Bumper assembly including resettable energy absorber
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsS. M. Iskander Farooq, Mohammad Omar Faruque, Dean M. Jaradi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle includes a vehicle frame and a bumper. The vehicle frame includes a frame-rail end. The frame-rail end has a vehicle-forward end and a bore at the vehicle-forward end. The vehicle includes a resettable energy absorber supporting the bumper at the vehicle-forward end of the frame-rail end. The resettable energy absorber is moveable with the bumper relative to the frame-rail end between an extended position and a compressed position. The resettable energy absorber extends into the bore of the frame-rail end from the extended position to the compressed position.
Claims20
A vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle frame having a frame-rail end, the frame-rail end having a vehicle-forward end and a bore at the vehicle-forward end;
- a bumper;
- and
- a resettable energy absorber supporting the bumper at the vehicle-forward end of the frame-rail end, the resettable energy absorber being moveable with the bumper relative to the frame-rail end between an extended position and a compressed position, the resettable energy absorber extending into the bore of the frame-rail end from the extended position to the compressed position;
- the energy absorber includes a plate fixed to the frame-rail end, a stud fixed to the bumper and slidably extending through the plate, and a spring on the stud between the bumper and the plate;
- and
- a head on the stud between the plate and the frame-rail end.
A vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle frame having a frame-rail end, the frame-rail end having a vehicle-forward end and a bore at the vehicle-forward end;
- a bumper;
- a resettable energy absorber supporting the bumper at the vehicle-forward end of the frame-rail end, the resettable energy absorber being moveable with the bumper relative to the frame-rail end between an extended position and a compressed position, the resettable energy absorber extending into the bore of the frame-rail end from the extended position to the compressed position;
- the energy absorber including a plate fixed to the frame-rail end, a plurality of studs fixed to the bumper and slidably extending through the plate, and a spring on each stud between the bumper and the plate;
- and
- fasteners connecting the plate to the frame-rail end, the fasteners being spaced from each other on the plate in a pattern having an outer boundary, the studs extending through the plate inside the outer boundary of the pattern.
A vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle frame having a frame-rail end, the frame-rail end having a vehicle-forward end and a bore at the vehicle-forward end;
- a bumper;
- a resettable energy absorber supporting the bumper at the vehicle-forward end of the frame-rail end, the resettable energy absorber being moveable with the bumper relative to the frame-rail end between an extended position and a compressed position, the resettable energy absorber extending into the bore of the frame-rail end from the extended position to the compressed position;
- the energy absorber including a plate fixed to the frame-rail end, a plurality of studs fixed to the bumper and slidably extending through the plate, and a spring on each stud between the bumper and the plate;
- the frame-rail end including a base elongated along a vehicle-longitudinal axis and a flange extending radially from the base;
- and
- fasteners connecting the plate to the flange.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.