Bumper arrangement

Abstract

Described is a bumper arrangement 1 for a vehicle with a cross member 2 extending in the direction of the width of the vehicle and with two crash boxes 10 arranged apart from each other in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the cross member 2, designed as hollow chamber profiles, wherein the cross member 2 comprises an upper chord 4, a lower chord 5, a web 6 connecting the two chords 4, 5 at their edge region facing the vehicle, and a vertical flange 8, 9 extending vertically away from the upper chord 4 and / or the lower chord 5 at their edge opposite the web 6, and wherein the crash boxes 10 have in their front connection section 15 facing the cross member 2 a cross member receptacle engaging in the side walls 14, 14.1 extending in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the cross member 2 with their planar extensions, characterized in that - the upper and / or the lower side walls 12, 13 that vertically delimit the crash boxes 10 have a greater vertical distance to the belt 4, 5, which points with its flat side in the same direction, than the end of the vertical flange 8, 9 of the cross member 2 from this belt 4, 5, - the crash boxes 10 in their connection section 15, in addition to the cross member receptacle 16, have a shortening of at least one side wall 13 limiting the vertical extent of a crash box 10, which projects vertically towards the vertical flange 9, whereby the front face of these side walls is spaced horizontally away from the vertical flange and - each crashbox 10 is assigned a support element 20 with a support surface 21 pointing towards the front face of the shortened side wall, on which this front face is supported, which support element 20 is connected to the rear of the vertical flange 9 with its end 24 opposite the support surface 21 in the direction of the cross member 2.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a bumper arrangement for a vehicle comprising a cross member extending in the direction of the width of the vehicle and two crash boxes arranged apart from each other in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the cross member and designed as hollow chamber profiles, wherein the cross member comprises an upper chord, a lower chord, a web connecting the two chords at their edge region facing the vehicle, and a vertical flange extending vertically away from the upper chord and / or the lower chord at their edge opposite the web, and wherein the crash boxes have a cross member receptacle in their front connection section facing the cross member, which engages in the side walls extending in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the cross member with their planar extensions.

[0002] Such bumper arrangements are well known. The crossmember, extending in the width (y-direction) of the vehicle, is typically convexly curved away from its rear side facing the vehicle. Bumper crossmembers of this type are manufactured from sections of extruded hollow chamber profiles as well as from roll forming of a sheet steel blank. Crossmembers composed of several components are also known, typically a half-shell with a hat-shaped cross-section, the open side of which may be closed by a closing plate. Crash boxes for energy absorption in the event of an impact are attached to the rear side of the crossmember, facing the vehicle chassis, at intervals along its longitudinal extension. These are supported and connected to the crossmember by a front-facing connection section.The crash boxes are attached to a longitudinal beam of the vehicle via their back side.

[0003] The requirements for such a bumper assembly are manifold. Such a bumper assembly should not only exhibit sufficient stiffness properties, but also maintain its structural integrity for the greatest possible intrusion path when subjected to a force directed towards the vehicle chassis in the event of a crash. Structural integrity is compromised if cracks develop in the bumper assembly during energy absorption. Furthermore, such a bumper assembly must also meet space-related requirements. Due to space constraints, the design possibilities for, for example, the vertical extension of the crossmember and the crash boxes are sometimes limited. This typically applies to the front-side connection section of the latter.

[0004] The crash boxes are designed as hollow chamber profiles and, like the cross member, can be formed from sections of extruded hollow chamber profiles or by assembling, for example, two half-shells. If such a crash box is provided from two or more half-shells, these are typically made of a suitable steel material known for this purpose. A cross member receptacle is incorporated into the front connection section of the crash boxes facing the cross member, so that the side walls defining the vertical extent of the crash boxes overlap the flanges of the cross member and are connected to them. Such a bumper arrangement is known, for example, from DE 10 2020 214 189 A1, DE 10 2009 005 606 A1, WO 2017 / 044035 A1, or also from DE 10 2009 013 322 A1.

