# US 10,118,578 B2 · Bumper beam for automobile, method for manufacturing bumper beam, and structure for mounting bumper beam in vehicle body

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- Number: US 10,118,578 B2
- Document ID: US10118578B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/226,589
- Filed: 2016-08-02
- Published: 2017-02-09
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-08-03
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Tomoya Yabu; Shigeto Yasuhara; Tadayuki Uchida; Akira Hojo; Masakazu Kashiwagi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118578B2

## CPC

- B60R 19/03: characterised by material, e.g. composite (B60R19/18 takes precedence)
- B29C 45/14786: {Fibrous material or fibre containing material, e.g. fibre mats or fibre reinforced material}
- B60R 19/18: {characterised by the cross-section;} Means within the bumper to absorb impact
- B29L 2031/3044: {Bumpers}
- B60R 2019/1833: {made of plastic material}
- B60R 2019/247: {Fastening of bumpers' side ends}
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES

## Abstract

A bumper beam body 13 and upper and lower parts of a flange portion 22 each contain a continuous fiber reinforced polymer layer 20, and a first flange tip portion 22a made of thermoplastic resin that has an L-shaped cross section extending outward in a vertical direction and then curving outward in a vehicle rear-front direction is connected to edges of the flange portion 22. Thereby, even when continuous fibers and matrix resin of the continuous fiber reinforced polymer layer 20 stick out from the edges of the flange portion 22 as flash, this flash can be covered with the first flange tip portion 22a.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for manufacturing a bumper beam which comprises: the bumper beam a bumper beam body that has an elongated body disposed along the vehicle widthwise direction and a U-shaped cross section an inside of which is opened toward a vehicle inner side in a vehicle rear-front direction, an upper edge and a lower edge of the U-shaped cross section extending outward from the bumper beam body, thereby forming a flange portion, said bumper beam body and said flange portion thereof each containing a continuous fiber reinforced polymer layer; and a first flange tip portion that is made of thermoplastic resin and provided to the upper edge and the lower edge of the flange portion such that the first flange tip portion covers the upper edge and the lower edge, the first flange tip portion extending from the upper edge or the lower edge outward in a vertical direction and then curving outward in the vehicle rear-front direction, thereby forming an L-shaped cross section, the method comprising:
a first step of hot pressing a prepreg in a press-molding die and thereby molding the prepreg in a shape of said bumper beam body and said flange portion in a manner that leaves a space shaped in said first flange tip portion at a position along the upper and lower edges of said flange portion in the press-molding die; and
a second step of injecting thermoplastic resin in the space formed in said press-molding die and thereby molding said first flange tip portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
a third step of forming a mounting hole in said flange portion after said second step; and
a fourth step of fixing a collar in said mounting hole by press fitting or riveting.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein
in said first step, said prepreg is made of a discontinuous fiber prepreg and a continuous fiber prepreg stacked one on top of the other, and
a clearance between molding faces of a female die and a male die of said press-molding die at a boundary between said bumper beam body and said flange portion is larger than the clearance in other parts.

### Claim 4

A structure for mounting a bumper beam to a vehicle body, the structure comprising:
a mounting hole formed at the flange portion of the bumper beam which comprises: a bumper beam body that has an elongated body disposed along the vehicle widthwise direction and a U-shaped cross section an inside of which is opened toward a vehicle inner side in a vehicle rear-front direction, an upper edge and a lower edge of the U-shaped cross section extending outward from the bumper beam body, thereby forming a flange portion, said bumper beam body and said flange portion thereof each containing a continuous fiber reinforced polymer layer; and a first flange tip portion that is made of thermoplastic resin and provided to the upper edge and the lower edge of the flange portion such that the first flange tip portion covers the upper edge and the lower edge, the first flange tip portion extending from the upper edge or the lower edge outward in a vertical direction and then curving outward in the vehicle rear-front direction, thereby forming an L-shaped cross section;
a body frame member of the vehicle body;
a flanged collar integrally having a collar flange that is fitted in the mounting hole of said flange portion of the bumper beam from the vehicle inner side in the vehicle rear-front direction;
a flanged bolt integrally having a bolt flange that is caused to penetrate said flanged collar from a vehicle outer side in the vehicle rear-front direction and fastened to said body frame member; and
an elastic member interposed between said bolt flange of said flanged bolt and said flange portion of said bumper beam on the vehicle outer side in the rear-front direction.