A bumper structure, a control method for adjusting the bumper length, and a vehicle

Abstract

This invention provides a bumper structure, a control method for adjusting the bumper length, and a vehicle, belonging to the field of vehicle technology. It includes a bumper body and an end cap. The end cap is located at the end of the bumper body. A slide rail is provided along the length of the bumper body. A slider adapted to the slide rail is provided on the end cap. A driving component is provided on the bumper body to drive the slider to slide along the slide rail. Under normal use, the driving component drives the slider to slide outward along the slide rail, thereby causing the end cap to slide outward. At this time, the bumper length is longer, effectively protecting the vehicle. When the vehicle traverses complex conditions such as mud pits or rainforests, the driving component drives the slider to slide inward along the slide rail, causing the end cap to slide inward. At this time, the bumper length is shorter, reducing the probability of bumper scraping, reducing vehicle drag, and improving vehicle performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of vehicle technology, and more specifically, relates to a bumper structure, a control method for adjusting the length of the bumper, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Bumpers are safety devices that absorb and mitigate external impacts and protect the front and rear of the vehicle body; they are a major protective component in a vehicle.

[0003] For off-road vehicles, due to their complex operating conditions, the protective effect of the bumper is even more important. Therefore, off-road vehicle bumpers are usually designed to be longer to more effectively protect the vehicle. However, when the vehicle is traversing complex conditions such as mud pits or rainforests, a longer bumper will experience more scrapes and abrasions, providing greater drag and limiting the vehicle's performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a bumper structure that addresses the problem that when a vehicle traverses complex conditions such as mud pits or rainforests, a longer bumper will experience more scrapes, providing greater resistance to the vehicle's movement and limiting its performance.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: a bumper structure is provided, including a bumper body and an end cap. The end cap is disposed at the end of the bumper body. The bumper body is provided with a slide rail along its length. The end cap is provided with a slider adapted to the slide rail. The bumper body is provided with a driving member, which is used to drive the slider to slide along the slide rail.

[0006] In one possible implementation, the driving component includes a drive motor and a drive gear. The drive motor is mounted on the bumper body, and the drive gear is connected to the drive end of the drive motor. The slider has a toothed plate along the length direction of the bumper body, and the drive gear meshes with the toothed plate.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the toothed plate has stops at both ends.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the two end caps are respectively fitted onto both ends of the bumper body, the slide rails are respectively disposed on both sides of the upper and lower end faces of the bumper body, the sliders are respectively disposed on the inner top and inner bottom faces of the end caps, the drive unit is installed in the lower part of the bumper body, and the toothed plate is installed on the slider located on the inner bottom face of the end cap.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the lower part of the bumper body has clearance through holes on both sides along the length direction, and the drive gear passes through the clearance through holes and meshes with the corresponding toothed plate.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the slide rail includes two first plates fixedly disposed on the upper or lower end face of the bumper body. The two first plates are symmetrically disposed along the width direction of the upper or lower end face of the bumper body, and a sliding gap is formed between the two first plates extending along the length direction of the bumper body. The slider extends longitudinally through the sliding gap and can slide along the length direction of the sliding gap.

[0011] In one possible implementation, a bent plate is provided on the side of the first plate away from the sliding gap. The bent plate is fixed to the upper or lower end face of the bumper body. A sealing plate is horizontally connected between the two bent plates. A sliding chamber is formed between the sealing plate and the sliding gap. A sliding plate is provided at one end of the slider that passes through the sliding gap. The sliding plate is slidably disposed in the sliding chamber.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the bending plate has a lateral flange at one end away from the first plate body, and the bending plate is fixed to the upper or lower end face of the bumper body by means of the lateral flange. The two ends of the sealing plate are respectively provided with downwardly extending longitudinal flanges, and the sealing plate is fixed between the two bending plates by means of the two longitudinal flanges.

[0013] The beneficial effects of the bumper structure provided by this invention are as follows: Compared with the prior art, the bumper body has an end cap at its end, and a slider on the end cap slides in cooperation with a slide rail on the bumper body. Driving components are respectively installed at the ends of the bumper body. The driving components drive the slider to slide along the slide rail, thereby allowing the end cap to slide relative to the length of the bumper body, thus extending or shortening the bumper length. Under normal use, the driving components drive the slider to slide outward along the slide rail, causing the end cap to slide outward. At this time, the bumper length is longer, effectively protecting the vehicle. When the vehicle traverses complex conditions such as mud pits or rainforests, the driving components drive the slider to slide inward along the slide rail, causing the end cap to slide inward. At this time, the bumper length is shorter, reducing the probability of bumper scraping, reducing vehicle resistance, and improving vehicle performance.