[0005] In some cases, the vertical extent of the crash boxes in such bumper arrangements is greater than that of the crossmember, as shown, for example, in CN 207 190 984 U. In this previously known bumper arrangement, the side wall of the rectangular crash box, which defines the upper boundary of the crash box, is positioned at a vertical distance from the upper edge of a vertical flange projecting from the top flange of the crossmember. To absorb forces, these are transferred into the downward-facing vertical wall and the side walls of the crash box, but not into the side wall that defines the top of the crash box. The crash performance of this previously known bumper arrangement is therefore not considered optimal, even though the relatively large cross-sectional area of ​​the crash box allows it to absorb correspondingly large amounts of energy.Another problem with the bumper arrangement known from this state of the art is that, due to its frontal height, it is not suitable for use in applications with limited installation space.

[0006] Based on the prior art discussed above, the invention therefore aims to further develop a bumper arrangement of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that it has improved crash performance.

[0007] This problem is solved according to the invention by a bumper arrangement of the aforementioned type, in which - the upper and / or lower side walls that define the crash boxes in a vertical direction have a greater vertical distance to the belt whose flat side points in the same direction than the end of the vertical flange of the cross member from this belt, - the crash boxes in their connection section, in addition to the cross member mounting, have a shortening of at least one side wall limiting the vertical extent of a crash box, which projects vertically towards the vertical flange, whereby the front face of these side walls is spaced horizontally away from the vertical flange and - each crash box is assigned a support element with a support surface pointing towards the front face of the shortened side wall, on which this front face is supported, which support element is connected to the rear of the vertical flange with its end opposite the support surface in the direction of the cross member.

[0008] According to the invention, this problem is also solved by a bumper arrangement with the features of claim 14.

[0009] The directional terms x-direction, y-direction, and z-direction used in this explanation refer to the coordinate system commonly used for motor vehicles, where "x" is the vehicle's longitudinal extent, "y" is the vehicle's width, and "z" is the vertical direction. The longitudinal extent of the crossbeam according to the invention thus extends in the y-direction.

[0010] In the bumper arrangement according to the first proposed solution, the side walls that define the crash box in the z-direction and are not supported at the front due to their vertical distance to the corresponding belt on the crossmember are shortened in the x-direction. This shortening of the crash box side wall also results in a reduction in the height of the side wall sections located towards the crossmember. Thus, the crash box has a lower connection section in at least one of these side walls. Therefore, this bumper arrangement is particularly suitable for vehicles with limited installation space in the area where the crash box connects to the crossmember. This shortening of the side walls is an additional measure to the crossmember mounting point already present in the front connection section.Such a crash box can have shortened side walls with respect to both side walls that define the crash box in the vertical direction. Preferably, however, the connection section of the crash box is designed asymmetrically in the vertical direction, so that only one of the two side walls defining the crash box in the vertical direction is shortened, namely the one that has a greater distance in the z-direction to the outside of the adjacent flange of the cross member than the upper end of the vertical web. With respect to the vertical extent of the connection section, such a crash box can therefore be designed asymmetrically with respect to the arrangement or connection of the cross member. A support element is provided as part of the bumper assembly to ensure a defined force transmission into such a shortened side wall.This component features a support surface against which the front face, and thus the end face of the shortened side wall facing the crossbeam, is supported. The support element is connected, with its side facing the crossbeam, to the rear of the vertical flange projecting in the same direction from the adjacent belt. Since the side wall of the crash box opposite the shortened side wall in the vertical direction is already supported at its front face by the crossbeam—either by a vertical flange also projecting from the other belt or by the web connecting the two belts—the presence of this support element reliably transfers any force acting on the beam in the x-direction into the shortened side wall.This results in homogeneous energy absorption across the height of the crash boxes of such a bumper arrangement, without the risk of the cross member buckling upwards or downwards, which in turn is problematic for the integrity of the bumper arrangement when subjected to corresponding forces.

[0011] When, in the context of these explanations, a side wall that limits the crash box in a vertical direction is mentioned, it can refer to a side wall located in a plane, as well as to a curved section or to several side walls or side wall sections adjoining each other at an angle.

