DE-102025145383-A1 - Bumper with non-linear spring

DE102025145383A1DE 102025145383 A1DE102025145383 A1DE 102025145383A1DE-102025145383-A1

Abstract

A vehicle includes a vehicle frame with a frame rail end. The frame rail end has a frontal and a rearward surface. The vehicle includes a bumper located in front of the frame rail end relative to the vehicle. A rod supports the bumper at the frame rail end. The rod is fixed to the bumper and extends slidably through the frontal and rearward surfaces of the frame rail end. A head is fixed to the rod and is held behind the rearward surface of the frame rail end relative to the vehicle. A spring is located on the rod. The spring has a progressive nonlinear spring rate.

Inventors

Mohammed Omar Faruque
S.M. Iskander FAROOQ

Assignees

FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20251104
Priority Date: 20241113

Claims (15)

Vehicle comprising: a vehicle frame having a frame member end, the frame member end having a vehicle-forward end and a vehicle-rear end; a bumper, located forward of the vehicle in front of the frame member end; a rod supporting the bumper on the frame member end, the rod being fixed to the bumper and slidably extending through the vehicle-forward and vehicle-rear surfaces of the frame member end; a head fixed to the rod and held by the frame member end behind the vehicle-rear surface in relation to the vehicle; and a spring on the rod, the spring having a progressive nonlinear spring rate.
Vehicle after Claim 1 , wherein the bumper is movable rearward from an extended position towards the end of the frame support relative to the vehicle, wherein the spring is loaded in the extended position between the vehicle frame and the bumper.
Vehicle after Claim 2 , wherein the spring is elastically compressible between the frame support end and the bumper.
Vehicle after Claim 1 , wherein the frame member end includes a base elongated along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and a flange extending radially from the base, and the flange includes the vehicle-forward surface and the vehicle-rear surface.
vehicle after one of the Claims 1 - 4 , wherein the spring comprises a front collar engaging with the rod adjacent to the bumper, a rear collar spaced apart from the rear collar along an axis of the rod and engaging with the rod adjacent to the frame member end, and a plurality of arcs extending from the front collar to the rear collar and fixed to the front collar and the rear collar.
Vehicle after Claim 5 , wherein the front collar is in slidable engagement with the bar and the rear collar is in slidable engagement with the bar.
Vehicle after Claim 5 , wherein the front collar is cylindrical and the rear collar is cylindrical, wherein the arcs are positioned circumferentially around the front collar and the rear collar and are elongated along the axis of the rod.
Vehicle after Claim 5 , whereby the arches between the front collar and the back collar bend outwards away from the bar.
Vehicle after Claim 5 , wherein the arches are designed to bend elastically during a pedestrian impact test, and the arches are designed to deform plastically during a frontal impact test.
vehicle after one of the Claims 1 - 4 , where the spring is a conical helical spring.
Vehicle after Claim 10 , with the conical coil spring wrapped around the rod.
vehicle after one of the Claims 1 - 4 , furthermore comprising a locking mechanism which detachably connects the rod to the frame support end.
Vehicle after Claim 12 , wherein the locking mechanism is rotatably connected to the vehicle-forward surface of the frame carrier end, wherein the locking mechanism is in releasable engagement with the rod behind the vehicle-rear surface.
Vehicle after Claim 13 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a front section rotatably connected to the vehicle-forward surface, a rear section located behind the vehicle-rear surface, an intermediate section extending from the front section to the rear section, and a weight movable forward on the intermediate section relative to the vehicle.
Vehicle after Claim 12 , wherein the locking mechanism consists of a locked position in which the rod is connected to the frame support end, and an unlocked position which is determined by the The rod and/or the frame support end is separated and is driven by inertia.

Description

AREA OF TECHNOLOGY This revelation concerns a vehicle bumper. GENERAL STATE OF THE ART The Global Technology Regulation (GTR) and the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) establish criteria for protecting pedestrians from leg injuries. These regulations aim to reduce the impact force of a vehicle bumper on a pedestrian's legs during a vehicle-pedestrian collision. In addition, there are standardized tests, including those conducted by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), for a frontal impact. Some vehicles, such as light commercial vehicles and SUVs, may have bumper heights that could result in uneven impact of the vehicle bumper on the pedestrian's femur and/or tibia during a vehicle-pedestrian collision. For example, light commercial vehicles may have bumper heights to provide ground clearance for driving over speed bumps, curbs, parking blocks, ramps, hills, rough roads, and so on. Some vehicles with such bumper heights also have off-road capabilities, which precludes the presence of components below the bumper. Therefore, there is an opportunity to design a vehicle's front end to manage the energy of an impact on a pedestrian's leg while simultaneously meeting ground clearance requirements. SUMMARY According to the present invention, a vehicle is provided comprising: a vehicle frame having a frame member end, wherein the frame member end has a vehicle-forward surface and a vehicle-rear surface; a bumper located in front of the frame member end with respect to the vehicle; a rod supporting the bumper on the frame member end, wherein the rod is fixed to the bumper and extends slidably through the vehicle-forward surface and the vehicle-rear surface of the frame member end; a head fixed to the rod and held behind the vehicle-rear surface by the frame member end with respect to the vehicle; and a spring on the rod, wherein the spring has a progressive non-linear spring rate. According to one embodiment, the bumper is movable rearward from an extended position towards the end of the frame support relative to the vehicle, with the spring being loaded in the extended position between the vehicle frame and the bumper. According to one embodiment, the spring is elastically compressible between the frame support end and the bumper. According to one embodiment, the spring includes a front collar that engages with the rod adjacent to the bumper, a rear collar that is spaced apart from the rear collar along an axis of the rod and engages with the rod adjacent to the frame support end, and a plurality of arcs extending from the front collar to the rear collar and fixed to the front collar and the rear collar. According to one embodiment, the arcs are elongated along the axis of the rod. According to one embodiment, the front collar is in slidable engagement with the rod and the rear collar is in slidable engagement with the rod. According to one embodiment, the front collar rests against the bumper and the rear collar rests against the end of the frame support. According to one embodiment, the front collar is cylindrical and the rear collar is cylindrical, with the arcs positioned circumferentially around the front collar and the rear collar. According to one embodiment, the arcs between the front collar and the rear collar bend outwards away from the rod. According to one embodiment, the arches are designed to bend elastically during a pedestrian impact test, and the arches are designed to deform plastically during a frontal impact test. According to one embodiment, the spring is a conical helical spring. According to one embodiment, the conical helical spring is wound around the rod. According to one embodiment, the conical coil spring rests against the bumper and the end of the frame support. According to one embodiment, the invention is further characterized by a locking mechanism which detachably connects the rod to the frame support end. According to one embodiment, the locking mechanism is rotatably connected to the vehicle-forward surface of the frame support end, with the locking mechanism being in releasable engagement with the rod behind the vehicle-rear surface. According to one embodiment, the locking mechanism includes a front section rotatably connected to the vehicle's forward surface, a rear section located behind the vehicle's rear surface relative to the vehicle, an intermediate section extending from the front section to the rear section, and a weight that can be moved forward on the intermediate section relative to the vehicle. According to one embodiment, the invention is further characterized by a plate which is fixed to the rod and is in releasable engagement with the locking mechanism. According to one embodiment, the locking mechanism is driven by inertia from a locked position, in which the rod is connected to the frame support end, and an unlocked position, which is separated from the rod and/or the frame support end. According to one embodiment, the frame support