Increases Vertical Area Of Bumper Patents (Class 293/143)
  • Patent number: 11440486
    Abstract: A system and method including a fastener clip. The fastener clip is configured to attach over a blade on a panel, and the fastener clip is configured to be removably coupled to a slot in a chassis. The fastener clip includes at least a pair of legs extending from a top portion of the fastener clip, at least a pair of feet attached to the pair of legs adjacent the top portion, at least a pair of wings originating from the top portion, at least a pair of barbs extending from the pair of feet, at least a pair of stabilizing shoulder tabs originating from the top portion. The pair of wings is configured to facilitate the removable engagement of the fastener clip to the slot in the chassis. The barbs are configured to dig into and secure the fastener clip to the blade. The pair of shoulder tabs is configured to guide the fastener clip over the blade based at least upon the fastener clip being inserted over the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: TERMAX LLC
    Inventor: Daniel James Dickinson
  • Patent number: 9599181
    Abstract: A shock absorber which can be easily attached and which can reduce the installation space is provided. The shock absorber in accordance with the present invention is characterized by including a front wall to receive shock, a rear wall opposing the front wall, and peripheral walls connecting peripheries of the front wall and the rear wall, and at least one attaching section to attach onto an attaching object is formed to be integral with the rear wall, and shock received by the front wall is propagated via the rear wall to the attaching object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: KYORAKU CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoto Tani, Masao Sodeno, Teruo Tamada
  • Patent number: 9403556
    Abstract: An automotive vehicle includes a wedge fixed by shear connections to a structural member. Upon application of a rearward force, the wedge shears free and moves between the structural member and a wheel assembly where it rotationally displaces a vehicle tire. The rearward force also laterally displaces the body of the vehicle. The wedge is tethered to the structural member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: James C. Cheng, Yijung Chen, Derek Board, Xiaowei Li, Ping Chen, Mohammed Omar Faruque
  • Patent number: 9114768
    Abstract: A bumper reinforcement for a vehicle (also simply referred to as a bumper reinforcement, herein below) 10 in FIG. 1 (a)-(c) is arranged on a front side of a vehicle, and FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view, FIG. 1(b) is an enlarged view of a section taken along IB-IB in FIG. 1(a), and FIG. 1(c) is an enlarged view of a section taken along IC-IC in FIG. 1(a). FIG. 2 is a view that also shows the bumper reinforcement 10, and FIG. 2(a) is a plan view seen from above in a state where the bumper reinforcement 10 is arranged in the vehicle, and FIG. 2(b) is a front view seen from a front side of the vehicle. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a rectangular metal plate material 12, which is a material of the bumper reinforcement 10. In this example, a steel plate for hot press forming is used, which is bent into a given shape by hot press forming, and is given high strength up to tensile strength of 1400 MPa or higher through quench hardening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Toyoda Iron Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 8408636
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a first side member having first lower and upper darts. The motor vehicle also includes a second side member parallel with and spaced apart from the first side member, the second side member having second lower and upper darts. The upper darts are positioned between the lower darts and end portions of the respective first or second side members. The motor vehicle further includes first and second bumper brackets coupled to the end portion of the respective first or second side members, a bumper reinforcement member coupled to the first and second bumper brackets, and a counter rotation bracket coupled to the bumper reinforcement member and extending upwards from the bumper reinforcement member. The lower darts and the upper darts form a preferential buckling zone of the first and the second side members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Maria-Antonius Slaats, Kanichi Saito, Paxton Steven Williams, Joseph Charles Walusek, Sagar Vilas Kulkarni
  • Patent number: 8141918
    Abstract: A pedestrian bumper system and method can include an attachment bumper and an attachment bracket for connecting the attachment bumper to the existing vehicle bumper or existing vehicle frame. The attachment bumper can be configured to conform to the existing vehicle bumper such that the frontal crash mode of the vehicle is substantially unchanged. In addition, the attachment bumper can create a new front surface area that includes an area that is lower than the front area of the existing vehicle bumper. Thus, the bumper system can be configured to contact a pedestrian at a lower location to minimize injury during an accident. The bumper system can also be configured to be easily adapted to existing vehicles by either the consumer or the vehicle manufacturer to take advantage of easily modifying vehicles for different market and/or consumer requirements and tastes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryan Miller, Hirohide Ikeno, Yoshikatsu Takeuchi, Takayuki Sugama
