Energy absorbing bumper system

Claim 2

An energy absorbing mounting unit for impact bumper bars of automotive vehicles comprising inner and outer tubular members the inner of which is adapted for attachment to a said bar and the outer of which is adapted for attachment to the vehicle structural frame, said inner member being slidably received within said outer member with an annular clearance space between the walls thereof and for telescoping movement between a selected extended relationship and any of a plurality of telescoped relationships, bearing means between said members permitting relatively free telescoping movement of said members under impacts applied to said bumper bar and including a first bearing element located adjacent the terminal open end portion of said outer member and a second bearing element spaced from said first element within said outer member longitudinally a distance substantially equaling the length of said inner member enclosed by said outer member in said extended relationship of said members, said second bearing element defining fluid passage means permitting communication of fluid either side thereof, axially aligning load supporting taper surfaces on said members including a first generally taper surface on said terminal end portion of said outer member and a complementary taper surface on said inner member engageable in the extended relationship of said members, an annular sealing member disposed on said inner member immediately closely adjacent the respective said taper surface thereon and thereby uniformly sealingly engageable about its periphery between said members in an axially aligned relation with said taper surfaces engaged in the extended relationship of said members, and a quantity of fluid sealedly contained within said inner and outer members by said sealing member including within the annular volume of said annular clearance space defined between said second bearing element and said sealing member with the parts in the extended relationship thereof.

Claim 3

An energy absorbing mounting unit for impact bumper bars of automotive vehicles comprising, inner and outer tubular members the inner of which is adapted for attachment to said bar and the outer of which is adapted for attachment to the vehicle structural frame, said inner member being slidably received within said outer member with an annular clearance space between the walls thereof and for telescoping movement between a selected extended relationship and any of a plurality of telescoped relationships, bearing means between said members permitting relatively free telescoping movement of said members under impacts applied to said bumper bar and including a first bearing element mounted on said inner member at a location engageable with the terminal end portion of said outer member with the members in extended relation and a second bearing element mounted on said inner member at a location spaced from said first element longitudinally a distance substantially equaling the length of said inner member enclosed by said outer member in said extended relationship of said members, said second bearing element defining fluid passage means permitting communication of fluid either side thereof, stabilizing means on said members including a first generally frusto-conical crimp surface at the margin of said outer terminal end portion of said outer member and a complementary frusto-conical surface on said inner member engageable in the extended relationship of said members to axially align said members and provide firm lateral load bearing support between said members in said extended relationship thereof, an annular sealing member disposed on said inner member immediately closely adjacent said complementary frusto-conical surface and thereby uniformly sealingly engageable about its periphery between said members in a centered relation in the extended relationship of said members, and a quantity of fluid contained within said inner and outer members including within the annular volume of said annular clearance space defined between said second bearing element and said sealing member with the parts in the extended relationship thereof.

Claim 4

An energy absorbing mounting unit for impact bumper bars of automotive vehicles comprising, inner and outer tubular members the inner of which is adapted for attachment to said bar and the outer of which is adapted for attachment to the vehicle structural frame, said inner member being slidably received within said outer member with an annular clearance space between the walls thereof and for telescoping movement between a selected extended relationship and any of a plurality of telescoped relationships, bearing means between said members permitting relatively free telescoping movement of said members under impacts applied to said bumper bar and including a first bearing element mounted on said inner member at a location engageable with the terminal end portion of said outer member with the members in extended relation and a second bearing element mounted on said inner member at a location spaced from said first element longitudinally a distance substantially equaling the length of said inner member enclosed by said outer member in said extended relationship of said members, said second bearing element defining fluid passage means permitting communication of fluid either side thereof, stabilizing means on said members including a first generally frusto-conical crimp surface at the margin of said outer terminal end portion of said outer member and a complementary frusto-conical surface on said inner member engageable in the extended relationship of said members to axially align said members and provide firm lateral load bearing support between said members in said extended relationship thereof, an annular sealing member disposed on said inner member immediately closely adjacent said complementary frusto-conical surface and thereby uniformly sealingly engageable about its periphery between said members in a centered relation in the extended relationship of said members, and a quantity of fluid contained within said inner and outer members including within the annular volume of said annular clearance space defined between said second bearing element and said sealing member with the parts in the extended relationship thereof.

Claim 5

An energy absorbing mounting unit for impact bumper bars of automotive vehicles comprising, inner and outer tubular members, one of said members being adapted for attachment to the vehicle and the other thereof for attachment to a bumper bar, said inner member being relatively freely slidably received within said outer member for relative telescoping motion under impact forces applied to the bumper bar from a normal extended relationship to any of a plurality of telescoped relationships, means biasing said members to said normal extended relationship thereof, means defining a pair of variable volume fluid chambers within said members, fluid within said chambers, a metering rod rigidly affixed to one of said members, a piston wall on the other of said members and an aperture in said piston wall communicating said chambers and having projecting therethrough an end portion of said rod, and an annular orifice member including an annular wall mounted within said aperture of said piston wall to extend in a direction axially of said members past both sides of said piston wall and sized for limited radial shifting movement within said aperture, said annular wall receiving said end portion of said rod, said orifice member further including a pair of radially extending flanges integral with said annular wall and embracing said piston wall with clearance whereby said orifice member is retained on said piston wall yet is radially shiftable to accommodate axial misalignment between said rod and said aperture during telescoping movement of said members between said normal extended relationship and a maximum telescoped relationship.

