Bumper beam with crush initiating apertures

A bumper system for vehicles comprising:

• a tubular beam having front, top, bottom, and rear walls defining at least one tube;
• and
• a pair of mounting brackets attached to the beam near associated ends of the beam, the mounting brackets each having an inboard edge and the tubular beam having an end section that begins at a location near the inboard edge and that extends to the associated end of the beam;
• at least one of the front, top, bottom, and rear walls having an aperture forming a crush initiator on the end section, the crush initiator being shaped to selectively reduce a strength of the beam in an area of the crush initiator for controlling corner impact strength, wherein the aperture is formed at a rear edge of at least one of the top and bottom walls, the rear edge forming part of the aperture.

A bumper system for vehicles comprising:

• a tubular beam having front, top, bottom, and rear walls defining at least one tube;
• and
• a pair of mounting brackets attached to the beam near associated ends of the beam, the mounting brackets each having an inboard edge and the tubular beam having an end section that begins at a location near the inboard edge and that extends to the associated end of the beam;
• at least one of the front, top, bottom, and rear walls having an aperture forming a crush initiator on the end section, the crush initiator being shaped to selectively reduce a strength of the beam in an area of the crush initiator for controlling corner impact strength, wherein the aperture is formed at or outboard of the inboard edge of the mounting bracket.

A bumper system for vehicles comprising:

• a tubular beam having front, top, bottom, and rear walls defining at least one tube;
• and
• a pair of mounting brackets attached to the beam near associated ends of the beam, the mounting brackets each having an inboard edge and the tubular beam having an end section that begins at a location near the inboard edge and that extends to the associated end of the beam;
• at least one of the front, top, bottom, and rear walls having an aperture forming a crush initiator on the end section, the crush initiator being shaped to selectively reduce a strength of the beam in an area of the crush initiator for controlling corner impact strength, wherein the aperture is formed at a corner formed by the front and bottom walls.

A bumper system for vehicles comprising:

• a tubular beam having front, top, bottom, and rear walls defining at least one tube;
• and
• a pair of mounting brackets attached to the beam near associated ends of the beam, the mounting brackets each having an inboard edge and the tubular beam having an end section that begins at a location near the inboard edge and that extends to the associated end of the beam;
• at least one of the front, top, bottom, and rear walls having an aperture forming a crush initiator on the end section, the crush initiator being shaped to selectively reduce a strength of the beam in an area of the crush initiator for controlling corner impact strength, wherein the aperture is non-symmetrically and irregularly shaped and includes non-parallel sides.

A bumper system for vehicles comprising:

• a tubular beam having front, top, bottom, and rear walls defining at least one tube;
• and
• a pair of mounting brackets attached to the beam near associated ends of the beam, the mounting brackets each having an inboard edge and the tubular beam having an end section that begins at a location near the inboard edge and that extends to the associated end of the beam;
• at least one of the front, top, bottom, and rear walls having an aperture forming a crush initiator on the end section, the crush initiator being shaped to selectively reduce a strength of the beam in an area of the crush initiator for controlling corner impact strength;
• wherein the aperture is irregularly shaped and includes non-parallel sides that are curvilinearly shaped;
• and
• wherein the aperture causes the associated end section to collapse angularly and rearwardly as a unit upon undergoing a corner impact.

A method comprising steps of:

• providing a tubular beam having front, top, bottom, and rear walls defining at least one tube section;
• attaching mounting brackets to the beam, the beam including end sections that extend in an outboard direction from an inboard edge of the mounting brackets;
• and
• forming crush initiating apertures in the end sections so as to weaken the ends sections for providing a desired corner impact energy absorption.

A bumper system for vehicles comprising:

• a tubular beam having front, top, bottom, and rear walls defining at least one tube;
• and
• a pair of mounting brackets attached to the beam near associated ends of the beam, the mounting brackets each having an inboard edge and the tubular beam having an end section that begins at a location near the inboard edge and that extends to the associated end of the beam;
• at least one of the front, top, bottom, and rear walls having an aperture forming a crush initiator on the end section, the crush initiator being shaped to selectively reduce a strength of the beam in an area of the crush initiator for controlling corner impact strength, wherein the aperture causes the associated end section to collapse angularly and rearwardly as a unit upon undergoing a corner impact.