Breakaway vehicle fender device

• US 9,403,557 B1
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manoj Sharma
• Original Assignee: Manoj Sharma
• Inventors: Sharma, Manoj
• Primary Examiner(s): Lyjak, Lori L
• Application Number:
  US14/563,684
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 15/0053 Seam welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/04 Steel or steel alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/18 Dissimilar materials
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/30 of three-dimensional seams
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/16 Mud-guards or wings; Wheel cover panels equipped with means for freeing wheels or tyres from foreign matter B60S
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 29/007 predominantly of special steel or specially treated steel, e.g. stainless steel or locally surface hardened steel
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 1/06 Surface hardening

Abstract

A breakaway vehicle fender device including a fender frame having an outer fender frame portion and a frangible inner fender frame portion disposed at an overlap and joined at a welded joint. The inner fender frame portion includes a heat treated inner section and a non-heat treated circumferential outer edge. The inner fender frame portion includes a plurality of breakaway crevices disposed in a vertically oriented row. The inner fender frame portion is disposed between a vehicle door and the outer fender frame portion and is configured to bend or fracture in response to a force by a user upon the vehicle door.

Claims

1. A breakaway vehicle fender device comprising:

a fender frame having an outer fender frame portion and a frangible inner fender frame portion;

the inner fender frame portion configured to breakaway from the outer fender frame portion upon a force by a user.

2. The breakaway vehicle fender device of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of vertically oriented breakaway crevices aligned in a row and disposed upon the inner fender frame portion, wherein each of the breakaway crevices has a depth approximately equivalent to fifty percent of a thickness of the inner fender frame portion;

wherein the first inner fender frame portion is configured to fold at each of the respective breakaway crevices upon a force by a user.

3. The breakaway vehicle fender device of claim 1 wherein each of the outer fender frame portion and the inner fender frame portion are joined at a welded joint.

4. The breakaway vehicle fender device of claim 3 wherein each of the inner fender frame portion and the outer fender frame portion are composed of a mild steel;

the inner fender frame portion including an inner section and a circumferential outer edge;

wherein the inner section is composed of a heat treated frangible mild steel, and the circumferential outer edge is composed of a non-heat treated mild steel.

5. The breakaway vehicle fender device of claim 3 wherein the welded joint is frangible.

6. The breakaway vehicle fender device of claim 3 further comprising:

a plurality of vertically oriented breakaway crevices aligned in a row and disposed upon the inner fender frame portion, wherein each of the breakaway crevices has a depth approximately equivalent to fifty percent of a thickness of the inner fender frame portion;

wherein the first inner fender frame portion is configured to fold at each of the respective breakaway crevices.

7. The breakaway vehicle fender device of claim 4 further comprising:

a plurality of vertically oriented breakaway crevices aligned in a row and disposed upon the inner fender frame portion, wherein each of the breakaway crevices has a depth approximately equivalent to fifty percent of a thickness of the inner fender frame portion;

wherein the first inner fender frame portion is configured to fold at each of the respective breakaway crevices.

8. The breakaway vehicle fender device of claim 4 further wherein the welded joint is configured to be frangible.

9. The breakaway vehicle fender device of claim 4 wherein the inner fender frame portion has a thickness of approximately twenty-five percent less than a thickness of the outer frame portion.

10. The breakaway vehicle fender device of claim 7 wherein the welded joint is configured to be frangible.

11. The breakaway vehicle fender device of claim 10 wherein the inner fender frame portion has a thickness of approximately twenty-five percent less than a thickness of the outer frame portion.

12. A breakaway vehicle fender device comprising:

a vehicle having a fender frame, the fender frame having an outer fender frame portion and a frangible inner fender frame portion, each of the outer fender frame portion and the inner fender frame portion joined at a welded joint, the inner fender frame portion including an inner section and a circumferential outer edge, each of the inner fender frame portion and the outer fender frame portion composed of a mild steel, the inner section composed of a heat treated frangible mild steel, and the circumferential outer edge composed of a non-heat treated mild steel;

wherein the welded joint is configured to be frangible;

wherein the inner fender frame portion has a thickness of approximately twenty-five percent less than a thickness of the outer fender frame portion;

a plurality of vertically oriented breakaway crevices aligned in a row and disposed upon the inner fender frame portion, wherein each of the breakaway crevices has a depth approximately equivalent to fifty percent of a thickness of the inner fender frame portion;

wherein the first inner fender frame portion is configured to bend at each of the respective breakaway crevices upon a force by a user;

wherein the inner section of the inner fender frame portion is configured to fracture upon a force by a user.