Integrated bumper energy absorber and fascia support component

In an end-forming component for a motor vehicle, the component having an energy-absorbing section and a fascia-supporting beam section, the energy-absorbing section being adapted to engage a face of a reinforcement beam and absorb energy upon a vehicle crash, and the beam section being adapted to support a vehicle fascia for aesthetics, an improvement comprising:

• at least one connecting section connecting the energy-absorbing section to the fascia-supporting beam section and being formed from material extending integrally and continuously from the energy-absorbing section and the beam section;
• the at least one connecting section retaining the energy-absorbing section and the fascia-supporting beam section together during assembly of the one-piece component onto a vehicle, but being flexible in a horizontal direction to allow movement and collapse of the energy-absorbing section during the vehicle crash without forcing concurrent movement of the fascia-supporting beam section and without causing undesired damage to other vehicle components, wherein the at least one connecting section has at least one back-and-forth bent resilient section.

In an end-forming component for a motor vehicle, the component having an energy-absorbing section and a fascia-supporting beam section, the energy-absorbing section being adapted to engage a face of a reinforcement beam and absorb energy upon a vehicle crash, and the beam section being adapted to support a vehicle fascia for aesthetics, an improvement comprising:

• at least one connecting section connecting the energy-absorbing section to the fascia-supporting beam section and being formed from material extending integrally and continuously from the energy-absorbing section and the beam section;
• the at least one connecting section retaining the energy-absorbing section and the fascia-supporting beam section together during assembly of the one-piece component onto a vehicle, but being flexible in a horizontal direction to allow movement and collapse of the energy-absorbing section during the vehicle crash without forcing concurrent movement of the fascia-supporting beam section and without causing undesired damage to other vehicle components, wherein the energy-absorbing section includes anti-rattle tabs configured and adapted to frictionally engage top and bottom walls of the reinforcement beam.

In a motor vehicle having a polymeric molded component including a lower section adapted to absorb energy upon a vehicle crash to reduce vehicle damage and passenger injury, and including an upper section for supporting fascia above and around the lower section, an improvement comprising:

• a polymeric connecting section connecting the upper and lower sections to facilitate simultaneous assembly to the motor vehicle but that is flexible and vertically extensible to allow the lower section to stroke with a reinforcement beam during the vehicle crash while the upper section remains relatively stationary on the vehicle, such that the vehicle fascia and other vehicle front or rear-end components undergoes less damage during the vehicle crash.

A method of assembling an energy-absorbing section and a fascia-supporting beam section to a vehicle front or rear-end, including positioning the energy-absorbing section on a reinforcement beam and positioning fascia on the fascia-supporting beam section, the method comprising steps of:

• connecting the energy-absorbing section to the fascia-supporting beam section using connecting sections made with material integral and continuous to the energy-absorbing and fascia-supporting beam sections;
• the connecting sections being configured to and adapted to support the energy-absorbing section under the fascia-supporting beam section for handling as
• a one-piece component during assembly, but being vertically extensible and configured to flex after assembly to minimize transmission of vibration from the bumper beam to the energy-absorbing section.