[0012] The advantages of the claimed bumper arrangements arise regardless of the material of the crossmember and the crash boxes. According to an embodiment advantageous to the applicant, the crossmember and the crash boxes are manufactured from sheet steel blanks, i.e., correspondingly formed parts. Likewise, the crash boxes can also be made of a suitable light metal alloy, for example, an aluminum alloy. The same applies if the crossmember is designed with a half-shell and a closing plate that seals it at the front. Non-metallic materials can also be used for the crossmember. Therefore, such a bumper arrangement can certainly be designed as a hybrid component using different materials.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the support element has stiffer material properties than the crash box material, for example, through appropriate hardening, greater material thickness, the use of a more resistant material, or the like. It is essential that a force acting on the support element in the x-direction towards the crash box is reliably transferred into the shortened side wall of the crash box. This is achieved if, during such force transmission, the support element is not deformed, or only minimally deformed, at least initially in such a crash scenario.

[0014] In a further advantageous embodiment, the support surface of the support element provides support not only to the front face of the shortened side wall of the crash box, but also to the transition to the adjacent side walls. This transition is typically radiused. With a bumper designed in this way, the force is then transmitted not only to the shortened side wall of the crash box, but also, and more importantly, to the circumferentially curved transition areas into the adjacent side walls, which are more stable in terms of their shape. The support surface is typically provided by a section of a flat side of the support element, which is designed like a formed sheet metal part.Preferably, the support surface is bounded by a transition leg angled relative to it in the z-direction, which is connected to the shortened side wall of the crash box on the outside. In such a design, the joining area between the support element and the crash box is spaced away from the front face of the crash box. This is advantageous for a joint involving heat, such as a typically used welding process, since the front face of the shortened side wall, possibly including transition sections, remains largely unaffected by heat input, thus preventing softening of the material due to changes in the metal structure.

[0015] A further improvement in crash performance can be achieved by additionally connecting the support element to the side wall sections of a crash box that extend in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the crossbeam. In the event of impact forces, this effectively prevents these side wall sections from bending or warping. This can be achieved either by having the support element engage between and be joined to the aforementioned side walls, or by having the support element have a section with angled legs that wrap around the outside of the side wall sections, rest against them, and are joined to them. With this design, the very shape of these angles counteracts buckling under load.The forces that a joint, typically a weld between the support element and the side wall sections in question, has to absorb in the case of energy absorption are correspondingly lower.

[0016] Particularly good crash performance is achieved when the crash boxes, with the exception of the section supported by the support element, contact the crossbeam at the end face of their connection section, i.e., are directly supported by it. This contact is achieved primarily through the rear of the web connecting the upper and lower flanges, as well as support at the rear of one or both vertical flanges. In the event of a load, the force acting on the crossbeam is distributed across the entire cross-sectional area of ​​the crash box from the outset. This design of the bumper assembly can be modified to accommodate other load cases.The side wall sections that overlap the top chord or the bottom chord and whose planar extension points in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the crossbeam are supported with their end face on the vertical flange projecting in the x-direction from the respective chord in this direction and are typically connected to it by a joining connection.

[0017] The connection of the crash boxes to the crossbeam, as well as the connection of the support element to the crossbeam and the crash box, is preferably achieved by means of a metallurgical fusion joint, in particular by welding. It is not necessary for the crossbeam and the attached crash boxes to be made of the same material, as long as they can be joined together by a fusion joint.

[0018] Although the crash boxes in this bumper arrangement can be manufactured as sections of extruded hollow chamber profiles, a design by assembling two or more shells, typically made of sheet steel, is preferred. This minimizes material waste. Furthermore, the use of steel sheets is more cost-effective. Additionally, it offers significantly greater design freedom in terms of the cross-sectional geometry and longitudinal geometry of such a crash box.

[0019] Such a bumper arrangement can have two crash boxes connected to the crossmember asymmetrically with respect to the height of their connection section. This means that the crash boxes then have only one shortened side wall that limits the crash box in the vertical direction, the front face of which, preferably together with the transition sections into the adjacent side walls, is supported by a support element on a vertical flange of the crossmember. The side wall opposite this shortened side wall of the crash box in the z-direction is then supported either on a vertical flange projecting from the other flange of the crossmember, on the rear of the web, or in the transition section from the web of the crossmember to the adjacent flange. The latter is a preferred support, since the front face of this side wall of the crash box is then connected to the particularly robust transition area between the flange and the web.

