I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cushion for a radiator grille in an automotive vehicle.
II. Description of Material Art
Automotive grilles which extend across the front of a radiator in modern automotive vehicles are typically constructed of a somewhat flexible material, such as plastic. While such grilles are oftentimes mounted to the body of the automotive vehicle, in other cases the grille is secured to the hood which overlies the engine for the automotive vehicle. In these latter cases, the grille pivots in unison with the hood. Furthermore, a cushion is typically disposed between the bottom of the grille and the automotive body in order to improve the static rigidity/showroom quality of the grille when the hood is in the closed position while simultaneously preventing direct contact between the hard surfaces of the grille and the body which in a dynamic environment may create noise, body corrosion from paint abrasion, grille cracking from material abrasion and noise and other potential damage to the grille.
One disadvantage of these previously known grilles of the type that are mounted to the hood is that it is difficult to accurately control the spacing between the bottom of the grille and the automotive body once the hood is moved to its closed position. As such, the bottom of the grille may be spaced outwardly or forwardly from the cushion even when the hood is closed.
Any spacing between the cushion and the bottom of the grille once the hood is closed disadvantageously results in flutter of the grille during driving. Additionally, any spacing between the cushion and the bottom of the grille allows the grille to be manually deflected and potentially causing an adverse and incorrect impression of low quality construction for the vehicle.