Abstract: A bumper system includes a high-strength metal B-shaped beam with miter-cut end sections, a front center energy absorber, and a pair of energy-absorbing end pieces that nestingly engage front outer ends of the beam. By this arrangement, the bumper system with energy absorbers forms an impact system capable of providing good corner impact resistance. The energy-absorbing end pieces act as a low-cost and lightweight extension to the beam, and absorb energy so as to lessen intrusion and decrease the energy that is transmitted into the frame rails of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle bumper system includes a beam, and an energy absorber with top and bottom horizontal sections and a mid-horizontal section. The horizontal sections form top and bottom nose portions that are semi-rigid but initially collapsible with a parallelogram motion that shifts the top and bottom portions vertically up (or down) upon impact. Horizontal impact forces are converted in part to vertical forces during an initial stroke of a frontal impact, “catching” an impacted human being. Then during a further continuing impact stroke, the top and bottom horizontal sections provide a “throwing” action. End sections of the energy absorber extend around ends of a bumper beam, forming a collapsible corner that, during impact, initially absorbs energy at a low rate to “catch” a person, and then develops increasing lateral forces that “throw” the person during a continuing impact stroke.

Abstract: A hybrid bumper system includes a polymeric reinforcement beam with end sections and structural covers attached to the ends sections to considerably strengthen the end sections. Bracketry stably supports the reinforcement beam on a vehicle frame. A fascia covers at least part of the reinforcement beam but leaves a portion of the structural covers in a visible position. The structural covers are treated for aesthetics, such as by painting, chroming, or other surface treatment. In one aspect, the beam includes a molded polymeric beam component, structural L-shaped covers attached to its end sections, and a tie bar along it rear side that stiffens and rigidifies a center of the polymeric beam component. In another aspect, a tow bar or rail-to-rail metal reinforcement beam front system (or rear with tow bar) is incorporated.

Abstract: A vehicle bumper system includes a beam, and an energy absorber with top and bottom horizontal sections and a mid-horizontal section. The horizontal sections form top and bottom nose portions that are semi-rigid but initially collapsible with a parallelogram motion that shifts the top and bottom portions vertically up (or down) upon-impact. Horizontal impact forces are converted in part to vertical forces during an initial stroke of a frontal impact, “catching” an impacted human being. Then during a further continuing impact stroke, the top and bottom horizontal sections provide a “throwing” action. End sections of the energy absorber extend around ends of a bumper beam, forming a collapsible corner that, during impact, initially absorbs energy at a low rate to “catch” a person, and then develops increasing lateral forces that “throw” the person during a continuing impact stroke.

Abstract: A bumper system includes a tubular beam and a thermoformed energy absorber with crush boxes formed into a base flange, such as by vacuum or thermal forming processes. The crush boxes have planar energy-absorbing sidewalls a depth of about 10 mm to 35 mm, wall thicknesses of about 1 mm to 3 mm, and are formed from polyethylene or other thermoform materials having a memory. The base flange can include thermoformed features engaging recesses in the beam, and is combinable with injection-molded or foam energy absorbers for design flexibility. In one form, the energy absorber includes a thermoformed first sheet forming crush boxes and a second sheet bonded to the first sheet to define apertured air pockets. Related methods of manufacture and impacting are also included.

Abstract: A vehicle bumper system includes a beam, and an energy absorber with top and bottom horizontal sections and a mid-horizontal section. The horizontal sections form top and bottom nose portions that are semi-rigid but initially collapsible with a parallelogram motion that shifts the top and bottom portions vertically up (or down) upon impact. Horizontal impact forces are converted in part to vertical forces during an initial stroke of a frontal impact, “catching” an impacted human being. Then during a further continuing impact stroke, the top and bottom horizontal sections provide a “throwing” action. End sections of the energy absorber extend around ends of a bumper beam, forming a collapsible corner that, during impact, initially absorbs energy at a low rate to “catch” a person, and then develops increasing lateral forces that “throw” the person during a continuing impact stroke.

Abstract: A tubular bumper beam includes mounts for mounting to a vehicle frame and a crush cone in front of each mount. Each crush cone includes a flange engaging a front wall of the beam and includes a tube section extending through the front wall into engagement with a rear wall of the beam. A thermoformed energy absorber includes ridges engaging horizontal channels in the face and recesses receiving the flanges of the crush cones. The energy absorber is thermoformed to include crush boxes. At least two crush boxes include adjacent side walls having root sections bonded together near their base walls for increased strength. This is accomplished by scriving and cutting back a leading edge of one of the blade-shaped protrusions, such that the scrived leading edge leaves the root regions exposed so that the root regions bond together while the plastic material is hot.

Abstract: A vehicle bumper system includes a beam and a thermoformed energy absorber positioned on a face of the beam. The thermoformed energy absorber has a plurality of elongated crush boxes thermoformed from a base flange. Crush boxes near a center of the beam are up to about three inches deep, and as a result have side walls that are stretched when thermoformed, while crush boxes near ends of the beam are much shorter and hence not as thin. As a result, the center area has a softer impact intended to reduce pedestrian injury during impact.

Abstract: A bumper system includes a bumper beam having a face and ends, and an energy absorber mounted on the face. The energy absorber has a one-piece injection-molded non-foam piece with box sections and interconnecting straps, and a one-piece or multi-piece foam component securely insert-molded onto the injection-molded non-foam piece. Different foam molds can be used to form differently shaped front surfaces on the foam component. By this arrangement, different energy absorbing systems are provided for vehicles, such as to satisfy the need for different styling and shapes, while still using the same non-foam piece. By this arrangement, the energy absorber is a single unit that can be handled and attached to the bumper beam. At the same time, capital investment in molding dies and tooling is reduced.