  • Patent number: 8128150
    Abstract: An underrun prevention member for a vehicle bumper beam including a substantially vertical outer side wall faced an area outside the vehicle and a horizontal wall provided so as to be extended substantially horizontally from an end of the outer side wall in a top-bottom direction toward an inside of the vehicle, disposed at a front portion or a rear portion of the vehicle so as to be extended substantially horizontally in a vehicle widthwise direction, and integrally fixed to the bumper beam so as to protrude in the top-bottom direction beyond the horizontal wall to prevent an underrun of the bumper beam under an object outside the vehicle or the object outside the vehicle under the bumper beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Toyoda Iron Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keisuke Kamiya
  • Patent number: 8118346
    Abstract: The supporting piece is intended to be mounted at the end of a motor vehicle side member, this side member including, in the continuation thereof, a plate for mounting a transverse impact beam. The supporting piece includes a bearing surface for an absorber positioned in front of this bearing surface, the bearing surface being arranged in such a way as to extend under the mounting plate and substantially parallel thereto when the supporting piece is mounted at the end of the side member. The supporting piece is shaped in such a way that it does not deform irreversibly when the vehicle suffers an insurance impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Compagnie Plastic Omnium
    Inventors: Stéphane Ginja, Sébastien Charnaux, Hugues Cheron
  • Patent number: 7954866
    Abstract: A bumper beam with gussets is disclosed. The gussets increase engagement with a barrier and prevent underride during a collision. The gussets can be attached to a front and top surface of the bumper beam. The gussets may be offset from the center of the bumper beam and overhang the edge of the beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kevin Barcomb, Warren Alan Day, Nick A. Massaro
  • Patent number: 7611176
    Abstract: A safety bumper system for a high profile vehicle, such as a pick-up truck or sport utility vehicle. The system comprises of a pair of vertical members which are coupled to the frame of a high profile vehicle, proximate one of the bumpers. The members are coupled so that they extend downward sufficiently to contact a bumper of a conventional passenger vehicle in the event of a collision between the high profile vehicle and the passenger vehicle. Impact pads are positioned over the vertical members, and bumper covers may be positioned over the pads. The impact pads may slope outwardly and include a plurality of grooves, in order to assist in preventing a conventional passenger vehicle from sliding upwardly or downwardly along the safety bumper system upon impact with the high profile vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Inventor: David Arnt
  • Patent number: 7604267
    Abstract: A dock bumper for minimizing damage to a back of a vehicle upon contacting a low-lying object may include a generally-rigid shock-absorbing member to be secured adjacent to a back portion of the vehicle. The shock-absorbing member may include a distal surface extended away from the back portion of the vehicle to contact a surface of a loading dock as the vehicle is operated in reverse, and a proximate surface positioned to contact a structural member at the back portion of the vehicle. A modular step may be coupled to the shock-absorbing member to dissipate at least a suitable portion of a force exerted on the step to minimize damage to the structural member contacting the proximate surface of the shock-absorbing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Waltco Truck Equipment Company
    Inventor: Kenneth Rock
  • Publication number: 20080290673
    Abstract: A safety bumper system for a high profile vehicle, such as a pick-up truck or sport utility vehicle. The system comprises of a pair of vertical members which are coupled to the frame of a high profile vehicle, proximate one of the bumpers. The members are coupled so that they extend downward sufficiently to contact a bumper of a conventional passenger vehicle in the event of a collision between the high profile vehicle and the passenger vehicle. Impact pads are positioned over the vertical members, and bumper covers may be positioned over the pads. The impact pads may slope outwardly and include a plurality of grooves, in order to assist in preventing a conventional passenger vehicle from sliding upwardly or downwardly along the safety bumper system upon impact with the high profile vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Inventor: David Arnt
