Arrangement of bumper in motor vehicles

Claim 1

A bumper arrangement for a vehicle of the type having a relatively rigid support structure; said arrangement comprising: bumper means spaced from said support structure and including impact accepting surfaces thereon, first and second bumper support lever means which are each substantially rigid between respective first and second end portions thereof, first pivotal connection means connecting said first end of said first lever means at said support structure, second pivotal connection means connecting said end of said first lever means to said first end of said second lever means, third pivotal connection means connecting said second end of said second lever means to said bumper means, each of said first, second and third pivotal connection means including means permitting relative pivotal movement of connected parts only about respective vertical pivot axes such that said bumper means is supported by said first and second lever means at said support structure for movement in a horizontal plane during pivotal movements of said first and second lever means, resilient means engageable between at least one of said support structure and bumper means and at least one of said first and second lever means for resiliently biasing said first and second lever means toward predetermined initial bumper supporting positions, said predetermined supporting positions corresponding to maximum spacing of said bumper means from said support structure with maximum pivot angles between said first lever means and said support structure, first limiting means for limiting the maximum pivot angle between said first lever means and said support structure, said first limiting means including means attached to said support structure which are separate from said resilient means, third and fourth bumper support lever means which are each substantially rigid between respective first and second end portions thereof, fourth pivotal connection means connecting said first end of said third lever means at said support structure, fifth pivotal connection means connecting said second end of said third lever means to said first end of said fourth lever means, sixth pivotal connection means connecting said second end of said fourth lever means to said bumper means, each of said fourth, fifth, and sixth pivotal connection means including means permitting relative pivotal movement of connected parts only about respective vertical pivot axes such that said bumper means is supported by said third and fourth lever means at said support structure for movement in a horizontal plane during pivotal movements of said third and fourth lever means, resilient means engageable between at least one of said support structure and bumper means and at least one of said third and fourth lever means for resiliently biasing said third and fourth lever means toward predetermined initial bumper supporting positions, said predetermined supporting positions corresponding to maximum spacing of said bumper means from said support structure with maximum pivot angles between said third lever means and said support structure, and second limiting means for limiting the maximum pivot angle between said third levEr means and said support structure, said second limiting means including means attached to said support structure which are separate from said resilient means, wherein said bumper means consists of a center part and a lateral part at each lateral end of said center part, said center and lateral parts being pivotally connected with each other, one of said lateral parts being supported at the first and second lever means by way of spring means, the other of said lateral parts supported at the third and fourth lever means by way of spring means, and wherein said lateral parts are pivotally connected to said center part at respective ones of said third and sixth pivotal connection means.