[0014] The present invention also provides a control method for adjusting the length of a bumper, which uses the aforementioned bumper structure and specifically includes the following steps:

[0015] S1: Set the bumper length adjustment data, and the host transmits the data signal to the motor controller of the drive motor through the body domain controller;

[0016] S2: If the data signal is a bumper retraction signal, the motor controller will convert the bumper unfolding signal into a motor forward rotation stroke signal, controlling the drive end of the drive motor to rotate forward by the corresponding angle; if the data signal is a bumper unfolding signal, the motor controller will convert the bumper retraction signal into a motor reverse rotation stroke signal, controlling the drive end of the drive motor to rotate in the opposite direction by the corresponding angle.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the bumper length adjustment control method provided by the present invention are as follows: Compared with the prior art, based on the above-mentioned bumper structure, by setting the bumper length adjustment data, the host transmits the data signal to the motor controller of the drive motor through the vehicle body domain controller; the motor controller controls the drive end of the drive motor to rotate forward or backward by a corresponding angle to achieve the purpose of bumper length adjustment.

[0018] The present invention provides a vehicle that uses the above-described bumper structure.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the vehicle provided by the present invention are as follows: compared with the prior art, since the above-mentioned bumper structure is used, it has the same beneficial effects as the bumper structure, which will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a bumper structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 A rear view of a bumper structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A sectional view along the middle AA;

[0024] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the end cap structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 The circuit diagram provided by the present invention controls the forward or reverse rotation of the drive motor.

[0027] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0028] 100. Bumper body; 110. Slide rail; 111. First plate; 112. Bending plate; 113. Sealing plate; 114. Lateral flange; 115. Longitudinal flange; 116. Avoidance through hole; 117. Avoidance elongated hole;

[0029] 200. End cap; 210. Slider; 220. Slide plate; 230. Toothed plate; 240. Stop block;

[0030] 300. Drive component; 310. Drive motor; 320. Drive gear; 330. Motor mount. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0032] Please see Figures 1 to 5 The present invention will now describe a bumper structure. A bumper structure includes a bumper body 100 and an end cap 200. The end cap 200 is disposed at the end of the bumper body 100. The bumper body 100 has a slide rail 110 along its length. The end cap 200 has a slider 210 adapted to the slide rail 110. The bumper body 100 has a driving member 300 for driving the slider 210 to slide along the slide rail 110.

[0033] This invention provides a bumper structure that, compared to existing technologies, features an end cap 200 at the end of the bumper body 100. A slider 210 on the end cap 200 slidably engages with a slide rail 110 on the bumper body 100. A driving member 300 drives the slider 210 to slide along the slide rail 110, thereby allowing the end cap 200 to slide relative to the length of the bumper body 100, thus extending or shortening the bumper length. Under normal use, the driving member 300 drives the slider 210 to slide outward along the slide rail 110, causing the end cap 200 to slide outward. In this state, the bumper is longer, effectively protecting the vehicle. When the vehicle traverses complex conditions such as mud pits or rainforests, the driving member 300 drives the slider 210 to slide inward along the slide rail 110, causing the end cap 200 to slide inward. In this state, the bumper is shorter, reducing the probability of bumper scrapes, decreasing vehicle drag, and improving vehicle performance.

[0034] The bumper body 100 includes a top plate, a bottom plate, and a front side guard plate. The top plate is connected to the upper end of the front side guard plate and extends rearward, while the bottom plate is connected to the lower end of the front side guard plate and extends rearward. The top plate, bottom plate, and front side guard plate form a U-shaped frame structure with an opening facing rearward. Slide rails 110 are respectively provided on both sides of the upper end face of the top plate and both sides of the lower end face of the bottom plate. Symmetrical support beams are arranged on the left and right sides inside the U-shaped frame structure, and the bumper body 100 is mounted to the front end of the vehicle body via two support beams. The end cap 200 is also a U-shaped frame structure with an internal contour larger than the external contour of the bumper body 100. The end cap 200 is fitted onto both ends of the bumper body 100 from front to back, and the outer side of the end cap 200 bends rearward, thus forming an arc-shaped end face on the outer side of the front end face of the end cap 200. Under normal use, the effective width of the two end caps 200 and the bumper body 100 is greater than the width of the front of the vehicle body, which can effectively protect the front of the vehicle body. At the same time, the arc-shaped end face of the end cap 200 can buffer the impact of the edge.

