# US 7,607,720 B2 · Pedestrian protection apparatus for vehicle

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- Number: US 7,607,720 B2
- Document ID: US7607720B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/121,897
- Filed: 2008-05-16
- Published: 2008-09-11
- Granted: 2009-10-27
- Earliest claimed: 2006-06-14
- Assignees: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Keisuke Noyori; Kuniaki Hasegawa; Yoshihiro Ogura; Masanobu Fukukawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7607720B2

## CPC

- B60R 19/12: vertically spaced
- B60R 21/34: Protecting non-occupants of a vehicle, e.g. pedestrians {(B60R19/02 takes precedence)}
- B60R 2019/184: {Blow moulded}
- B60R 2021/0053: {Legs}
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A pedestrian protection apparatus for a vehicle, including: a plate member, which includes front and rear portions, and which is fixed at the rear portion to the vehicle; and at least one reinforcing bead each formed integrally on the front portion of the plate member and each including a bead-extending portion and a bead-end portion which extends integrally from a rear-side edge of the bead-extending portion for connecting the rear-side edge and the rear portion of the plate member, the apparatus being arranged to sweep a leg portion of a pedestrian that has collided with the front of the vehicle by contact of a front end of the plate member with the leg portion, thereby protecting the leg portion, wherein a connecting portion between the bead-end portion and the rear portion of the plate member is gently curved without being folded.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A pedestrian protection apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: a plate member which is disposed at a lower part of a front of the vehicle so as to extend in a frontward and backward direction of the vehicle, which includes a front portion and a rear portion, and which is fixed at the rear portion to the vehicle; and at least one reinforcing bead each formed integrally on the front portion of the plate member to form a channel-like configuration that alternatingly opens only upward or downward, and each including a bead-extending portion which extends in the frontward and backward direction of the vehicle and a bead-end portion which has a plate-like configuration and which extends integrally from a rear-side edge of the bead-extending portion for connecting the rear-side edge of the bead-extending portion and the rear portion of the plate member, the apparatus being arranged to sweep a leg portion of a pedestrian that has collided with the front of the vehicle by contact of a front end of the plate member with the leg portion of the pedestrian, thereby protecting the leg portion of the pedestrian,
wherein a connecting portion between the bead-end portion of each of the at least one reinforcing bead and the rear portion of the plate member is gently curved.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bead-end portion of each of the at least one reinforcing bead is an inclined flat plate or an inclined curved plate extending from the rear-side edge of the bead-extending portion toward the rear portion of the plate member.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a boundary portion between the bead-extending portion and the bead-end portion of each of the at least one reinforcing bead is gently curved.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least one reinforcing bead further includes, at a forward end thereof, a forward wall portion which is formed integrally with the bead-extending portion of a corresponding one of the at least one reinforcing bead, which has a front surface extending in a vertical direction, and which constitutes at least a part of the front end of the plate member.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a length of the bead extending portion in the frontward and backward direction of the vehicle is greater than the width thereof in the leftward and rightward direction of the vehicle.