[0020] According to the second proposed solution, which can certainly be combined with the first, the cross member is formed by a U-shaped profiled half-shell, the open side of which faces away from the vehicle in the x-direction. This open side is closed by a closing plate that projects at least over the z-direction outer surface of one of the two straps, but typically over both straps in the z-direction, thus extending away from the outer surface of each strap. The straps of the half-shell are butted against the flat side of the closing plate and connected to each other. An advantage of this design is that there is no curved transition area between the flat side of the vertical flange and the outer surface of a strap.Consequently, the entire height of the section of such a vertical flange projecting from the belt can be used to support a front end face section of the crash box, in order to couple forces in the x-direction into the supported side wall section of the crash box in the event of a load. The closing plate can be unstructured or structured. A design of the closing plate with a profiled cross-sectional geometry, for example a hat-shaped cross-sectional geometry, is also possible.

[0021] The invention is described below using exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. They show: Fig. 1: A schematic representation of a section of a bumper arrangement according to the invention in a perspective partial rear view, Fig. 2: the bumper arrangement of the Fig. 1 in a perspective view looking from below, Fig. 3: a bumper arrangement which, in terms of its construction, is similar to that of the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 corresponds, in a load case, during an initial deformation in a load case, Fig. 4: a bumper arrangement structurally similar to that of the Fig. 3 corresponds, but is equipped without a support element, during an initial deformation, in a load case, Fig. 5: the bumper arrangement of the Fig. 3 after deformation by a pile test, Fig. 6: the bumper arrangement of the Fig. 4 after deformation by a pile test, Fig. 7: a schematic representation of a section of a bumper arrangement according to the invention in a perspective partial side view according to a further embodiment, Fig. 8: the bumper arrangement of the Fig. 7 in a perspective view looking from below.

[0022] One in Fig. The partially illustrated bumper assembly 1 comprises a cross member 2. This extends in the y-direction of a vehicle not shown in the figures. The left part of the bumper assembly 1 is shown in this figure. The cross member 2 of the illustrated embodiment comprises a C-shaped profiled half-shell 3, made from a sheet steel plate. This half-shell 3 is formed by an upper chord 4, a lower chord 5, and a web 6 connecting the two chords 4 and 5 at their rear end, which faces the vehicle chassis. As can be seen in the figure, the depth of the half-shell 3 decreases towards the longitudinal end of the cross member 2. The open side of the half-shell 3 faces away from the vehicle chassis. Thus, the half-shell 3 is open in the direction of travel.The front of the half-shell 3 is closed by a closing plate 7, which, for the sake of simplicity, is depicted as an unstructured sheet steel plate in the illustrated embodiment. The closing plate 7 projects beyond the upper outer surface of the top chord 4 and the downward-facing outer surface of the bottom chord 5. This provides an upper vertical flange 8 and a lower vertical flange 9. The chords 4 and 5 are supported at their x-direction-facing ends against the flat side of the closing plate 7 and connected to it by a weld. In the described embodiment, both components of the crossbeam 2 are made of steel sheets. It is understood that the components of the crossbeam 2 – the half-shell 3 and the closing plate 7 – can also be made of different materials. Naturally, the crossbeam 2 can also be supplied as an extruded profile section.

[0023] The bumper assembly 1 also includes two crash boxes 10, of which only one crash box 10 is shown in the figure. The following descriptions of the left crash box 10 apply equally to the right crash box, which is not shown in the figures. The crash box 10 is composed of two half-shells 11, 11.1. The two half-shells 11, 11.1 are made of sheet steel. The half-shells 11, 11.1 are arranged with their respective U-shaped profiles overlapping in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the crash box (x-direction) and are welded together at this edge by a fillet weld (not shown). The crash box 10 has a quadrilateral, or in the illustrated embodiment, rectangular, cross-sectional geometry. In the vertical direction (z-direction), the crash box 10 is bounded on the top and bottom by a side wall 12, 13.The side walls 12, 13 are each formed by a section of the legs of the half-shells 11, 11.1. The upper side wall 12 and the lower side wall 13 are connected to each other by side walls 14, 14.1, the latter extending in the y-direction along their planar extent. The crash box 10 is thus a hollow chamber profile. Instead of constructing the crash boxes 10 from sheet steel parts, they can also be manufactured as extruded profiles from a suitable alloy, for example, an aluminum alloy.