Claim 6

An energy absorbing mounting unit for impact bumper bars of automotive vehicles comprising, inner and outer tubular members, one of said members being adapted for attachment to the vehicle and the other thereof for attachment to a bumper bar, said inner member being relatively freely slidably received within said outer member for relative telescoping motion under impact forces applied to the bumper bar from a normal extended relationship to any of a plurality of telescoped relationships, means biasing said members to said normal extended relationship thereof, means defining a pair of variable volume fluid chambers within said members, fluid within said chambers, a metering rod rigidly affixed to one of said members, a piston wall on the other of said members and an aperture in said piston wall communicating said chambers and having projecting therethrough an end portion of said rod, and an annular orifice member including an annular wall mounted within said aperture of said piston wall to extend in a direction axially of said members past both sides of said piston wall and sized for limited radial shifting movement within said aperture, said annular wall receiving said end portion of said rod, said orifice member further including a pair of radially extending flanges integral with said annular wall and embracing said piston wall with clearance whereby said orifice member is retained on said piston wall yet is radially shiftable to accommodate axial misalignment between said rod and said aperture during telescoping movement of said members between said normal extended relationship and a maximum telescoped relationship.

Claim 7

The mounting unit recited in claim 3 wherein said metering rod is shaped generally cylindrical along its length and includes at least one varying depth flat thereon interrupting the cylindricity thereof, the cylindrical contour of said metering rod being engaged with a cylindrical inner surface of said orifice member annular wall for guiding the latter radially in said aperture.

Claim 8

An energy absorbing mounting unit for impact bumper bars of automotive vehicles comprising, inner and outer tubular members the inner of which is adapted for attachment to said bar and the outer of which is adapted for attachment to the vehicle structural frame, said inner member being slidably received within said outer member with an annular clearance space between the walls thereof and for telescoping movement between a selected extended relationship and any of a plurality of telescoped relationships, bearing means between said members pErmitting relatively free telescoping movement of said members under impacts applied to said bumper bar and including a first bearing element mounted on said inner member at a location engageable with the terminal end portion of said outer member with the members in extended relation and a second bearing element mounted on said inner member at a location spaced from said first element longitudinally a distance substantially equaling the length of said inner member enclosed by said outer member in said extended relationship of said members, said second bearing element defining fluid passage means permitting communication of fluid either side thereof, stabilizing means on said members including a first generally frusto-conical crimp surface at the margin of said outer terminal end portion of said outer member and complementary frusto-conical surface on said inner member engageable in the extended relationship of said members to axially align said members and provide firm lateral load bearing support between said members in said extended relationship thereof, an annular sealing member disposed on said inner member immediately closely adjacent said complementary frusto-conical surface and thereby uniformly sealingly engageable about its periphery between said members in a centered relation in the extended relationship of said members, a quantity of fluid contained within said inner and outer members including within the annular volume of said annular clearance space defined between said second bearing element and said sealing member with the parts in the extended relationship thereof, a metering rod rigidly affixed to one end of said outer member within the same, a piston wall formed at the inner end of said inner member and including an aperture centrally therein, said piston wall defining variable volume fluid chambers, and an annular orifice member including an annular wall mounted within said aperture and sized for limited radial shifting therewithin and a pair of radially extending integral flanges embracing said piston wall with clearance whereby said orifice member is retained on the latter yet is radially shiftable relative thereto to accommodate axial misalignment between said rod and said aperture during telescoping of said members.

Claim 9

An energy absorbing mounting unit for impact bumper bars of automotive vehicles comprising, inner and outer tubular members the inner of which is adapted for attachment to said bar and the outer of which is adapted for attachment to the vehicle structural frame, said inner member being slidably received within said outer member with an annular clearance space between the walls thereof and for telescoping movement between a selected extended relationship and any of a plurality of telescoped relationships, bearing means between said members pErmitting relatively free telescoping movement of said members under impacts applied to said bumper bar and including a first bearing element mounted on said inner member at a location engageable with the terminal end portion of said outer member with the members in extended relation and a second bearing element mounted on said inner member at a location spaced from said first element longitudinally a distance substantially equaling the length of said inner member enclosed by said outer member in said extended relationship of said members, said second bearing element defining fluid passage means permitting communication of fluid either side thereof, stabilizing means on said members including a first generally frusto-conical crimp surface at the margin of said outer terminal end portion of said outer member and complementary frusto-conical surface on said inner member engageable in the extended relationship of said members to axially align said members and provide firm lateral load bearing support between said members in said extended relationship thereof, an annular sealing member disposed on said inner member immediately closely adjacent said complementary frusto-conical surface and thereby uniformly sealingly engageable about its periphery between said members in a centered relation in the extended relationship of said members, a quantity of fluid contained within said inner and outer members including within the annular volume of said annular clearance space defined between said second bearing element and said sealing member with the parts in the extended relationship thereof, a metering rod rigidly affixed to one end of said outer member within the same, a piston wall formed at the inner end of said inner member and including an aperture centrally therein, said piston wall defining variable volume fluid chambers, and an annular orifice member including an annular wall mounted within said aperture and sized for limited radial shifting therewithin and a pair of radially extending integral flanges embracing said piston wall with clearance whereby said orifice member is retained on the latter yet is radially shiftable relative thereto to accommodate axial misalignment between said rod and said aperture during telescoping of said members.