The present invention relates to bumpers in general, and more particularly to crush resistant vehicular bumpers for dissipating concentrated or localized impact forces in order to minimize the chance of permanent deformation or other damage to the bumper or to a vehicle provided with the bumper.
Resilient shock absorbing bumpers for vehicles have been known heretofore, and include, for example, the type of bumper disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,754,122 to Robert J. Lusse. This patent discloses a bumper which is intended for use in amusement "bumper" cars. A highly resilient rubber cushion is peripherally connected around the circumference of the vehicle. The impact surface of the rubber cushion is covered with a flexible steel band which also extends circumferentially around the vehicle. The steel band is tightly secured to the vehicle by pairs of screws positioned substantially adjacent its abutting ends. The band is intended merely to resist the wear and tear resulting from the operation of the amusement car.
This arrangement, however, is not directed to resisting the effect of a highly localized or concentrated impact force, such as occurs when the bumper of an automobile is impacted against a railing or post or some protrusion from another vehicle. It is this type of collision, which, even at low speeds, can easily result in a permanent deformation of the bumper thereby requiring a considerable exxpenditure for effecting repairs. There is no disclosure in this patent that the bumper of the amusement car is intended to or is enabled to resist such a concentrated or localized impact without permanent deformation of the steel band.
Another type of vehicular bumper which has been utilized heretofore is disclosed in German Patent No. 1,000,702. This patent illustrates an automobile having a solid metal core which is imbedded within a plastic material. The plastic material is substantially thicker on one side of the metal core than it is on the other side. The thick portion of the material constitutes the impact accepting portion of the bumper.
There is no disclosure, however, that the imbedded metal core is in any way capable of resisting a localized or concentrated impact force without permanent deformation.
Still another form of bumper which has been used heretofore consists entirely of a unitary resilient fiber glass body. Some resistance to impact forces is achieved in this construction by utilizing a fiber glass material. However, such construction does not appear to have the capability of resisting permanent deformation or cracking in the presence of a highly concentrated impact force.