[0035] Please see Figure 4 The driving component 300 includes a driving motor 310 and a driving gear 320. The driving motor 310 is mounted on the bumper body 100, and the driving gear 320 is connected to the driving end of the driving motor 310. The slider 210 is provided with a toothed plate 230 along the length direction of the bumper body 100, and the driving gear 320 meshes with the toothed plate 230.

[0036] Motor mounts 330 are welded or bolted to both sides of the upper surface of the base plate of the bumper body 100. A drive motor 310 is mounted on the motor mount 330, and a drive gear 320 is mounted on the drive end of the drive motor 310. A toothed plate 230 is mounted on the slider 210, and the length direction of the toothed plate 230 is the same as the length direction of the bumper body 100. The drive gear 320 meshes with the toothed plate 230. The drive end of the drive motor 310 drives the drive gear 320 to rotate, and the drive gear 320, through the meshing toothed plate 230, drives the slider 210 to slide along the slide rail 110, thereby adjusting the end cover 200 along the length direction of the bumper body 100 to achieve the purpose of adjusting the overall length of the bumper.

[0037] Please refer to Figure 5 The toothed plate 230 is provided with a stop block 240 at each end. The stop block 240 can block the drive gear 320 to prevent the drive gear 320 from accidentally disengaging from the toothed plate 230.

[0038] Specifically, two end caps 200 are respectively fitted onto both ends of the bumper body 100. Slide rails 110 are respectively located on both sides of the upper and lower end faces of the bumper body 100. Slider blocks 210 are respectively located on the inner top and bottom surfaces of the end caps 200. Two drive units 300 are installed on the lower sides of the bumper body 100. A toothed plate 230 is mounted on the slider 210 located on the inner bottom surface of the end cap 200. The two drive units 300 drive the two lower sliders 210 to slide relative to each other or backwards through the meshing transmission of drive gears 320 and toothed plates 230. The two upper sliders 210 cooperate with the two lower sliders 210 to slide within the corresponding slide rails 110, thereby achieving synchronous movement of the two end caps 200 relative to each other or backwards to adjust the length of the bumper.

[0039] Please refer to Figure 4 The drive motor 310 is mounted on the upper surface of the bottom plate of the bumper body 100 via a motor mount 330. This means the drive motor 310 is located inside the bumper body 100, effectively concealing it and improving aesthetics while protecting the structural components. Clearance holes 116 are respectively formed on both sides of the lower part of the bumper body 100 and are arranged along the length of the bumper body 100. The drive gear 320 on the same side passes through the corresponding clearance hole 116 and meshes with the gear plate 230.

[0040] Please refer to Figure 4 The slide rail 110 includes two first plates 111 fixedly disposed on the upper or lower end face of the bumper body 100. The two first plates 111 are symmetrically arranged along the width direction of the upper or lower end face of the bumper body 100, and a sliding gap extending along the length direction of the bumper body 100 is formed between the two first plates 111. The slider 210 extends longitudinally through the sliding gap and can slide along the length direction of the sliding gap. The width of the slider 210 is slightly smaller than the width of the sliding gap to ensure that the slider 210 can slide along the length direction of the sliding gap, thereby driving the end cap 200 to move towards the inner or outer side of the bumper body 100, thereby adjusting the overall length of the bumper.

[0041] Furthermore, a bent plate 112 is provided on the side of the first plate 111 away from the sliding gap. The bent plate 112 extends downward and is fixed to the upper or lower end face of the bumper body 100. A sealing plate 113 is horizontally connected between the two bent plates 112. The sealing plate 113 is spaced apart from the first plate 111 to form a sliding chamber. The cross-section of the sliding chamber is rectangular. A sliding plate 220 is provided at one end of the slider 210 that passes through the sliding gap. The cross-section of the sliding plate 220 is also rectangular and fits against the sliding chamber. When the end cap 200 moves along the length of the bumper body 100, the sliding plate 220 slides against the sliding chamber without any gap in the circumference, which can ensure that the end cap 200 slides smoothly relative to the bumper body 100.

