JPH0741860B2 - Vehicle bumper device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a vehicle bumper device in which a bumper is supported by a substantially horizontal upper arm and a lower arm that descends toward the vehicle body.

(Background of the Invention) In some four-wheeled vehicles for traveling on rough terrain, a front bumper is supported by a substantially horizontal upper arm and a lower arm that gradually descends toward the vehicle body. Here, the upper arm and the lower arm are fixed to the body frame.

However, in this case, when a large impact is applied to the front arm from the front, the impact is directly applied to the body frame by the upper arm. If the vehicle body frame is deformed for this reason, the entire vehicle body frame is likely to be deformed.
Therefore, conventionally, a reinforcement member or the like has been added to the vehicle body frame to increase its strength so that the vehicle body frame will not be deformed even when the impact of the bumper is applied. Therefore, there is a problem that the weight of the vehicle body increases.

(Objects of the Invention) The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a vehicle body that enables weight reduction of a vehicle body frame by reducing the impact applied to the vehicle body frame even when a large impact is applied to the bumper. An object is to provide a bumper device.

(Structure of the Invention) According to the present invention, an object of the present invention is to provide a bumper (70) with a substantially horizontal upper arm (74) and a lower arm located below the upper arm (74) and descending toward the vehicle body. In the vehicle bumper device supported by (72) and (72), the lower arm (72) has its upper end fixed to the lower surface of the bumper (70) and its lower portion bent obliquely downward and rearward to provide a dedicated bracket on the body frame (12). The upper arm (74) is formed by a tube that is fixed by sandwiching the body frame (12) in the vertical direction without bending. The cross tube (74a) fixed with the body frame (12) in the same direction, and the rear end is fixed to the center of the body with respect to the corner of this cross tube (74a), and the front end extends downward in the width direction of the body. Left and right connected to the upper rear surface of the arm (72) A bumper device for a vehicle, comprising: a pair of connecting tubes (74b, 74b), wherein the upper arm (74) has a smaller diameter than the lower arm (72).

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a side view of a four-wheeled vehicle for traveling on rough terrain to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a side view of the bumper device, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the same.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a vehicle body frame, which includes a pair of left and right lower tubes 12 having a large diameter, a pair of left and right upper tubes 14 having a small diameter, and an appropriate cross tube, a vertical tube or the like connecting these. The front part of the lower tube 12 is bent upward in a generally fishhook shape. A pair of left and right front wheels 16 are vertically movably held by a known strut-type independent suspension device (not shown) at the front portion of the lower tube 12.
18 is the lower arm of this suspension system, this lower arm
A tubular shock absorber (not shown) is interposed between the swing end of 18 and the bracket 20 fixed to the bent portion of the lower tube 12, and the front wheel 16 can be steered to the lower end of this shock absorber. A knuckle bracket (not shown) to be held on is fixedly attached.

22 is a steering axis and 24 is a steering bar handle.

A rear axle 26 is held by a pair of left and right rear arms 28 and one A-shaped arm 30 so as to be vertically movable. 32 is a rear wheel shaft that is inserted through the rear axle 26, and 34 is a pair of left and right rear wheels that are attached to both ends of the rear wheel shaft 32. Reference numeral 36 is a tubular shock absorber that supports the rear axle 26. In addition, wide ultra-low pressure tires (so-called balloon tires) are attached to the front wheels 16 and the rear wheels 34.

38 is an engine mounted near the center of the vehicle body. A transmission case 40 is fixed to the vehicle body frame 10 between the engine 38 and the rear axle 26. The output of the engine 38 is a final reduction gear installed on the rear axle 26 via a transmission gear group in the transmission case 40 and a drive shaft (not shown) arranged in the vehicle body width direction from the rear end of the transmission case 40. 42. The transmission case
A PTO shaft 44 is disposed above 40, and the output of the engine 38 is transmitted to the PTO shaft 44 via a belt clutch 46 in a discontinuous manner.

In FIG. 1, 48 is a fuel tank, 50 is a straddle-type operation seat, 52 is an intake cleaner, 54 is a carburetor, and 56 is an exhaust muffler. Reference numeral 58 denotes a pair of left and right front fenders, and a luggage box 60 is arranged below the front fenders 58. Reference numeral 62 denotes a rear fender that is integrated left and right, and a battery 64 is arranged below the rear fender. Further, 66 is a front loading platform and 68 is a back loading platform. 70 is a front bumper that is long in the vehicle width direction. The front bumper 70 is attached to the front end of the lower frame 12 by a pair of left and right lower arms 72, 72 and a substantially horizontal upper arm 74. The upper end of the lower arm 72 is a bumper 70
The lower part is curved obliquely downward and rearward. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper arm 74 has a cross tube 74a whose both ends are bent backward, and a front end of the cross tube 74a that connects the center side of the cross tube 74a to the center of the vehicle and the upper part of the lower arm 72. A pair of left and right connecting tubes curved outward in the width direction 74
b and 74b. These tubes 74a, 74b are the lower arms
It is thinner and less rigid than the 72 tube. At the lower end of the lower arm 72 and the rear end of the upper arm 74, U-shaped brackets 76 and 78 which are open rearward are fixed.

