Vehicle brush guard apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. In a vehicle having a bumper attached to a bumper mounting bracket mountable to two vehicle frame rails, an improvement comprising:
- a brush guard; and
a mounting bracket for mounting the brush guard to vehicle frame rails where a front surface of the brush guard is disposed longitudinally behind a vertical plane containing a front-most edge of the vehicle bumper.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A brush guard is attachable to a vehicle frame rail or a vehicle bumper mounting bracket by means of mounting members, each having a mounting surface mountable between the bumper mounting bracket and the bumper frame rail mounting bracket. Each mounting member includes a crush surface positioned in the same spatial relationship from a vehicle mounted sensor crush surface as the original crush surface of a bumper mounting bracket. The brush guard is mounted on the vehicle independent and free of the bumper and is disposed in a position so that the brush guard does not extend forwardly of the frontmost surface of the bumper. In one aspect, the mounting members are pivotally connected to the vehicle to allow pivotal movement of the brush guard during a front-end vehicle collision. A pair of optional outriggers are releasably secure to the outer lateral ends of the brush guard and the vehicle bumper.
45 Citations
18 Claims
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1. In a vehicle having a bumper attached to a bumper mounting bracket mountable to two vehicle frame rails, an improvement comprising:
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a brush guard; and
a mounting bracket for mounting the brush guard to vehicle frame rails where a front surface of the brush guard is disposed longitudinally behind a vertical plane containing a front-most edge of the vehicle bumper. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
the vehicle has a collision sensor with a crush surface nominally spaced from a bumper crush surface at a distance; and
the mounting bracket having a crush surface spaced from the collision sensor crush surface at the distance.
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5. The improvement of claim 4 wherein the mounting bracket is secured between the vehicle frame rail and the brush guard mounting bracket.
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6. The improvement of claim 5 wherein the mounting bracket comprises:
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a first portion fixable to the vehicle bumper mounting bracket; and
a second portion projecting angularly to the first portion and connectable to the brush guard.
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7. The improvement of claim 4 further comprising:
a pair of brush guard mounting members, each one of the pair of the brush guard mounting members having a crush surface nominally spaced from the sensor crush surface.
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8. The improvement of claim 7 wherein each of the crush surfaces are spaced at the spacing from the respective sensor crush surface.
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9. The improvement of claim 1 further comprising:
outrigger support brackets mounted between a laterally outboard position of the brush guard and the vehicle bumper.
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10. The improvement of claim 9 wherein:
the brush guard is releasably connected to the outrigger support brackets.
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11. The improvement of claim 1 wherein:
the brush guard mounting bracket is moveably mountable on the bumper mounting bracket.
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12. The improvement of claim 11 wherein:
the brush guard mounting bracket is pivotal relative to the bumper mounting bracket under vehicle collision forces.
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13. In a vehicle having a bumper attached to a bumper mounting bracket mountable to two vehicle frame rails, an improvement comprising:
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a brush guard; and
a mounting bracket for mounting the brush guard to vehicle frame rails where a front surface of the brush guard is disposed wholly longitudinally behind a vertical plane containing a front-most edge of the vehicle bumper;
the vehicle has a collision sensor with a crush surface nominally spaced from a bumper crush surface at a distance; and
the mounting bracket having a crush surface spaced from the collision sensor crush surface at the distance. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
a first portion fixable to the vehicle bumper mounting bracket; and
a second portion projecting angularly to the first portion and connectable to the brush guard.
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16. The improvement of claim 13 further comprising:
a pair of brush guard mounting brackets, each one of the pair of the brush guard mounting brackets having the crush surface nominally spaced from a sensor crush surface.
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17. The improvement of claim 16 wherein each of the crush surfaces are spaced at the spacing from the respective sensor crush surface.
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18. The improvement of claim 13 further comprising:
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outrigger support brackets mounted between a laterally outboard position of the brush guard and the vehicle bumper. 19.The improvement of claim 18 wherein; the brush guard is releasably connected to the outrigger support brackets.
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Specification
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Current AssigneeTransportation Design & Manufacturing
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Original AssigneeTransportation Design & Manufacturing
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InventorsSchneider, Michael J., Adelman, Edwin M., Bartel, James J.
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Primary Examiner(s)Gordon, Stephen T.
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Assistant Examiner(s)Patel, Kiran B.
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Application NumberUS09/689,965Time in Patent Office397 DaysField of Search293/116, 293/155, 293/102, 180/686, D12/163, D12/169, D12/170, D12/171US Class Current293/115CPC Class CodesB60R 19/52 Radiator or grille guards ;...