[0024] The crash box 10 has a connection section 15. This section connects the crash box 10 to the crossbeam 2. The connection section 15 is adapted to the geometry of the crossbeam 2 with respect to the design of its front face and has a crossbeam recess 16. This recess extends into the side walls 14, 14.1 from the front end of the crash box 10 in the x-direction. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper side wall 12 is also integrated into the crossbeam recess 16. The vertical extension of the crossbeam recess 16 is designed such that the upper side wall 12, with its x-direction-facing front face, is supported at the transition formed by a radius between the top flange 4 and the web 6 of the crossbeam 2. The x-direction-facing end faces of the side walls 14, 14.11 are each supported by a section extending in the z-direction on the rear side of the web 6 and outside the crossbeam recess 16 by side wall sections 17, 17.1 on the lower vertical flange 9. Thus, the crash box 10, with its side wall sections 17 which define the underside of the crossbeam recess 16, engages the half-shell 3 of the crossbeam 2. The z-direction end of the side wall sections 17 rests against the underside of the lower chord 5. Along the in . Fig. In the contacts shown in Figure 1 between the crash box 10 and the cross member 2, both components are welded together.

[0025] The crash box 10 is arranged with respect to its vertical extension relative to the crossbeam 2 such that the lower side wall 13 is further away from the bottom flange 5 than the distance between the vertical flange 9 and the bottom flange 5. In the connection section 15, the crash box 10 has a notch 18 on its underside, which shortens the lower side wall 13 in the x-direction. Without the notch 18, the side wall 13 would extend to the rear of the vertical flange 9, but due to the greater distance to the bottom flange 5, it would not be fully supported by it. The notch 18 encompasses the side wall 13, including the curved transitions to the side walls 14 and 14.1. This creates a step 19 in the notch 18, which extends largely in the z-direction.Behind step 19, the height of the side wall section 17 (extension in z-direction) is reduced until this side wall section 17 reaches a height that corresponds to the height of the vertical flange 9.

[0026] The bumper assembly 1 is further associated with a support element 20 with respect to its crash boxes 10, as shown here with respect to the crash box 10. The support element 20 is a formed sheet metal part which, in the illustrated embodiment, has more stable material properties than the material of the half-shells 11, 11.1 of the crash box 10. The support element 20 provides a support surface 21 which points towards the end face of the step 19. The end face of the step 19 of the cutout 18 is supported on the support surface 21. The support surface 21 is bounded on its underside in the z-direction by an overlapping leg 22 which is angled relative to the planar extent of the support surface 21. Fig. Figure 1 shows the support element 20 before its installation in the other components of the bumper assembly 1. With its Fig. The overhang leg 22, with its recognizable upper surface 23, is connected to the outside of the lower side wall 13 of the crash box 10 by a weld. The weld is a fillet weld at the joint of the overhang leg 22 facing the side wall 13 and is thus spaced from the end face of the step 19. The support element 20, with its end 24 opposite the overhang leg 22, is supported on the vertical flange 9 and connected to it by a weld. The support element 20 of the in Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the [partition] is inserted between the spaced-apart side wall sections 17, 17.1 of the side walls 14, 14.1, as can be seen from the illustration of the Fig. 2 is recognizable.

[0027] As from Fig. As can be seen in Figure 1, the crash box 10 is arranged asymmetrically with respect to its vertical extent relative to the cross member 2. The crash box 10 engages the half-shell 3 with its side wall sections 17, 17.1 and projects in the z-direction beyond the lower end of the cross member 2. The support element 20 ensures that, despite the greater downward vertical extent of the crash box 10 and extending beyond the lower end of the vertical flange 9, a force acting on the bumper assembly in the area of ​​the crash box 10 in the x-direction is nevertheless introduced uniformly into the cross-sectional area of ​​the crash box 10 and, in particular, uniformly into the upper side wall 12 and the lower side wall 13.

