Active bumper assembly

• US 6,764,118 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2002
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sherwin, Charles J., DePottey, Timothy A., Schneider, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Joseph D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blankenship, Greg
• Application Number:
  US10/242,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20040046403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 293/2, 293/4, 293/9, 293/10, 293/118, 293/132, 293/133
• US Class Current: 293/118
• 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 2021/26029 Ignitors

Abstract

An active bumper assembly for mounting to a vehicle is disclosed. The active bumper assembly includes a bumper that may be hingedly connected to a vehicle. When the bumper is in the inactivated position it is disposed behind the outer edge of the vehicle. When activated, the bumper is moved to an activated position, which is lower with respect to the inactivated position and extends below the outer edge of the vehicle. A sensing system detects an impending collision and generates a signal to which an actuator responds, moving the bumper from the inactivated position to the activated position. A locking member, configured to be interconnected between the bumper and the vehicle frame, then secures the bumper in the activated position.

Claims

1. An active bumper assembly for use on a vehicle, comprising:

a bumper;

a hinge connected to the bumper and allowing movement of the bumper from a first position to a second position;

a locking mechanism for securing the bumper in the second position;

an actuator for moving the bumper from the first position to the second position in response to a signal; and

a sensing system for sensing an impending collision, the sensing system generating the signal to which the actuator responds.

2. The active bumper assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensing system includes a radar sensor.

3. The active bumper assembly of claim 1, wherein the bumper in the second position is configured to extend beyond and below an outer edge of a nose on a vehicle to which the active bumper assembly is mounted.

4. The active bumper assembly of claim 3, wherein the bumper in the first position is elevated with respect to the second position and the bumper is configured to be disposed behind the outer edge of the nose of a vehicle to which the active bumper assembly is mounted.

5. The active bumper assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator is selected from the group consisting of a pyrotechnic, a spring, a solenoid, and an air pressure activator.

6. The active bumper assembly of claim 1, wherein the bumper comprises an energy absorbing material.

7. The active bumper assembly of claim 6, wherein the energy absorbing material is an aluminum lattice.

8. The active bumper assembly of claim 1, wherein the bumper is resettable to the first position after activation to the second position.

9. The active bumper assembly of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to be hingedly connected to a vehicle frame.

10. The active bumper assembly of claim 1, wherein the active bumper assembly is configured to be located proximate a front end of the vehicle.

11. The active bumper assembly of claim 1, wherein the active bumper assembly is configured to be located proximate a rear end of the vehicle.

12. An active bumper assembly for use on a vehicle, comprising:

a bumper;

a hinge connected to the bumper allowing movement of the bumper from a first position to a lower second position when the active bumper assembly is mounted to the vehicle;

a locking mechanism for securing the bumper in the second position;

an actuator for moving the bumper from the first position to the second position in response to a signal; and

a sensing system for sensing an impending collision, the sensing system generating the signal to which the actuator responds.

13. The active bumper assembly of claim 12, wherein the sensing system includes a radar sensor.

14. The active bumper assembly of claim 13, wherein the bumper in the second position is configured to extend beyond and below an outer edge of a nose of the vehicle to which the active bumper assembly is mounted.

15. The active bumper assembly of claim 14, wherein the bumper in the first position is elevated with respect to the second position and the bumper is configured to be disposed behind the outer edge of the nose of the vehicle to which the active bumper assembly is mounted.

16. The active bumper assembly of claim 15, wherein the actuator is selected from the group consisting of a pyrotechnic, a spring, a solenoid, and an air pressure activator.

17. The active bumper assembly of claim 16, wherein the bumper comprises an energy absorbing material.

18. The active bumper assembly of claim 17, wherein the energy absorbing material is an aluminum lattice.

19. The active bumper assembly of claim 18, wherein the bumper is resettable to the first position after activation to the second position.

20. An active bumper assembly for mounting on a vehicle, comprising:

a bumper which is orientable between a first position in which the bumper is configured to be disposed behind an outer edge of a vehicle to which it is mounted, and a second position in which the bumper is lowered with respect to the first position and configured to extend below the outer edge of the vehicle;

a hinged connection attached to the bumper for connecting the bumper to the vehicle;

a locking member configured to be interconnected between the bumper and a vehicle frame for securing the bumper in the second position;

an actuator for moving the bumper from the first position to the second position in response to a signal; and

a sensing system for sensing an impending collision, the sensing system generating the signal to which the actuator responds.

21. The active bumper assembly of claim 20, wherein the sensing system includes a radar sensor.

22. The active bumper assembly of claim 20, wherein the actuator is selected from the group consisting of a pyrotechnic, a spring, a solenoid, and an air pressure activator.

23. The active bumper assembly of claim 20, wherein the bumper comprises an energy absorbing material.

24. The active bumper assembly of claim 23, wherein the energy absorbing material is an aluminum lattice.

25. The active bumper assembly of claim 20, wherein the bumper is resettable to the first position after activation to the second position.

26. The active bumper assembly of claim 20, wherein the locking member is hingedly connected to a vehicle frame.

27. The active bumper assembly of claim 20, wherein the bumper further extends beyond the outer edge of the vehicle in the second position.

28. The active bumper assembly of claim 20, wherein the active bumper assembly is configured to be located proximate a front end of the vehicle.

29. The active assembly of claim 20, wherein the active bumper assembly is configured to be located proximate a rear end of the vehicle.

30. An active bumper assembly for mounting on a vehicle, comprising:

a bumper which is orientable between a first position in which the bumper is configured to be disposed behind an outer edge of a nose of the vehicle, and a second position in which the bumper is lowered with respect to the first position and configured to extend below and beyond the outer edge of the nose of the vehicle when the active bumper assembly is mounted to the vehicle;

a hinge attached to the bumper for connecting the bumper to a vehicle frame;

a hinged locking member configured to be interconnected between the bumper and a vehicle frame for securing the bumper in the second position;

an actuator for moving the bumper from the first position to the second position in response to a signal; and

a radar sensor for sensing an impending collision, the radar sensor generating the signal to which the actuator responds.

31. The active bumper assembly of claim 30, wherein the actuator is selected from the group consisting of a pyrotechnic, a spring, a solenoid, and an air pressure activator.

32. The active bumper assembly of claim 30, wherein the bumper comprises an energy absorbing material.

33. The active bumper assembly of claim 32, wherein the energy absorbing material is an aluminum lattice.

34. The active bumper assembly of claim 31, wherein the bumper is resettable from the second position to the first position after activation to the second position.