US3782767A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Resilient, tubular bumpers
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1971-04-05
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Granted: 1974-01-01
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Expires: 1991-04-05
Abstract
Abstract A shock-absorbing bumper means (cushioning device for protecting cars, boats or other vehicles), comprising resilient tubular members of optional variation in cross-sectional shape, having tube-flattened portions, and containing gaseous material that may consist of: air, helium or other gas, preferably under pressure well above that of the atmosphere; cellular foam plastic; or, mixed with gas: a mass of mingled fibers, globules, or other small-diameter elements of small cross-sectional area (e.g., small, flexible, axially curved or straight tubes or rods of resilient rubber or other flexible or crushable material). The cushioning means may comprise separate bumpers at the front and rear of a vehicle, optionally also at the sides or it may extend all around a vehicle with or without integral, tube-flattened junctions between the tubular links. Each bumper element may comprise: only one flat-ended tube; a plurality of separate flatended tubes that are not strongly connected or a plurality of band-connected flat-ended tubes (tubular elements or links). The tubular elements are flexible, and because of their wider flattened ends may be long-repeatedly bent without damaging wrinkling, fracture of their material or change in length. Although this material may comprise gas-permeable resilient plastic (preferably enveloped in mesh or other fabric), it preferably is of ductile or resilient metal or of resilient, substantially impermeable, dense plastic. When of metal it may comprise thin copper, lead, aluminum, mild steel, or resilient steel, optionally sheathed in fabric.
Inventors
- 👤 A Moore
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 15:34
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R19/00; B60R19/02; B60R19/18; B60R19/20; B60R19/42
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
186 words
Resilient, vehicular bumper means, comprising: Vehicle-body-attachment means of strength-providing material, constructed and arranged for attachment to the exterior of a vehicular body, comprising at least one upright, vehicleattachment element; bumper sheath means of flexible, waterproof material, connected to said upright element, having yieldable, free-to-move outer, upper and lower surfaces that in use are exposed to ambient air and flex under impacts; within said sheath means, at least one flexible tubular element, having: tube-wall material comprising a ply of fabric and a ply of lead that is closely juxtaposed to said fabric; a straight axis; an arcuate-in-cross-section area of greatest tubular bulge in a middle part of said tubular element; a pair of planar, substantially flat end portions that are wider than the greatest cross-sectional dimension across said arcuate-incross-section middle part and located in upright planes that are substantially at the same angle to a horizontal plane; and a curvingly inclined portion, having continuously curved surfaces, between said area of greatest bulge and each of said end portions; interior, shock-absorbing gaseous material within said tubular element; and exterior, shock-absorbing gaseous material between said sheath means and element.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
186 words
Resilient, vehicular bumper means, comprising: Vehicle-body-attachment means of strength-providing material, constructed and arranged for attachment to the exterior of a vehicular body, comprising at least one upright, vehicleattachment element; bumper sheath means of flexible, waterproof material, connected to said upright element, having yieldable, free-to-move outer, upper and lower surfaces that in use are exposed to ambient air and flex under impacts; within said sheath means, at least one flexible tubular element, having: tube-wall material comprising a ply of fabric and a ply of lead that is closely juxtaposed to said fabric; a straight axis; an arcuate-in-cross-section area of greatest tubular bulge in a middle part of said tubular element; a pair of planar, substantially flat end portions that are wider than the greatest cross-sectional dimension across said arcuate-incross-section middle part and located in upright planes that are substantially at the same angle to a horizontal plane; and a curvingly inclined portion, having continuously curved surfaces, between said area of greatest bulge and each of said end portions; interior, shock-absorbing gaseous material within said tubular element; and exterior, shock-absorbing gaseous material between said sheath means and element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
Bumper means as set forth in claim 1, in which the said interior gaseous material comprises gas.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
Bumper means as in claim 1, in which said gas is under a pressure above that of the atmosphere.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
Bumper means as in claim 1 in which said interior gaseous material comprises particles of non-gaseous material mixed with said gas.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
Bumper means as in claim 4, in which: said interior gaseous material comprises gaseous-cell foam plastic; said gas comprises gas in the foam-plastic cells; and said particles comprise plastic, connecting said cells.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
Bumper means as in claim 4, in which said particles comprise fibers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
Bumper means as set forth in claim 1, in which the said exterior gaseous material comprises flexible foam plastic.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
Bumper means as in claim 1, in which the said exterior gaseous material comprises particles of non-gaseous material and gas.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
Bumper means as in claim 8, in which: said exterior gaseous material comprises gaseous-cell foam plastic; said gas comprises gas in the foam-plastic cells; and said particles comprise plastic, connecting said cells.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
