Method and apparatus for attaching push bars

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10308200-B2
Application number	US-201715700333-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2017
Priority date	Sep 11, 2017
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle includes a body structure, a push bar, and a damper connecting the push bar to the body structure. The damper includes a base and a rod that are movable relative to each other. The rod is attached to one of the push bar and the body structure, and the base is attached to the other of the push bar and the body structure. The damper is controllable to adjust a damping ratio of the damper and/or adjust a resting position of the rod relative to the base to axially move the push bar.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a body structure;
a push bar; and
a damper including a base and a rod movable relative to each other, the damper being interposed between the body structure and the push bar with the rod attached to one of the push bar and the body structure and the base attached to the other of the push bar and the body structure, wherein the damper has a variable damping ratio, and is controllable, in response to a pushing mode being requested, to increase the damping ratio of the damper and increase a resting position of the rod relative to the base to axially move the push bar away from the body structure.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the rod is attached to the push bar and the base is attached to the body structure.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the body structure includes a bumper beam, and the damper is mounted to the bumper beam.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a second damper including a base and a rod movable relative to each other, the second damper being interposed between the body structure and the push bar with the rod attached to one of the push bar and the body structure, and the base attached to the other of the push bar and the body structure.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the damper is electromechanical.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the damper is pneumatic.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a secondary attachment connecting the push bar to the body structure.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the secondary attachment includes a first portion and a second portion that are slidable relative to each other.

9. A vehicle comprising:
a body structure;
a push bar;
a damper connecting the push bar to the body structure and having a selectable damping ratio; and
a controller configured to
in response to a collision being detected, set the damping ratio to a first magnitude, and
in response to a request for pushing mode, set the damping ratio to a second magnitude that is greater than the first magnitude.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the damper is electromechanical or pneumatic.

11. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle further comprises a user input in electrical communication with the controller and configured to generate a pushing-mode request signal for the controller, and wherein the controller is programmed to activate pushing mode in response to receiving the pushing-mode request signal.

12. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the damper includes a base and a rod axially movable relative to the base, and the rod is connected to the push bar and the base is connected to the body structure.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein a resting position of the rod relative the base is adjustable, and the controller is further configured to actuate the rod between different resting positions based on operating conditions of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further programmed to set the resting position to a most-extended position in response to a request for the pushing mode.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, in response to a request for default mode, set the damping ratio to a third magnitude that is greater than the first magnitude and less than the second magnitude.

16. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the body structure includes a bumper beam and the damper is connected to the bumper beam.

17. A vehicle comprising:
a body structure including a front bumper beam supporting a bumper shell that defines at least a portion of a front fascia of the vehicle;
a push bar supported in front of the front facia;
a pair of dampers laterally spaced from each other and connecting the push bar to the bumper beam; and
a controller configured to default a damping ratio of each of the dampers to a first magnitude and, in response to a request for pushing mode, set the damping ratio of each of the dampers to a second magnitude that is greater than the first magnitude.

18. The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein each of the dampers includes a rod attached to the push bar and a base attached to the bumper beam.

19. The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the dampers are electromechanical.

20. The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to a collision being detected, set the damping ratio to a third magnitude that is less than the second magnitude.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Ghannam Mahmoud Yousef
• Carremm Swadad A
• Jensen John W

Classifications

• B60R2019/522

  Bull bars · CPC title

• B60R19/52 Primary

  Radiator or grille guards {; Radiator grilles (cooling aspects B60K11/08)} · CPC title

• B60R2019/262

  with means to adjust or regulate the amount of energy to be absorbed · CPC title

• B60R19/32

  Fluid shock absorbers {, e.g. with coaxial coil springs} · CPC title

• B60R19/26 Primary

  comprising yieldable mounting means ({B60R19/38 takes precedence;} springs, shock absorbers, or means for damping vibrations per se F16F) · CPC title