  • Patent number: 6799794
    Abstract: In a front gable portion (13) of a rubber-tired new traffic vehicle (11), an outer bumper (45) is fixed to the exterior of an inner bumper (32) constituting an underframe (33), front beams (47, 48) and side beams (49) are constructed between a roof frame (42) and the outer bumper (45), the front beams (47, 48) are inclined and curved in harmony with the streamlined design of the vehicle (11), and straight portions (47a, 48a) of predetermined lengths are formed in lower end portions of the front beams (47, 48) along a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Mochidome, Yoshinori Mitsui, Naofumi Nagaike, Tatsuaki Hayashida
  • Patent number: 6736435
    Abstract: An approach is provided for minimizing dings and dents on the side of a vehicle. A protective apparatus includes telescopic members attachably engaged on the edges of a door of a vehicle, wherein the height of the apparatus is adjustable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Inventor: Phouphanomketh Ditthavong
  • Patent number: 6318773
    Abstract: A push bar mounting system for mounting a push bar to vehicle's bumper without significant damage to the bumper. The system comprises a front and rear bracket mounted to an inner bumper of the vehicle and having top and bottom mounting tabs that extend away from the inner bumper. The brackets are configured to attach to the inner bumper without drilling mounting holes therein. Additionally, the mounting tabs are configured to extend through a bumper fascia that surrounds the inner bumper. As such, the bottom mounting tab extends through a grille opening in the fascia, and the upper mounting tab extends through a small horizontal opening cut out of the bumper fascia's chrome trim channel. Upon removal of the push bar from the vehicle, the opening cut in the bumper fascia can be covered by replacing the chrome trim that is mounted in the trim channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Inventor: Ron D. Storer
  • Patent number: 6290271
    Abstract: A vehicle having a brush and grill guard fabricated to blend with the contour of the vehicle so that the design features of the vehicle are not compromised. Frame extensions are mounted to the frame and support a pair of vertical support plates. A winch carrier and winch mounted thereon are optionally mounted to the support plates or directly to the vehicle frame. A fascia configured as a compound curve is fitted to the vertical plates and has a removable cover to hide the winch from view when not in use. An exposed edge of the vertical plates and/or the fascia are provided with a protective and visual enhancing elastomer strip molded to the edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Warn Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard J. Geisler
  • Patent number: 6231093
    Abstract: A push bar mounting system for mounting a push bar to vehicle's bumper without significant damage to the bumper. The system comprises a front and rear bracket mounted to an inner bumper of the vehicle and having top and bottom mounting tabs that extend away from the inner bumper. The brackets are configured to attach to the inner bumper without drilling mounting holes therein. Additionally, the mounting tabs are configured to extend through a bumper fascia that surrounds the inner bumper. As such, the bottom mounting tab extends through a grille opening in the fascia, and the upper mounting tab extends through a small horizontal opening cut out of the bumper fascia's chrome trim channel. Upon removal of the push bar from the vehicle, the opening cut in the bumper fascia can be covered by replacing the chrome trim that is mounted in the trim channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Inventor: Ron D. Storer
  • Patent number: 6199924
    Abstract: An impact energy absorption structure for a vehicle, comprises left and right front frames having a closed section; left and right L-shaped stay members connected at a lower end thereof with the left and right front frames respectively and having left and right upper ends projected upward above the left and right front frame; and a bent member curved convexly in the forward direction of the vehicle and transversely connected at left and right ends thereof with the left and right upper ends respectively. The impact energy absorption structure is accommodated within a small space between the front bumper and the front end of the front frame and particularly it is suitable for vehicles having a short front over hang such as one box cars. As a result, at the event of a small collision, the impact energy is absorbed by the deformation of the impact energy absorption structure without operating an air bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Fuji JukogyoKabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takemi Oguri, Takashi Tawarayama, Noboru Takahashi, Akihiro Miyajima
  • Patent number: 6056337
