Breakaway ICC bumper

• US 5,673,953 A
• Filed: 09/13/1996
• Issued: 10/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald R. Spease
• Original Assignee: Donald R. Spease
• Inventors: Spease, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAPE, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US08/713,797
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 293/131, 293/118, 293/119, 293/137
• US Class Current: 293/118
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/38 adjustably or movably mounted, e.g. horizontally displaceable for securing a space between parked vehicles adjustably mounted for compensating manufacturing tolerances B60R19/24, B60R19/26
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/56 Fittings damping bouncing force in truck collisions, e.g. bumpers; Arrangements on high-riding vehicles, e.g. lorries, for preventing vehicles or objects from running thereunder

Abstract

A movable bumper used on a load carrying vehicle such as an eighteen wheeler truck-trailer. The three bumpers sections are connected together with the upper section having a one-way hinged connection and biasing springs with pulley/cable connectors. When the bumper'"'"'s lower section is struck by an obstruction with sufficient impact, that section and a connected vertical support section pivot upwardly and outwardly out of the way on the hinged connection against the biasing action of the upper section'"'"'s springs and connected pulleys/cables. After the obstruction is removed, the bumpers two lower sections return to their normally vertical disposed positions. Support struts with internal springs may be used as additional bumper support and protection between the bumper and the vehicle'"'"'s or trailer'"'"'s undercarriage.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle bumper for use on a motor vehicle comprising:

an upper bumper section mounted to said vehicle and having hinged connections and biasing means thereon to normally bias an attached vertical support member towards a generally vertical disposition;

said biasing means including a horizontally disposed spring attached to a pulley having a depending cable attached to said support member;

said vertical support member being connected to said upper section'"'"'s hinged connections and vertically depending therefrom; and

a lower bumper section attached to said support member and movable therewith about said hinged connection against said biasing means when impacted by an obstruction.

2. The invention as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of said biasing means and support members,

each of said biasing means being located on the upper bumper section and having an extending pulley cable member attached to a different support member.

3. The invention as claimed in claim 2, also including support struts attached to said vehicle'"'"'s undercarriage and extending to one side of said bumper.

4. The invention as claimed in claim 3, wherein said support struts have internal springs encircling a movable rod,

said spring being subject to compression when an obstruction strikes the bumper'"'"'s lower section to move it outwardly on its hinged connection.

5. The invention as claimed in claim 4, wherein there are at least two pulleys with extending cables each of which is attached to different bumper supports, and

two support struts each of which is attached to the same vertical support members as the cables.

6. The invention as claimed in claim 5, also including a load carrying truck as the vehicle,

said truck having a depending pulled trailer to which said bumper is attached at its lower rear end.