Rollover bar with deformable bearing

• US 5,890,738 A
• Filed: 02/07/1997
• Issued: 04/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Loemker, Jens, Heiner, Lothar
• Primary Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US08/797,791
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 280/756, 280/748, 280/751, 280/762, 296/102, 267/292, 267/293, 267/141.2
• US Class Current: 280/756
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/13 Roll-over protection electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01

Abstract

A rollover protection device for a motor vehicle has at least one rollover bar which is disposed on a vehicle-fixed structure with a deformable bearing permitting limited movement of the rollover bar relative to the vehicle-fixed structure. In particular, the bearing is elastically deformable and may have at least one deformable, particularly elastically deformable, absorber element which disposes legs of the rollover bar in receiving tubes.

Claims

1. A rollover protection device for a motor vehicle, comprising at least one rollover bar having two legs which are disposed in two vehicle-fixed receiving tubes via at least two deformable absorber elements which permit a limited relative movement of the rollover bar with respect to the vehicle-fixed receiving tubes, the legs being eccentrically positioned in the absorber elements with respect to the receiving tubes.

2. A rollover protection device according to claim 1, wherein the absorber elements are elastically deformable.

3. A rollover protection device according to claim 1, wherein, in an undeformed position, said legs are held by said deformable absorber elements away from walls of said receiving tubes.

4. A rollover protection device according to claim 3, wherein the deformable absorber elements are fastened by screws on the legs or the receiving tubes.

5. A rollover protection device according to claim 3, wherein the deformable absorber elements are vulcanized onto the legs.

6. A rollover protection device according to claim 1, wherein the deformable absorber elements surround the legs in a ring-shaped manner.

7. A rollover protection device according to claim 1, wherein the absorber elements are made of an elastomeric material.

8. A rollover protection device according to claim 1, wherein the absorber elements are elastomer-metal combination elements.

9. A rollover protection device according to claim 1, wherein the maximum moving paths of the legs in the deformable absorber elements are aligned approximately in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

10. A rollover protection device according to claim 1, wherein one of said two legs of the rollover bar is lengthened relative to the other of said two legs of the rollover bar.

11. A rollover protection device according to claim 1, wherein the two legs are connected by a free section of the rollover bar which is provided with a cushion.

12. A rollover protection device according to claim 11, wherein the cushion is a foamed material which encases the rollover bar.

13. A rollover protection device according to claim 1, wherein two of said deformable absorber elements are provided on each of said legs.

14. A rollover protection device according to claim 1, wherein said motor vehicle is a convertible with two seats, and wherein said at least one rollover bar comprises two rollover bars which are arranged approximately behind the two seats.

15. A rollover protection device for a motor vehicle, comprising at least one rollover bar which is disposed on a vehicle-fixed structure with a deformable absorber element which permits a limited relative movement of the rollover bar with respect to the vehicle-fixed structure, wherein the absorber element has an outer ring and an inner ring and the two rings are connected with one another by webs.

16. A rollover protection device for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a rollover bar comprising at least one leg;

a vehicle-fixed receiving tube configured to receive the rollover bar; and

an elastically deformable ring-shaped absorber element interposed between the rollover bar and the vehicle-fixed receiving tube to permit a limited relative movement of the rollover bar with respect to the vehicle-fixed receiving tube, the absorber element holding the leg at a radial distance from the receiving tube, the absorber element including an outer ring and an inner ring arranged inside said outer ring, the outer ring being radially spaced apart from the inner ring with a plurality of webs connecting the outer ring and the inner ring.

17. A rollover protection device according to claim 16, wherein said inner ring is arranged eccentrically with respect to said outer ring.

18. A rollover protection device according to claim 16, wherein an outer periphery of said outer ring engages an inner periphery of said receiving tube, and wherein an inner periphery of said inner ring engages an outer periphery of said leg.

19. A rollover protection device according to claim 16, wherein said deformable absorber element comprises a foam rubber sleeve.