[0042] The sealing plate 113 of the slide rail 110 located on the lower end face of the bumper body 100 has an elongated clearance hole 117. The elongated clearance hole 117 is opened along the length direction of the bumper body 100 and corresponds to the position of the clearance through hole 116. The toothed plate 230 is provided on the slide plate 220 on the inner bottom surface of the end cover 200. The toothed plate 230 is located on the side of the slide plate 220 facing the inside of the bumper body 100 and is integrally formed with the slide plate 220. The drive gear 320 passes through both the clearance through hole 116 and the clearance elongated clearance hole 117 and meshes with the toothed plate 230.

[0043] The bent plate 112 has a transverse flange 114 at one end away from the first plate 111. The bent plate 112 is fixed to the upper or lower end face of the bumper body 100 by means of the transverse flange 114. The sealing plate 113 has downwardly extending longitudinal flanges 115 at both ends. The sealing plate 113 is fixed between the two bent plates 112 by means of the two longitudinal flanges 115. The sealing plate 113 has downwardly extending longitudinal flanges 115 at both ends. The sealing plate 113 is welded and fixed between the two bent plates 112 by means of the two longitudinal flanges 115. The longitudinal flanges 115 can provide a larger welding surface to ensure that the sealing plate 113 is stably installed between the two bent plates 112.

[0044] Preferably, the first plate 111, the bending plate 112 and the transverse flange 114 are integrally formed, and the sealing plate 113 and the longitudinal flange 115 are integrally formed.

[0045] This invention also provides a control method for adjusting the length of a bumper, using the aforementioned bumper structure, specifically including the following steps:

[0046] S1: Set the bumper length adjustment data. The host transmits the data signal to the motor controller of the drive motor 310 through the body domain controller.

[0047] The bumper length adjustment data is input digitally via the display screen of the car's smart cockpit. For example, when it is necessary to shorten the bumper length by 200mm, the bumper length adjustment data input section on the display screen is brought up, and "-200" is entered; when it is necessary to extend the bumper length by 200mm, the bumper length adjustment data input section on the display screen is brought up, and "+200" is entered.

[0048] After the bumper length adjustment data input to the display screen is confirmed, it is transmitted to the host, which then transmits the data signal to the motor controller via the CAN network.

[0049] S2: If the data signal is a bumper retraction signal, the motor controller converts the bumper unfolding signal into a motor forward rotation stroke signal, controlling the drive end of the drive motor 310 to rotate forward by a preset angle; if the data signal is a bumper unfolding signal, the motor controller converts the bumper retraction signal into a motor reverse rotation stroke signal, controlling the drive end of the drive motor 310 to rotate in the reverse direction by a preset angle.

[0050] The motor controller uses a built-in conversion algorithm to convert the bumper deployment signal into a forward rotation signal or the bumper retraction signal into a reverse rotation signal.

[0051] The drive motor 310 is an actuator. According to the forward or reverse stroke signal of the motor transmitted by the motor controller, the drive end of the drive motor 310 rotates by a corresponding angle in a specific rotation direction, thereby driving the toothed plate 230 to move laterally by a corresponding distance through the drive gear 320, so as to realize the adjustment of the bumper length direction.

[0052] Please refer to Figure 6 The circuit diagram shows how the drive motor 310 is controlled to rotate forward or backward. The drive motor 310 has two relays connected in parallel, and is also equipped with two switches and corresponding batteries and fuses.

[0053] When both switches are closed simultaneously, the relay coils are energized, and pins 3 and 4 of the first relay are connected, as are pins 3 and 4 of the second relay. The current flows in the direction of the reverse arrow, driving the motor 310 to rotate counterclockwise. The drive gear 320 drives the toothed plate 230 to move outward, and the end cover 200 moves outward, thus extending the bumper.

[0054] When the first switch is closed and the second switch is open, pins 3 and 5 of the first relay are connected, and pins 3 and 5 of the second relay are connected. Current flows in the direction of the forward arrow, driving motor 310 to rotate forward. The movement state is reversed, ultimately shortening the bumper.

