 that has thefront end 50 and therear end 58 opposite thefront end 50. Therear end 58 of thereinforcement body 56 may be fastened or cantilevered at afastening location 96 to avehicle support member 90, such as a lower radiator support and/or other suitable load-bearing structure configured to support thelower reinforcement 42 in the illustrated position and to operate under impact conditions. Thelower reinforcement member 42 extends from therear end 58 that is cantilevered to thevehicle support member 90 forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction to thefront end 50. In some embodiments, thefront end 50 may be elevated in the vehicle vertical direction higher or further from the ground than therear end 58 creating a somewhat downward slope from thefront end 50 to therear end 58. - The
fascia connection structure 70 is provided between the front portion 60 and the rear portion 62 of thereinforcement body 56. Thefascia connection structure 70 extends downwardly from thebottom side 72 of thereinforcement body 56 to afastening location 100. In some embodiments, thefascia connection structure 70 places thefastening location 100 between thefastening location 96 of the rear end of thereinforcement body 56 and thebottom side 72 at thefront end 50 of thereinforcement body 56 in the vehicle vertical direction. Thefastening location 100 may also place theconnectors 80 below afront face 110 of the lower projectingbumper portion 38 of thebumper fascia 34 creating a somewhat downward slope from thefront face 110 of thebumper fascia 34 to thefastening location 100 of theconnectors 80. -
FIG. 5 illustrates operation of thelower reinforcement member 42 during an impact. As a force F impacts thefront face 110 of thebumper fascia 34, thebumper fascia 34 tends to deflect rearwardly in the vehicle longitudinal direction, particularly in light of thespace 52 provided between thebumper fascia 34 and thelower reinforcement member 42. As thefront face 110 of thebumper fascia 34 deflects rearwardly, a force F′ is applied through theconnectors 80 at thefastening location 100 between thereinforcement body 56 and theconnectors 80, which, in this example, has both vertical (downward) and horizontal (rearward) components. This force F′ can produce a bending moment in the direction of arrow M, which tends to pull thefront end 50 of thereinforcement body 56 downwardly in the vehicle vertical direction thereby decreasing the distance between thefront end 50 of thereinforcement body 56 to the ground (illustrated by dashed lines), at least initially (e.g., before thebumper fascia 34 contacts thefront end 50 of the reinforcement body 56) under relatively low impact forces, such as less than 10 kN, such as less than 5 kN, such as less than 1 kN, such as between 1 kN and 10 kN. At higher impact forces, such as greater than 10 kN, thefront end 50 of thereinforcement body 56 may move upwardly (e.g., after thebumper fascia 34 contacts thefront end 50 of the reinforcement body 56), increasing the distance of thefront end 50 from the ground. - Referring to
FIG. 6 , vertical movement or distance from the ground of thefront end 50 of thereinforcement body 56 is shown over time in milliseconds. This movement and timing are exemplary and not intended to be limiting as movement and timing may be more or less depending, at least in part, on the impact conditions, shape and positioning of the lower reinforcement member, etc. Section A of movement line 120 illustrates a baseline position of thefront end 50 of thereinforcement body 56 under normal vehicle operating conditions and without impact. Upon an impact to thebumper fascia 34 at the lower projectingbumper portion 38 atimpact point 122, thefront end 50 of thereinforcement body 56 moves downward thereby decreasing a distance between thefront end 50 and the ground in a somewhat linear fashion in section B. This movement can occur before contact is made between thebumper fascia 34 and thefront end 50 of thereinforcement body 56 due to the space 52 (FIG. 5 ). As one example, the distance between thefront end 50 of thereinforcement body 56 and the ground may decrease for about 1 millisecond and a distance of about 1.5 millimeters. As the impact forces increase, thefront end 50 of thereinforcement body 56 begins an ascent atturnaround point 124 at section C thereby increasing in distance from the ground from theturnaround point 124. While a descent of about 1.5 mm is illustrated, movement of thefront end 50 of thereinforcement body 56 toward the ground may be between about 1 mm and about 5 mm. - The above-described bumper assemblies provide bumper fascias that connect to the underside of lower reinforcement assemblies below the reinforcement bodies. Attachment of the bumper fascias to the undersides of the lower reinforcement assemblies provide a downward movement of the front end of the reinforcement bodies thereby decreasing a distance between the front end and the ground. Such decreases in distance between the front end and the ground can result in a decrease a bending moment seen by lower parts of the leg, such as the tibia. The location of the fastening location between the bumper fascia and lower reinforcement assembly can be tuned to provide a variety of movement characteristics, for example, based on vehicle model.
- It is noted that the terms “substantially” and “about” may be utilized herein to represent the inherent degree of uncertainty that may be attributed to any quantitative comparison, value, measurement, or other representation. These terms are also utilized herein to represent the degree by which a quantitative representation may vary from a stated reference without resulting in a change in the basic function of the subject matter at issue.
- While particular embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, although various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described herein, such aspects need not be utilized in combination. It is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Claims (20)
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US14/551,562 US9327662B1 (en) | 2014-11-24 | 2014-11-24 | Bumper assemblies including lower reinforcement members |
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US20160144811A1 true US20160144811A1 (en) | 2016-05-26 |
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