[0028] Such a uniform deformation of the bumper assembly 1, although shown in this specific case with a different crash box but of the same construction, illustrates how in Fig. Figure 3 shows that, upon initial deformation of the crash box 10, the horizontal force is introduced uniformly into the crash box 10, resulting in a symmetrical folding structure for energy absorption. Despite its asymmetrical connection in the x-direction to the crash box 10, the crossbeam 2 connected to it does not tend to tilt.

[0029] The crash behavior of a bumper assembly differs if it is not equipped with a support element 20. The crash behavior of such a bumper assembly, which, with the exception of the missing support element 20, is constructed like the bumper assembly of the Fig. 3, is in Fig. Figure 4 shows the buckling of side wall sections 17, 17.1 and the upward buckling of the cross member 2 in the z-direction. With this bumper arrangement, the force is primarily applied to the upper side wall of the crash box 10, but not to the lower side wall. As a result, the crash box 10 is subjected to uneven loading across its cross-sectional area.

[0030] Likewise, advantages arise from the Fig. 1 and Fig. The bumper arrangement described in section 2 also applies during a pole test. Fig. Figure 5 shows the bumper arrangement 1 according to the invention (corresponding to the representation of the bumper arrangement of the Fig. 3) in a pole test. The pole is identified in this figure by the reference symbol P. The connection section 15 of the crash box 10 remains stable. No cracks form in the crash box 10. The stable connection of the crash box 10 to the cross member 2 ensures that the crash box 10 can buckle as intended in the y-direction during a pole test. The crash behavior of a similar bumper assembly without a support element in a pole test is shown in Fig. Figure 6 shows that with this bumper arrangement, cracks are visible in the crash box 10 under the same deformation force. Such a crack is present in Fig. 6 is identified by the reference number 25. This bumper arrangement therefore loses its structural integrity.

[0031] Fig. 7 and Fig. Figure 8 shows a further embodiment of a bumper arrangement 1.1 according to the invention. This is fundamentally constructed in the same way as the bumper arrangement 1. Therefore, identical features are indicated by the same reference numerals. The only difference between the bumper arrangement 1.1 and the bumper arrangement 1 is the design of the support element 20.1, which in the bumper arrangement 1.1 does not engage between the side wall sections 17, 17.1 of the crash box 10, but instead has legs 26, 26.1 angled from their planar extent, with which the support element 20.1 encompasses the side wall sections 17, 17.1 on the outside and is joined to these legs 26, 26.1. The outer engagement of the side wall sections 17, 17.1 of the crash box 10 with the legs 26, 26.1 of the support element 20.1 is shown in the perspective view from below. Fig.8 clearly visible. The positive deformation behavior of bumper arrangement 1.1 corresponds to that of bumper arrangement 1. Reference symbol list 1, 1.1 Bumper arrangement 2 cross members 3 half-shells 4 Upper chord 5 Lower belt 6 Bridge 7 Strike plate 8 Vertical flange 9 Vertical flange 10 Crashbox 11, 11,1 half-shell 12 side wall 13 Side wall 14, 14.1 Side wall 15 Connection section 16 Crossbeam recess 17, 17.1 Side wall section 18 Disconnection 19th level 20 support elements 21 Support surface 22 assault legs 23 Top 24 End 25 Opening 26, 26.1 thigh P post