    Abstract: An impact energy absorption structure for a vehicle, comprises left and right front frames having a closed section; left and right L-shaped stay members connected at a lower end thereof with the left and right front frames respectively and having left and right upper ends projected upward above the left and right front frame; and a bent member curved convexly in the forward direction of the vehicle and transversely connected at left and right ends thereof with the left and right upper ends respectively. The impact energy absorption structure is accommodated within a small space between the front bumper and the front end of the front frame and particularly it is suitable for vehicles having a short front over hang such as one box cars. As a result, at the event of a small collision, the impact energy is absorbed by the deformation of the impact energy absorption structure without operating an air bag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takemi Oguri, Takashi Tawarayama, Noboru Takahashi, Akihiro Miyajima
  • Patent number: 5988714
    Abstract: A bumper fascia is provided for a vehicle having head lamps and an armature positioned under the head lamps. Over the whole width of the vehicle, the bumper fascia is arranged along respective lower edges of the head lamps. Each head lamp includes a lamp housing and a lamp lens. The bumper fascia includes an upper and rear end portion and extensions formed in a part of the upper and rear end portion so as to extend up to an attachment part where the lamp lenses are connected to the lamp housings. In assembly, the extensions are mounted on the armature. Owing to the extensions formed on the underside of the lamp lenses, it is unnecessary to paint the under face of each lamp lens black. Since a top of the armature is hidden by the extensions, it is also unnecessary to paint the armature black.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Munehiko Akazawa, Yusuke Noda
  • Patent number: 5531478
    Abstract: A spider web clearing device for clearing spider webs from the path of an all-terrain vehicle. The spider web clearing device includes a flexible elongated member having an upper end and a lower end, wherein one end defines a distal end that is free to flex. A prong member is disposed on the upper end of the elongated member and an attachment assembly is carried by the lower end of the elongated member for mounting the elongated member to the bumper of an ATV. A stop member is carried by a clamp assembly in order to reduce whipping motion induced by impact of branches on the spider web clearing device. The spider web clearing device is mounted on the ATV in a manner that places the elongated member forward of the rider. In one embodiment, a single spider web clearing device is mounted proximate the center of the front bumper. However, in the preferred embodiment, a spider web clearing device is mounted on each end of the bumper or rack at the front of the ATV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Inventors: Rocky J. Houston, Clifford L. Houston
  • Patent number: 5277465
    Abstract: A grill guard which can be adapted to different vehicles includes a pair of horizontal tubes fastened to a pair of vertical side plates. The side plates are attached to the bumper of a vehicle by an L-shaped bracket attached to the lower end of each side plate, a triangular plate attached near the middle of each side plate, and an L-shaped bracket connecting each triangular plate to the bumper. Each side plate has a plurality of regularly shaped holes along the rear edge thereof for adjusting the vertical spacing of the triangular plate from the lower L-shaped bracket. A dog fastens the tubes to the side plates at each intersection thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1994
    Assignee: Quality S Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventor: Dennis E. Weir
  • Patent number: 4667995
    Abstract: A bumper guard-headlamp assembly including a body affixed to a vehicle bumper to which a headlamp is secured having a first surface which extends horizontally further from the bumper than the headlamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1987
    Assignee: Per-Lux Inc.
    Inventor: Firle J. Wilkins
  • Patent number: 4397490
    Abstract: A vehicle bumper that incorporates a "C" section face bar attached to a truss-formed backplate to achieve a box section construction. The face bar, although a conventional "C" section, has more nearly horizontal upper and lower shelves combined with a reduced frontal face height to offer, when further combined with the backplate, a nearly square box beam. Functional height is extended beyond the beam section with a plurality of strategically located underride stops drawn from the lower shelf. These stops provide low pendulum impact performance at minimal weight while facilitating forming of the bumper beam ends. The stops preferably are concealed with a flexible shield which provides conventional appearance in addition to opportunities of cost, weight, airflow and model appearance differentiation when replacing separate air deflectors and sight shields. The bumper assembly configuration provides a highly weight efficient section modulus, improved torsional stiffness and improved dent resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1983
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: William J. Evans, Charles Haddad