The front bumper 70 is fixed to the lower tube 12 by engaging the brackets 76 and 78 with the front end of the lower tube 12 from the front and tightening bolts 80 and 82 (Fig. 1) that penetrate both ends of the brackets 76 and 78. To be done. That is, the lower tube 12 is held between the U-shaped inner surfaces of the brackets 70 and 78.

Therefore, when an impact F is applied to the front bumper 70 from the front as shown in FIG. 3, the cross tube 74a is first pushed and deformed by the connecting tube 74b so that the central portion of the cross tube 74a is retracted. The tube 74b also bends in an L shape (see virtual in FIG. 3).

As described above, the upper arm 74 of this embodiment is formed of a thin tube, and further, the shock absorbing mechanism A which is easily deformed by the cross tube 74a and the connecting tube 74b is formed. Therefore, when an impact load is applied, the impact absorption mechanism A of this upper arm 74
The shock is absorbed by the deformation of, and the body frame 10 is not subjected to an excessive shock.

Although the present invention is applied to the front bumper of the four-wheeled vehicle for rough terrain in the above embodiment, the present invention can also be applied to the rear bumper,
Further, the present invention can be applied to vehicles such as a three-wheeled vehicle and a small four-wheeled passenger vehicle, and the present invention includes such a vehicle.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, the present invention makes it possible to attach the lower arm (72) to the bumper (70).
Curved diagonally downward and rearward from the underside of the body frame and fix it by sandwiching the vertical body frame without providing a dedicated bracket on the body frame. The upper arm (74) is bent rearward at both ends for exclusive use on the body frame. A cross tube (74a) that is fixed by sandwiching the vertical body frame without providing a bracket, and a rear end of the cross tube (74a) that is fixed inside the vehicle body with respect to a corner portion of the cross tube (74a) and a front end that extends outward in the vehicle width direction It is formed by a pair of left and right connecting tubes (74b, 74b) which extend and are connected to the upper rear surface of the lower arm (72). Further, the upper arm (74) has a smaller diameter than the lower arm (74) to facilitate deformation.

Therefore, the impact applied to the bumper (70) from the front is absorbed by deforming the connecting tubes (74b, 74b) and the cross tube (74b). Further, since the upper and lower arms (74, 72) are mounted by being sandwiched between the vertically oriented body frame (12), the fixed portion of the vertically oriented body frame (12) is fixed when the cross tube (74b) is deformed. ) Rotating around, the cross tube (74b) can be easily deformed. At this time, since the body frame (12) does not have a dedicated bracket for mounting a bumper and can be directly attached to the body frame (12), the upper and lower arms (74, 72) do not damage the body frame (12). , When the upper and lower arms (74, 72) are deformed, they can be easily replaced. Therefore, excessive impact is not applied to the body frame side, and the weight of the vehicle body can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a four-wheeled vehicle for traveling on rough terrain to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a side view of the bumper device, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the same. 12 …… Lower tube as body frame, 70 …… Front bumper, 72 …… Upper arm, 74a …… Cross tube, 74b …… Connecting tube, A …… Shock absorbing mechanism.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A bumper (70) having a substantially horizontal upper arm (74).
And a lower arm (72) which is located below the upper arm (74) and descends toward the vehicle body, the lower arm (72) has a lower arm (72) whose upper end is the lower surface of the bumper (70). The upper arm (74) is fixed to the upper arm (74) by bending the lower part diagonally downward and rearward and fixing it by sandwiching the vertical body frame (12) without providing a dedicated bracket on the body frame (12). The left and right ends are bent backward and the cross tube (74) is fixed by sandwiching the vertical body frame (12) without providing a dedicated bracket on the body frame (12).
a) and a pair of left and right connecting tubes whose rear end is fixed closer to the center of the vehicle than the corner of this cross tube (74a) and whose front end extends outward in the vehicle width direction and is joined to the upper rear surface of the lower arm (72). (74b, 74b), wherein the upper arm (74) has a smaller diameter than the lower arm (72).