Apparatus for manufacturing a vehicle bumper

Abstract

A bumper construction for vehicles constructed of a single strip of metal roll-formed into a completely enclosed tubular member in which a foamed-in-place material is located in and completely fills only a central section of the tubular member a relatively short distance on each side of the central axis of the vehicle. An apparatus is provided for manufacturing roll-formed bumpers partially filled with a foam-in-place material, the bumpers including material defining a continuous closed section defining an open interior and opposing open ends. The apparatus includes a turntable with a plurality of holders including arms shaped to extend partially into the bumpers, and a plug on the end of each arm configured to block off the open interior of the bumper. The holders are pivotally mounted on the turntable so that a bumper can be slipped onto a selected holder, pivoted to an upright position, and then rotated by the turntable under an injector for dispensing foamable reaction injectable urethane (RIM) material. The plug is squeezed and thus expanded to seal off the interior space, after which the RIM material is dispensed into the upright open end. The upright position is held for several seconds to allow the RIM material to cure, and then the holder is then pivoted down so that the bumper can be readily removed. A method corresponding to the above-noted apparatus is also disclosed.