High flex bumper with reinforced corner end sections

A bumper construction for vehicles comprising:

• an elongated tubular beam having front, rear, top, and bottom walls that define a cavity, and having a center section and end sections, the beam being high strength to absorb substantial energy on impact;
• mounting brackets attached at ends of the center section, the mounting brackets extending from the rear wall and being configured for attachment to a vehicle frame;
• and
• an energy absorbing system attached to the flexible tubular beam, including a center absorber filling a significant portion of the cavity in the center section to stiffen the center section against buckling collapse, and including end absorbers filling the cavity in a significant portion of the opposing end sections to stiffen the end sections against buckling collapse, an inner surface of the end absorbers being spaced from an associated outer end surface of the center absorber to leave an empty end area in the cavity at the mounting brackets to promote flexibility in an area proximate to the mounting brackets to assist in optimizing energy absorption upon a corner impact on an end of the tubular beam.

A bumper construction for vehicles comprising:

• an elongated tubular beam having front, rear, top, and bottom walls, and having a center section and end sections, the beam being high strength to absorb substantial energy on impact, the tubular beam being elongated and defining a longitudinal direction;
• a mounting bracket attached at each end of the center section, the mounting brackets extending from the rear wall and being configured for attachment to a vehicle frame;
• and
• at least one stiffening bracket attached to each of the mounting brackets, the at least one stiffening bracket including an arm that is elongated in the longitudinal direction and that extends outboard from the mounting bracket, the arm lying closely adjacent one of the top and bottom walls and being attached to the one of the top and bottom walls and further being constructed to rigidify the end sections for corner impact.

A bumper construction for vehicles comprising:

• an elongated tubular beam having front, rear, top, and bottom walls, and having a center section and end sections, the beam being high strength;
• mounting brackets attached at each end of the center section, the mounting brackets extending from the rear wall and being configured for attachment to a vehicle frame;
• and
• top and bottom stiffening brackets attached to each of the mounting brackets and to the end sections outboard of the center section, the top stiffening brackets being attached to the top wall and being constructed to rigidify the end sections for corner impact, the bottom stiffening brackets being attached to the bottom wall and being constructed to also rigidify the end sections for corner impact;
• wherein the top and bottom walls are relatively planar and generally horizontal when in a car-mounted position;
• wherein the at least one stiffening bracket includes a plurality of stiffening brackets where each have an arm welded to one of the top and bottom walls;
• wherein the top and bottom stiffening brackets each include an arm, an attachment flange attached to the mounting bracket, and an intermediate section connecting the attachment flange to the arm;
• the arm extending to a location between the front and rear walls proximate an end of the end section to which the respective arm is attached;
• each arm being MIG welded at discontinuous locations along edges of the arms;
• and
• an energy absorber system attached to the tubular beam, the energy absorber system including a center absorber positioned inside the tubular beam generally in center thereof, an end absorber positioned at least in part inside the tubular beam at an end thereof, and a front absorber attached to a front wall of the tubular beam.

A bumper construction for vehicles comprising:

• an elongated tubular beam having front, rear, top, and bottom walls, and having a center section and end sections, the beam being high strength to absorb substantial energy on impact;
• a mounting bracket attached at each end of the center section inboard of the associated end section, the mounting brackets extending from the rear wall and being configured for attachment to a vehicle frame;
• and
• at least one stiffening bracket attached to each of the mounting brackets, the at least one stiffening bracket including an elongated arm that extends outwardly along the tubular beam and that is attached to the associated end section outboard of the center section, the stiffening brackets being attached to one of the top and bottom walls and being constructed to rigidify the end sections for corner impact;
• and
• an energy absorber system attached to the tubular beam, the energy absorber system including a center absorber positioned inside the tubular beam generally in center thereof, an end absorber positioned at least in part inside the tubular beam at an end thereof, and a front absorber attached to a front wall of the tubular beam.