Claims

[1] A bumper arrangement for a vehicle with a cross member (2) extending in the direction of the width of the vehicle and with two crash boxes (10) arranged at a distance from one another in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the cross member (2) and designed as a hollow chamber profile, wherein the cross member (2) comprises an upper flange (4), a lower flange (5), a web (6) connecting the two flanges (4, 5) at their edge region facing the vehicle, and a vertical flange (8, 9) extending vertically away from the upper flange (4) and / or the lower flange (5) at their edge opposite the web (6), and wherein the crash boxes (10) have, in their front connection section (15) facing the cross member (2), a cross member receptacle engaging in the side walls (14, 14.1) facing in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the cross member (2), characterized by , that - the upper and / or lower side walls (12, 13) delimiting the crash boxes (10) in the vertical direction have a greater vertical distance from the belt (4, 5) pointing with their flat side in the same direction than the end of the vertical flange (8, 9) of the cross member (2) from this belt (4, 5), - the crash boxes (10) in their connecting section (15) have, in addition to the cross member recess (16), a shortening of at least one side wall (13) which delimits the vertical extent of a crash box (10) and which projects vertically relative to the vertical flange (9), whereby the front end of these side walls (13) is spaced apart from the vertical flange (9) in the horizontal direction and - each crash box (10) is assigned a support element (20, 20.1) with a support surface (21) facing the front end face of the shortened side wall (13), on which support surface this front end face is supported, which support element (20, 20.1) is connected to the rear side of the vertical flange (9) with its end (24) opposite the support surface (21) in the direction of the cross member (2). [2] Bumper arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by that the shortening of the side wall (13) also includes the transition of this side wall (13) into the adjacent side walls (14, 14.1) of the respective crash box (10). [3] Bumper arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the support surface (21) of the support element (20, 20.1) borders on an overlapping leg (22) which is angled relative to this and which is connected on the outside to the shortened side wall (13) of the respective crash box (10). [4] Bumper arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the support element (20, 20.1) is supported with its end (24) on the vertical flange (9). [5] Bumper arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that the support element (20, 20.1) is connected to the side walls (14, 14.1) of a crash box (10) with their planar extension pointing in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the cross member (2). [6] Bumper arrangement according to claim 5, characterized by that the support element (20) engages with a section between the side walls (14, 14.1) of a crash box (10) which point with their planar extension in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the cross member (2) and is connected to these. [7] Bumper arrangement according to claim 5, characterized bythat the support element (20, 20.1) with a section with angled legs (26, 26.1) engages around the outside of the side walls (14, 14.1) of the respective crash box (10), the side walls (14, 14.1) pointing with their flat extension in the longitudinal extension of the cross member (2), and is connected to these. [8] Bumper arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that the crash boxes (10) rest with the front side of their cross member recess (16) on the cross member (2) and are connected to it. [9] Bumper arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by that the side wall sections (17, 17.1) of the crash boxes (10) which extend over or under the cross member (2) in the horizontal direction are connected to the vertical flange (9) with their free end face. [10] Bumper arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized bythat the support element (20, 20.1) is a shaped piece of sheet metal made of a steel material, which is connected to the cross member (2) and the respective crash box (10) by means of fusion joining. [11] Bumper arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized by that the crash boxes (10) have a square or rectangular outline geometry. [12] Bumper arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized by that the crash boxes (10) are composed of two joined half-shells (11, 11.1) made of a steel material. [13] Bumper arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized bythat the cross member recess (16) of the crash boxes (10) is open in the vertical direction on its side opposite the shortened side wall (13), so that these crash boxes (10) are connected only with a one-sided overlap with respect to the cross member (2) of their side walls (14, 14.1) pointing with their flat extension in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the cross member (2). [14] A bumper arrangement for a vehicle with a cross member (2) extending in the direction of the width of the vehicle and with two crash boxes (10) arranged at a distance from one another in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the cross member (2) and designed as a hollow chamber profile, wherein the cross member (2) comprises an upper flange (4), a lower flange (5), a web (6) connecting the two flanges (4, 5) at their edge region facing the vehicle, and a vertical flange (8, 9) extending vertically away from the upper flange (4) and / or the lower flange (5) at their edge opposite the web (6), and wherein the crash boxes (10) have, in their front connection section (15) facing the cross member (2), a cross member recess (16) engaging in the side walls (14, 14.1) facing in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the cross member (2), according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized bythat the cross member (2) is formed by its upper chord (4), its lower chord (5) and the web (6) connecting the two chords (4, 5), by a half-shell (3) with a U-shaped profile in cross-section, the opening side of which faces away from the vehicle, and by a closing plate (7) closing the open side of the half-shell (3) and providing the at least one vertical flange, to which closing plate the upper chord (4) and the lower chord (5) of the half-shell (3) are connected with their end faces facing away from the web (6), and that front-end side wall sections of the connecting sections (15) of the crash boxes (10) are supported on a vertical flange (9) and are connected to the latter.

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