Bumper means as in claim 1, having a plurality of bumper elements, comprising tubular elements having said flat ends and curved surfaces.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
211 words
Resilient, vehicular bumper means, comprising: vehicle-body-attachment means, of strength-providing material, constructed and arranged for attachment to the exterior of a vehicular body, comprising at least one upright, vehicle-attachment element; a bumper sheath of flexible, waterproof material, connected to said upright element, having yieldable, free-to-move outer, upper and lower surfaces that in use are exposed to ambient air and flex under impacts; within said sheath, flexible tubular means comprising at least one tubular element, having: a straight axis; an arcuate-in-cross-section area of greatest tubular bulge in a middle part of said tubular element; a pair of planar, suBstantially flat end portions, wider than the greatest cross-sectional dimension across said arcuate-in-cross-section area, located in upright planes that are at substantially equal angles to a horizontal plane; and a curvingly inclined portion, having continuously curved surfaces, between said area of greatest bulge and each of said end portions; interior, shock-absorbing gaseous material within said tubular element; exterior, shock-absorbing gaseous material between said sheath and upright element; and at least one upright, bowed, spring-like, substantially flat-ended bar, of resilient material, between said outer surfaces of the sheath and the said upright element, having concavely curved surfaces on its side toward said upright element that hold within their concavity a portion of said interior shock-absorbing material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
211 words
Resilient, vehicular bumper means, comprising: vehicle-body-attachment means, of strength-providing material, constructed and arranged for attachment to the exterior of a vehicular body, comprising at least one upright, vehicle-attachment element; a bumper sheath of flexible, waterproof material, connected to said upright element, having yieldable, free-to-move outer, upper and lower surfaces that in use are exposed to ambient air and flex under impacts; within said sheath, flexible tubular means comprising at least one tubular element, having: a straight axis; an arcuate-in-cross-section area of greatest tubular bulge in a middle part of said tubular element; a pair of planar, suBstantially flat end portions, wider than the greatest cross-sectional dimension across said arcuate-in-cross-section area, located in upright planes that are at substantially equal angles to a horizontal plane; and a curvingly inclined portion, having continuously curved surfaces, between said area of greatest bulge and each of said end portions; interior, shock-absorbing gaseous material within said tubular element; exterior, shock-absorbing gaseous material between said sheath and upright element; and at least one upright, bowed, spring-like, substantially flat-ended bar, of resilient material, between said outer surfaces of the sheath and the said upright element, having concavely curved surfaces on its side toward said upright element that hold within their concavity a portion of said interior shock-absorbing material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
Bumper means as in claim 11, in which at least part of said exterior gaseous material is between said sheath and bar.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
Bumper means as in claim 11 comprising at least one tubular element between said bar and upright element, having a middle portion that in cross section is arcuately curved, and tube-flattened end portions.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
Bumper means as in claim 13, in which said bar is of metal, and is constructed and arranged for movement-permitting connection to a portion of said upright element.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
41 words
Bumper means as in claim 11, comprising at least two tubular elements, adjacent to and in contact with said bar, each of said last-named tubular elements having: a middle portion that in cross section is arcuately curved; and tube-flattened end portions.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
Bumper means as in claim 15, comprising a vehicular body portion, said bar having metallic connection with and bearing against said two tubular elements.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
Bumper means as set forth in claim 1, in which the said upright element comprises part of a vehicular chassis.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
Bumper means as set forth in claim 1, in which the said upright element comprises a metallic part of the bumper per se and is adapted to be connected to and bear against a vehicular chassis.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
153 words
Resilient, vehicular bumper means, comprising: vehicle attachment means, constructed and arranged for attachment to the exterior of a vehicle, comprising at least one upright, vehicle-attachment element of vehicle-strength-providing material; bumper sheath means of flexible waterproof material, connected to said upright element, having yieldable, free-to-move outer, upper and lower surfaces that in use are exposed to ambient air and flex under impacts; within said sheath means, at least one flexible tubular element, having tubular walls and closure means of material that comprises a sheet-like layer of element-strength-providing material and a layer of thin lead that is closely juxtaposed to said sheet-like layer; shock-absorbing gaseous material in said tubular element; connecting means between the said tubular element and said upright vehicle-attachment element, permitting movement, under shock of collision, of portions of said tubular element toward said upright element; and shock-absorbing gaseous material between said tubular element and said outer surfaces of the bumper sheath means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
153 words
