Bumper construction including self-orienting support towers providing consistent energy absorption on impact
US6174009A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 9, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jan 16, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 9, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB60R2021/0009
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A bumper construction for a vehicle includes a swept tubular bumper beam having a pair of spaced-apart brackets and a pair of towers configured to attach to the brackets and support the bumper beam on a vehicle. The towers each include a platform configured for attachment to one of the brackets, and further include an elongated portion configured for connection to the vehicle. A swivel connection connects the tower to the bumper beam. The connection includes a protruding section on one of the bracket and the tower, and a socket receiving the protruding section on the other of the bracket and the tower. The protruding section and the socket are configured to draw the tower toward an impacting force during a catastrophic impact, such that the tower is more likely to crush with a high-energy absorbing, accordion-like collapse (as opposed to a low-energy absorbing parallelogram-like collapse).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.