Vehicle bumper system

• US 6,394,512 B1
• Filed: 12/15/2000
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Schuster, Peter John, Frederick, Gregory Stanley, Bladow, Jeffrey Leonard, Chou, Shui-Fang (Ray)
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Joseph D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLE, PATRICIA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US09/737,359
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 293/15,24,34,38,39,117,118,119,143,144,146
• US Class Current: 293/15
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/12 vertically spaced
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/40 in the direction of an obstacle before a collision , or extending during driving of the vehicle, i.e. to increase the energy absorption capacity of the bumper inflatable bumpers B60R19/20
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/34 Protecting non-occupants of a vehicle, e.g. pedestrians B60R19/02 takes precedence

Abstract

A pedestrian protection apparatus for a truck is provided. The apparatus includes a bumper member mounted to a vehicle, a linkage, a stiffener, an extendible cross-member and an actuator. The extendible cross-member is mounted on a stiffener which in turn is mounted at each end at a first linkage and a second linkage respectively. The pedestrian protection apparatus may extend out from under the vehicle at speeds greater than a predetermined speed in order to prevent injury to a pedestrian in a collision. The linkages are disposed between the extendible cross-member and the bumper.

Claims

1. A vehicle bumper assembly for reducing pedestrian injury, the bumper assembly comprising:

a bumper member mounted to a vehicle;

a stiffener operatively connected to the bumper member and movable between an up position to a forward and down position;

a cross-member mounted on the stiffener and being operative to evenly distribute loads on a pedestrian leg upon impact;

a first linkage disposed between a first end of the stiffener and the bumper member;

a second linkage disposed between a second end of the stiffener and the bumper member, the first and second linkages each having a first locking member and a second locking member, the linkage being operative to extend the stiffener and the cross-member means outwardly from the vehicle end; and

an actuator in communication with a vehicle speedometer, the actuator being operative to extend the stiffener, the cross-member, and the linkage down and outwardly from the vehicle when the vehicle reaches a predetermined speed.

2. The bumper assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the linkage prevents horizontal displacement of the cross-member when subjected to a horizontal load under a predetermined level.

3. The bumper assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the first locking member includes a tab and the second locking member defines an aperture for engaging with the tab to prevent horizontal displacement of the linkage and the cross-member in a collision.

4. The bumper assembly defined in claim 2 wherein the first locking member includes a tab and the second locking member defines an aperture for engaging with the tab to prevent horizontal displacement of the linkage and the cross-member.

5. The bumper assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the first locking member is a cam and the second locking member is a follower such that the cam prevents horizontal displacement of the linkage and cross-member means when subjected to a horizontal load under a predetermined level.

6. The bumper assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the first locking member and the second locking member disengage and move apart from one another when the cross-member means is subjected to a vertical load.

7. The bumper assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the actuator is a gas cylinder.

8. The bumper assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the actuator is a rotational actuator disposed within a pivot of the linkage.

9. The bumper assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the actuator is a linear actuator powered by a screw drive.

10. The bumper assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the actuator is a linear actuator powered by a solenoid.

11. The bumper assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the cross-member is a stiffener plate.

12. The bumper assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the cross-member is a stiffener beam.

13. A vehicle bumper system for reducing pedestrian injury in a collision, the vehicle bumper system comprising:

a bumper mounted to a vehicle;

a stiffener operatively connected to the bumper and movable between a retracted position and an outwardly deployed position;

a cross member mounted on the stiffener for evenly distributing loads across the stiffener upon impact;

and a first linkage and a second linkage wherein the first and second linkage each comprises,

a first linkage member mounted to the bumper;

a second linkage member mounted to cross-member means;

a third linkage member having a first end and a second end, the first end being pivotally mounted to the first linkage member and the second end being pivotally mounted to the second linkage member;

a fourth linkage member having a third end and a fourth end, the third end being pivotally mounted to the first linkage member and the fourth end being pivotally mounted on the second linkage member; and

an actuator mounted on the first linkage member and being in communication with the vehicle speedometer, the actuator being operative to extend the cross-member outwardly from the vehicle via the second, third and fourth linkage members such that the third linkage member engages with the fourth linkage member into a locked position preventing horizontal displacement of the cross-member when subjected to horizontal loads under a predetermined level.

14. The vehicle bumper system defined in claim 13 wherein the actuator is a gas cylinder.

15. The vehicle bumper system defined in claim 13 wherein the actuator is a rotational actuator disposed within a pivot of the linkage.

16. The vehicle bumper system defined in claim 13 wherein the actuator is a linear actuator powered by a screw drive.

17. The vehicle bumper system defined in claim 13 wherein the actuator is a linear actuator powered by a solenoid.

18. The vehicle bumper system defined in claim 13 wherein the cross-member is a stiffener plate.

19. The vehicle bumper system defined in claim 13 wherein the cross-member is a stiffener beam.

20. The vehicle bumper system defined in claim 13 wherein the third linkage members each include a tab and the fourth linkage members each define an aperture for engagement with the tab to prevent horizontal displacement of the cross-member.

21. The vehicle bumper system defined in claim 13 wherein the third and fourth linkage members disengage when subjected to a vertical load.

22. A bumper assembly for reducing pedestrian injury, the bumper assembly comprising:

a bumper member mounted to a vehicle;

a stiffener operatively connected to the bumper member and movable between an up position to a forward and down position;

a cross-member mounted on the stiffener and being operative to evenly distribute loads on a pedestrian leg upon impact;

a first linkage disposed between a first end of the stiffener and the bumper member;

a second linkage disposed between a second end of the stiffener and the bumper member, the first and second linkages each having a first locking member and a second locking member wherein the first locking member includes a tab and the second locking member defines an aperture for engaging with the tab to prevent horizontal displacement of the linkage and the cross-member in a collision, the first and second linkages being operative to extend the stiffener and the cross-member means outwardly from the vehicle end; and

an actuator in communication with a vehicle speedometer, the actuator being operative to extend the stiffener, the cross-member, and the linkage down and outwardly from the vehicle when the vehicle reaches a predetermined speed.

23. A bumper assembly for reducing pedestrian injury, the bumper assembly comprising:

a bumper member mounted to a vehicle;

a stiffener operatively connected to the bumper member and movable between an up position to a forward and down position;

a cross-member mounted on the stiffener and being operative to evenly distribute loads on a pedestrian leg upon impact;

a first linkage disposed between a first end of the stiffener and the bumper member;

a second linkage disposed between a second end of the stiffener and the bumper member, the first and second linkages each having a first locking member and a second locking member wherein the first locking member is a cam and the second locking member is a follower such that the cam prevents horizontal displacement of the linkage and cross-member means when subjected to a horizontal load under a predetermined level, the linkage being operative to extend the stiffener and the cross-member means outwardly from the vehicle end; and

an actuator in communication with a vehicle speedometer, the actuator being operative to extend the stiffener, the cross-member, and the linkage down and outwardly from the vehicle when the vehicle reaches a predetermined speed.