The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 22, 2000
Filed:
Aug. 31, 1998
Tetsuo Maki, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Kanagawa-Ken, JP;
Abstract
A bumper structure for a vehicle comprises a first cross member, a bumper stay, a reinforcement, and a front bumper facsia. The bumper stay is connected with the first cross member to extend forward. The reinforcement is arranged in front of the bumper stay to be connected with the bumper stay. The bumper facsia is arranged in front of the reinforcement. The bumper stay includes a first portion being dispose on its front side and a second portion, which is different in strength from the first portion, being disposed on its rear side. The bumper facsia pushes backward the reinforcement with a front portion of the vehicle colliding with an obstacle. At that time, the reinforcement functions as a mass while one of the first portion and the second portion, which is low in strength, functions as a spring and is then crushed. Hence, a deceleration rises sharply relative to a moving stroke of the bumper facsia. Then, a remaining of the first portion and the second portion, which is high in strength, is crushed so that the deceleration relative to the moving stroke of the bumper facsia is maintained. Accordingly, the deceleration relative to the moving stroke has a substantially rectangular profile which rises sharply at a leading edge and does not have an excessive peak value, so that a collision energy is absorbed efficiently. As a result, a resistance performance of the body at the vehicle collision and a pedestrian effect performance are improved. In this manner, according to the above bumper structure, a resistance performance of the body at the vehicle collision and a pedestrian effect performance are improved. In addition, since the above performances are given even though the reinforcement is disposed in the close vicinity of the bumper facsia, a length of the bumper structure along the longitudinal direction of the body is shortened.