Abstract: A bumper system includes a bumper beam having a face and ends, and an energy absorber mounted on the face. The energy absorber has a one-piece injection-molded non-foam piece with box sections and interconnecting straps, and a one-piece or multi-piece foam component securely insert-molded onto the injection-molded non-foam piece. Different foam molds can be used to form differently shaped front surfaces on the foam component. By this arrangement, different energy absorbing systems are provided for vehicles, such as to satisfy the need for different styling and shapes, while still using the same non-foam piece. By this arrangement, the energy absorber is a single unit that can be handled and attached to the bumper beam. At the same time, capital investment in molding dies and tooling is reduced.

Abstract: A bumper system for a vehicle comprises a beam having a face and having mounts adapted for mounting to a vehicle frame, and an energy absorber engaging the face and having end sections located outboard of ends of the beam, the energy absorber being made of a structural engineering polymeric material and the end sections having flat top surfaces for forming steps outboard of the ends of the beam.

Abstract: An integrated one-piece polymeric molded component includes an energy-absorbing section, a fascia-supporting beam section, and a plurality of connecting section connecting the energy-absorbing and fascia-supporting beam sections. The energy-absorbing section engages a front of a bumper beam and includes crush boxes configured to absorb impact energy during a vehicle crash. The connecting sections are strong enough to hold the energy-absorbing section and the fascia-supporting beam section together during assembly of the one-piece component onto a vehicle, but are flexible to allow collapse of the energy-absorbing section during a vehicle crash without damaging the fascia-supporting beam section. The beam section is channel-shaped and extends cross-car generally between headlamps of the vehicle, for providing added support structure to a front-end of the vehicle. The beam section includes air-redirecting ridges for optimal air flow and integral clips for wire management.

Abstract: An energy-absorbing system includes a tube made of a continuous polymeric material. The tube has first and second tube sections connected by an intermediate tube section. By this arrangement, upon the bumper system receiving a longitudinal impact, the first and second tube sections telescopingly collapse with a predictable and consistent rolling collapse.

Abstract: Standardized bumper testing includes a barrier adapted for testing vehicle bumper impact strength and engagement. The present improvement includes first and/or second thermoformed components attached to the barrier to replicate a profile and crush characteristics of a “generic” vehicle bumper. The first face component is an energy absorbing component with crush boxes for impact absorption, and replicates an energy absorber. The second component covers the first component and replicates a fascia.

Abstract: A tubular bumper beam includes mounts for mounting to a vehicle frame and a crush cone in front of each mount. Each crush cone includes a flange engaging a front wall of the beam and includes a tube section extending through the front wall into engagement with a rear wall of the beam. A thermoformed energy absorber includes ridges engaging horizontal channels in the face and recesses receiving the flanges of the crush cones. The energy absorber is thermoformed to include crush boxes. At least two crush boxes include adjacent side walls having root sections bonded together near their base walls for increased strength. This is accomplished by scriving and cutting back a leading edge of one of the blade-shaped protrusions, such that the scrived leading edge leaves the root regions exposed so that the root regions bond together while the plastic material is hot.

Abstract: A bumper system includes a beam having mounts adapted for mounting the beam to a vehicle, and a thermoformed energy absorber positioned on a face of the beam for distributing impact energy prior to deformation of the beam. The bumper system further includes a fascia support having a first section with a rear concave surface matably engaging a front surface of the energy absorber and a second section with fascia attachment structure adapted for securing a fascia to the fascia support in a supported position. By constructing different fascia supports, different fascia can be supported on the same beam and energy absorber combination, thus saving tooling costs and reducing the number of different parts that must be inventoried.

Abstract: A structural beam includes a polymeric beam section and a reinforcer comprising a pattern of stranded wires of high strength steel that selectively reinforces and stiffens the beam section for increased strength. The reinforcer can be positioned integrally within the beam, or attached to a rear of the beam where the beam has a rearwardly open section, or attached to a front of the beam such as to stiffen the front of the beam.

Abstract: A bumper system includes a “W” or “C” shaped beam having a back wall and mounts along the back wall adapted for attaching the beam to rails of a vehicle frame. An energy absorber engages a face of the beam and has rearwardly-extending energy-absorbing sections that extend through the face into contact with the back wall at each of the mounts for improved energy absorption. The horizontal walls of the beam have front and rear sections that align, but also have a U-shaped intermediate section that weakens the walls for promoting a more uniform and predictable collapse. A one-piece brace includes diagonal straps that hold free ends of top and bottom walls together to prevent premature spreading apart upon impact. The energy absorber includes energy-absorbing sections that extend past the straps to detentingly engage the intermediate sections of the beam.

Abstract: A bumper system includes a high-strength metal B-shaped beam with miter-cut end sections, a front center energy absorber, and a pair of energy-absorbing end pieces that nestingly engage front outer ends of the beam. By this arrangement, the bumper system with energy absorbers forms an impact system capable of providing good corner impact resistance. The energy-absorbing end pieces act as a low-cost and lightweight extension to the beam, and absorb energy so as to lessen intrusion and decrease the energy that is transmitted into the frame rails of the vehicle.

Abstract: A bumper system comprising a metal tubular beam, an energy absorber and mounts. The metal tubular beam has a center section having front, rear, top, and bottom walls. The energy absorber includes a rail having a rear surface with a rearwardly-facing C-shaped recess mateably receiving the tubular beam therein, with the energy absorber being configured to crush and absorb impact energy prior to collapse of the tubular beam. The mounts engage a rear of the metal tubular beam.