Patent · US Expired

Bumper construction for automotive vehicles

US4401332A · kind A · utility

5Cited by
7References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 21, 1981
Grant dateAug 30, 1983
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 21, 2001

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB60R19/28
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an improved bumper construction for an automotive vehicle. The vehicle has a plurality of bumper mounting stays and a body panel adjacent the stays. The bumper construction comprises a thin-walled plastic bumper, a reinforcement member mounted to the bumper at an intermediate section thereof adjacent the body panel and a spring member interposed between the reinforcement member and the vehicle body panel. The reinforcement member and the intermediate section of the bumper are adapted to define a closed bumper configuration. The spring member is operatively connected to the reinforcement member and the vehicle body panel such that the intermediate section of the bumper is supported through the spring member by the body panel. The spring member is rigid in the vertical direction to resist vertical movement of the bumper relative to the vehicle body and is resiliently deformable in the horizontal direction to yieldingly resist the horizontal movement of the intermediate section of the bumper toward the vehicle body panel.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.