Resilient, vehicular bumper means, comprising: vehicle attachment means, constructed and arranged for attachment to the exterior of a vehicle, comprising at least one upright, vehicle-attachment element of vehicle-strength-providing material; bumper sheath means of flexible waterproof material, connected to said upright element, having yieldable, free-to-move outer, upper and lower surfaces that in use are exposed to ambient air and flex under impacts; within said sheath means, at least one flexible tubular element, having tubular walls and closure means of material that comprises a sheet-like layer of element-strength-providing material and a layer of thin lead that is closely juxtaposed to said sheet-like layer; shock-absorbing gaseous material in said tubular element; connecting means between the said tubular element and said upright vehicle-attachment element, permitting movement, under shock of collision, of portions of said tubular element toward said upright element; and shock-absorbing gaseous material between said tubular element and said outer surfaces of the bumper sheath means.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
Bumper means as set forth in claim 19, in which said shock-absorbing gaseous material in said tubular element comprises gas under above-atmospheric pressure.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
25 words
Bumper means as set forth in claim 19, in which said shock-absorbing gaseous material between said tubular element and said outer surfaces comprises foamed plastic.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
34 words
Bumper means as set forth in claim 19, in which said shock-absorbing gaseous material between said tubular element and said outer surfaces of the bumper sheath means comprises a multiplicity of resilient filler elements.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
15 words
Bumper means as set forth in claim 22, in which said filler elements comprise excelsior.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
174 words
Resilient, vehicular bumper means, comprising: vehicle-body-attachment means having at least one upright, vehicle-attachment element of strength-providing material; bumper sheath means of flexible, waterproof material, having yieldable, free-to-move outer, upper and lower surfaces that in use are exposed to ambient air and flex under impacts; and a plurality of bumper elements within said sheath means; each of said bumper elements comprising: a flexible tubular element having: a straight axis; an arcuate-in-cross-section area of greatest tubular bulge in a middle part of said tubular element; a pair of planar, substantially flat end portions, wider than the greatest cross-sectional dimension across said arcuate-in-cross-section area, located in upright planes that are substantially at the same angle to a horizontal plane; and a curvingly inclined portion, having continuously curved surfaces, between said area of greatest bulge and each of said end portions; interior, shock-absorbing gaseous material within said tubular element; and exterior, shock-absorbing gaseous material between said sheath means and tubular element; each pair of the said end portions comprising integrally joined, substantially flattened portions of a single tube.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
174 words
Resilient, vehicular bumper means, comprising: vehicle-body-attachment means having at least one upright, vehicle-attachment element of strength-providing material; bumper sheath means of flexible, waterproof material, having yieldable, free-to-move outer, upper and lower surfaces that in use are exposed to ambient air and flex under impacts; and a plurality of bumper elements within said sheath means; each of said bumper elements comprising: a flexible tubular element having: a straight axis; an arcuate-in-cross-section area of greatest tubular bulge in a middle part of said tubular element; a pair of planar, substantially flat end portions, wider than the greatest cross-sectional dimension across said arcuate-in-cross-section area, located in upright planes that are substantially at the same angle to a horizontal plane; and a curvingly inclined portion, having continuously curved surfaces, between said area of greatest bulge and each of said end portions; interior, shock-absorbing gaseous material within said tubular element; and exterior, shock-absorbing gaseous material between said sheath means and tubular element; each pair of the said end portions comprising integrally joined, substantially flattened portions of a single tube.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
240 words
Vehicular bumper means, comprising: vehicle-attachment means, for attachment to the exterior of a vehicle, comprising at least one upright, vehicle-attachment element, of stiff, strength-providing material, having a length at least equal to three-fourths of the width of the vehicle to which the bumper means is to be attached; bumper sheath means of flexible, waterproof material, connected to said upright element, having yieldable, free-to-move outer, upper and lower surfaces that in use are exposed to ambient air and flex under impacts; within said sheath means, at least one bar of stiff material, non-rigidly connected to said upright, vehicle-attachment element, inwardly movable toward said upright element, having a length that is at least equal to three-fourths of the length of said upright element, and having outwardly jutting bar portions that are constructed and arranged to provide a valley-like shock-absorbing space, formed by inward bar surfaces that diverge from a middle part of said valley-like space toward said vehicle-attachment element, the said valley-like space opening toward the vehicle-attachment element; inner flexible means for connecting the inner side of said bar to said vehicle-attachment element, adapted to absorb minor shocks of collision and to transmit force of major collision shocks to said element, comprising shock-absorbing gaseous material, at least part of which is within said valley-like space, in contact with said inward, diverging bar surfaces; and outer flexible means for connecting the outer side of said bar to said sheath, comprising shock-absorbing gaseous material.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