[0055] When the first switch is turned on, the power supply is disconnected regardless of whether the second switch is in the open or closed state, and the drive motor 310 does not work.

[0056] Based on the same inventive concept, the present invention also provides a vehicle using the above-mentioned bumper structure.

[0057] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A bumper structure, characterized in that, The device includes a bumper body (100) and an end cap (200). The end cap (200) is disposed at the end of the bumper body (100). The bumper body (100) is provided with a slide rail (110) along its length. The end cap (200) is provided with a slider (210) adapted to the slide rail (110). The bumper body (100) is provided with a driving member (300) for driving the slider (210) to slide along the slide rail (110). The driving component (300) includes a driving motor (310) and a driving gear (320). The driving motor (310) is mounted on the bumper body (100), and the driving gear (320) is connected to the driving end of the driving motor (310). The slider (210) is provided with a toothed plate (230) along the length direction of the bumper body (100), and the driving gear (320) meshes with the toothed plate (230). The two end caps (200) are respectively fitted onto the two ends of the bumper body (100), the slide rails (110) are respectively provided on both sides of the upper and lower end surfaces of the bumper body (100), the sliders (210) are respectively provided on the inner top and inner bottom surfaces of the end caps (200), the drive unit (300) is installed in the lower part of the bumper body (100), and the slider (210) located on the inner bottom surface of the end caps (200) is equipped with the toothed plate (230); The slide rail (110) includes two first plates (111) fixedly disposed on the upper or lower end face of the bumper body (100). The two first plates (111) are symmetrically disposed along the width direction of the upper or lower end face of the bumper body (100). A sliding gap is formed between the two first plates (111) extending along the length direction of the bumper body (100). The slider (210) extends longitudinally through the sliding gap and can slide along the length direction of the sliding gap. The first plate (111) has a bent plate (112) on the side away from the sliding gap. The bent plate (112) is fixed to the upper or lower end face of the bumper body (100). A sealing plate (113) is horizontally connected between the two bent plates (112). A sliding chamber is formed between the sealing plate (113) and the sliding gap. A sliding plate (220) is provided at one end of the slider (210) that passes through the sliding gap. The sliding plate (220) is slidably disposed in the sliding chamber. The toothed plate (230) is provided with stop blocks (240) at both ends; The bumper body (100) includes a top plate, a bottom plate, and a front guard plate. The top plate is connected to the upper end of the front guard plate and extends rearward. The bottom plate is connected to the lower end of the front guard plate and extends rearward. The top plate, the bottom plate, and the front guard plate form a U-shaped frame structure with an opening facing rearward. The end cap (200) is a frame structure with a U-shaped cross-section. Its internal contour is larger than the external contour of the bumper body (100). The end cap (200) is fitted onto both ends of the bumper body (100) from front to back, and the outer side of the end cap (200) is bent rearward to form an arc-shaped end face. The bumper body (100) has clearance through holes (116) on both sides of its lower part along the length direction. The drive gear (320) passes through the clearance through holes (116) and meshes with the corresponding toothed plate (230). The bending plate (112) has a transverse flange (114) at one end away from the first plate (111). The bending plate (112) is fixed to the upper or lower end face of the bumper body (100) by means of the transverse flange (114). The sealing plate (113) has a downwardly extending longitudinal flange (115) at both ends. The sealing plate (113) is fixed between the two bending plates (112) by means of the two longitudinal flanges (115).

2. A method for controlling bumper length adjustment, characterized in that, The bumper structure described in claim 1 is used, specifically including the following steps: S1: Set the bumper length adjustment data, and the host transmits the data signal to the motor controller of the drive motor (310) through the body domain controller; S2: If the data signal is a bumper retraction signal, the motor controller will convert the bumper unfolding signal into a motor forward rotation stroke signal and control the drive end of the drive motor (310) to rotate forward by the corresponding angle; if the data signal is a bumper unfolding signal, the motor controller will convert the bumper retraction signal into a motor reverse rotation stroke signal and control the drive end of the drive motor (310) to rotate in the opposite direction by the corresponding angle.

3. A vehicle, characterized in that, Includes the bumper structure as described in claim 1.

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