240 words
Vehicular bumper means, comprising: vehicle-attachment means, for attachment to the exterior of a vehicle, comprising at least one upright, vehicle-attachment element, of stiff, strength-providing material, having a length at least equal to three-fourths of the width of the vehicle to which the bumper means is to be attached; bumper sheath means of flexible, waterproof material, connected to said upright element, having yieldable, free-to-move outer, upper and lower surfaces that in use are exposed to ambient air and flex under impacts; within said sheath means, at least one bar of stiff material, non-rigidly connected to said upright, vehicle-attachment element, inwardly movable toward said upright element, having a length that is at least equal to three-fourths of the length of said upright element, and having outwardly jutting bar portions that are constructed and arranged to provide a valley-like shock-absorbing space, formed by inward bar surfaces that diverge from a middle part of said valley-like space toward said vehicle-attachment element, the said valley-like space opening toward the vehicle-attachment element; inner flexible means for connecting the inner side of said bar to said vehicle-attachment element, adapted to absorb minor shocks of collision and to transmit force of major collision shocks to said element, comprising shock-absorbing gaseous material, at least part of which is within said valley-like space, in contact with said inward, diverging bar surfaces; and outer flexible means for connecting the outer side of said bar to said sheath, comprising shock-absorbing gaseous material.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
48 words
Bumper means as set forth in claim 25, in which the said gaseous material of said inner flexible means comprises foamed plastic; and said inner flexible means further comprises: at least one tubular element, imbedded in said foamed plastic; and shock-absorbing gaseous material in the said tubular element.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
47 words
Bumper means as set forth in claim 25, in which: the said gaseous material of said outer flexible means comprises foamed plastic; and said outer flexible means further comprises at least one tubular element, imbedded in said foamed plastic, and gaseous material within the said tubular element.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
207 words
Resilient, vehicular bumper means, comprising: a vehicular body portion, having forward, lateral and rear sides; vehicle-body-attachment means, of strength-providing material, constructed and arranged for attachment to the exterior of said vehicular body portion, comprising at least one upright, vehicle-attachment element; bumper sheath means of flexible, waterproof material, connected to said upright element, having yieldable, free-to-move outer, upper and lower surfaces that in use are exposed to ambient air and flex under impact; within said sheath means, at least one tubular element on each of said sides of thE vehicular body portion, each having: a straight axis; an arcuate-in-cross-section area of greatest tubular bulge in a middle part of said tubular element; a pair of planar, substantially flat end portions that are wider than the greatest cross-sectional dimension across said arcuate-in-cross-section middle part and located in upright planes that are substantially at the same angle to a horizontal plane; and a curvingly inclined portion, having continuously curved surfaces, between said area of greatest bulge and each of said end portions; shock-absorbing gaseous material in said tubular element; metallic connecting means between each adjacent pair of said tubular-element end portions, on at least three of said sides; and exterior shock-absorbing gaseous material between said sheath means and vehicle-attachment element.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
207 words
Resilient, vehicular bumper means, comprising: a vehicular body portion, having forward, lateral and rear sides; vehicle-body-attachment means, of strength-providing material, constructed and arranged for attachment to the exterior of said vehicular body portion, comprising at least one upright, vehicle-attachment element; bumper sheath means of flexible, waterproof material, connected to said upright element, having yieldable, free-to-move outer, upper and lower surfaces that in use are exposed to ambient air and flex under impact; within said sheath means, at least one tubular element on each of said sides of thE vehicular body portion, each having: a straight axis; an arcuate-in-cross-section area of greatest tubular bulge in a middle part of said tubular element; a pair of planar, substantially flat end portions that are wider than the greatest cross-sectional dimension across said arcuate-in-cross-section middle part and located in upright planes that are substantially at the same angle to a horizontal plane; and a curvingly inclined portion, having continuously curved surfaces, between said area of greatest bulge and each of said end portions; shock-absorbing gaseous material in said tubular element; metallic connecting means between each adjacent pair of said tubular-element end portions, on at least three of said sides; and exterior shock-absorbing gaseous material between said sheath means and vehicle-attachment element.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
26 words
Bumper means as set forth in claim 25, in which at least two of said bar portions are joined in an angle, forming said valley-like space.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
42 words
Bumper means as set forth in claim 25, in which: the said outwardly jutting bar portions have continuously curved outer and inner surfaces; and at least part of said inner, flexible, shock-absorbing means is compressed in said valley-like space during collision shocks.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-12-31 | 1977-07-02 | 1978-01-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-12-31 | 1981-07-02 | 1982-01-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-12-31 | 1985-07-02 | 1986-01-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |