Vehicle reinforcement beam

Abstract

The reinforcing beam (12) for the vehicle (100) has an outer beam (20) and an inner beam (22). The outer beam (20) extends laterally between several crash cans (14) of the vehicle (100). The outer beam (20) forms an elongated hollow body having a front wall (30) and a rear wall (32) that extend along the length of the reinforcing beam (12). The inner beam (22) is positioned along the middle section (24) of the outer beam (20). The inner beam (22) further includes an upper wall (34) and a lower wall (36), each extending between the front wall (30) and the rear wall (32) of the outer beam (20). The front wall (30) and the rear wall (32) may be configured to have at least one rib (46, 47) that extends along the length of the outer beam (20).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit and priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 382,286, filed on November 3, 2022, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to reinforcement beams for vehicles, such as bumper reinforcement beams for bumper assemblies, sub - assemblies, and their components.

Background Art

[0003] Vehicle bumper systems generally include at least one reinforcement beam extending across the front or rear end of a vehicle. The primary reinforcement beam is typically supported by a crash can attached to the vehicle frame structure. Vehicle bumper systems are subject to strict testing for impact energy management and absorption from high - speed and low - speed collision impacts, such as to comply with required government regulations and insurance certifications. For example, the impact requirements and protocols for bumper systems are defined, among others, by the U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (US FMVSS), the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the European EC E42 consumer law, and Asian pedestrian protection for lower and upper extremities. Bumper systems are also designed to maximize the strength - to - weight ratio in order to minimize the overall vehicle weight while balancing the cost of the associated bumper system components.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure provides a vehicle reinforcing beam that functions to receive and absorb impact loads resulting from a vehicle collision, such as the implementation of a bumper reinforcing beam supported by crash cans in a vehicle frame. The bumper reinforcing beam comprises an outer beam component configured to extend laterally between a plurality of crash cans, and an inner beam component that reinforces the central or intermediate section of the outer beam component, so that the inner beam component is omitted at both end sections of the outer beam, which would otherwise be more firmly supported by the crash cans. The outer beam component has an elongated hollow body formed from a metal sheet material, such as a front sheet and a rear sheet, which are mounted together along their respective upper and lower flanges. The inner beam reinforces the hollow region between the front and rear walls of the outer beam by providing an upper wall and a lower wall that extend between the front and rear walls. The inner beam may be configured to have greater bending strength than the outer beam, for example, by forming the inner beam from a metal sheet with greater thickness or tensile strength.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a bumper reinforcement beam configured to be supported by a plurality of crash cans in a vehicle frame. The bumper reinforcement beam comprises an outer beam and an inner beam. The outer beam has an elongated hollow body formed from a metal sheet material and configured to extend laterally between the crash cans. The hollow body has a front wall and a rear wall extending along a length defined between a first end and a second end of the hollow body. The inner beam is positioned along the middle section of the outer beam, and the inner beam has an upper wall and a lower wall extending between the front wall and the rear wall of the outer beam, respectively.

[0006] The front and rear walls of the outer beam may be configured with at least one rib extending along the length of the outer beam. The inner beam may have a length between its ends that is less than half the length of the outer beam. The end sections of the outer beam located at both ends of the central section may be configured without an inner beam. In some embodiments, the inner beam may be formed from a metal sheet material that is thicker than the metal sheet material of the outer beam, for example, twice as thick, or more, or less than twice as thick as the metal sheet material of the outer beam.

[0007] The inner beam may have an intermediate portion or connecting wall that interconnects between the upper and lower walls, defining a channel along the inner beam. The intermediate portion may have a groove formed along the front surface of the inner beam. The intermediate portion of the inner beam may be connected to the front wall of the outer beam.

[0008] The upper and lower walls of the inner beam may be configured to divide the internal volume of the hollow body, forming multiple elongated hollow regions. In some embodiments, the inner beam has a rear flange that extends integrally from the upper and lower walls. The rear flange may be attached to the rear wall of the outer beam. The upper and lower walls of the inner beam may extend rearward at an angle of less than 40 degrees with respect to the normal to the extension of the plane of the front wall. In certain embodiments, the upper wall of the inner beam extends rearward and upward at an angle of less than 20 degrees with respect to the normal to the extension of the plane of the front wall. In some embodiments, the lower wall of the inner beam extends rearward and downward at an angle of less than 20 degrees with respect to the normal to the extension of the plane of the front wall.

[0009] The front wall of the outer beam may be configured to have one or more ribs extending along the length of the outer beam. In some embodiments, the outer beam comprises a front piece having a front wall and a rear piece having a rear wall. The front and rear pieces may be attached together along their respective upper and lower flanges so as to enclose the hollow interior of the outer beam. In some embodiments, the upper and lower flanges are attached together by welding, respectively. The upper flanges of the front and rear pieces may be configured to project upward from the interior of the hollow body. The lower flanges of the front and rear pieces may be configured to project downward from the hollow interior of the hollow body.

[0010] The front and rear pieces of the outer beam may each be formed from separate metal sheets. In some embodiments, the rear piece of the outer beam has an upper wall and a lower wall that, together with the rear wall, define a C-shaped cross-section. The rear surface of the rear piece may be configured to have a mounting surface adapted for attachment to a crush can.

[0011] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a bumper reinforcement beam configured to be supported by a plurality of crash cans in a vehicle frame. The bumper reinforcement beam comprises a front beam piece having a front wall and a rear beam piece having a rear wall. The upper and lower edges of the rear beam piece are mounted along the respective upper and lower edges of the front beam piece to define an elongated hollow body having a length configured to span between the plurality of crash cans. An inner beam piece is mounted between the front beam piece and the rear beam piece and has an upper wall and a lower wall extending between the front wall and the rear wall. The inner beam piece has a length of less than half the length of the elongated hollow body.

[0012] A further aspect of the present disclosure provides a reinforcing beam for a vehicle, the reinforcing beam comprising an outboard beam component and an inboard beam component. The outboard beam component has an outboard wall, and the inboard beam component has an inboard wall. The inboard beam component also comprises an upper flange and a lower flange mounted along the upper and lower edges of the outboard beam component, defining an elongated hollow body having a length defined between the ends of the outboard beam component. The inboard beam component is mounted between the outboard beam component and the inboard beam component and has a C-shaped cross section defining an upper shear wall and a lower shear wall extending between the outer wall and the inner wall, respectively. The inboard beam component has a length of less than half the length of the elongated hollow body.

[0013] Each of the above-described independent aspects of this disclosure, and those aspects described in the following detailed description, may include any of the configurations, options, and possibilities described in this disclosure and drawings, including those based on other independent aspects, and may include any combination of any of the configurations, options, and possibilities described in this disclosure and drawings.

[0014] Details of one or more embodiments of this disclosure are described in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other embodiments, advantages, purposes, and configurations will become apparent when considered in conjunction with the drawings and the following specification. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a side view of a vehicle having a bumper assembly that includes a reinforcing beam. [Figure 1A] Figure 1A is a perspective view of the vehicle in Figure 1, showing various additional reinforcing beams. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a side view of the reinforcing beam and support crush can shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a front view of the reinforcing beam shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4A]Figure 4A is an exploded perspective view of the reinforcing beam shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4B] Figure 4B is an exploded perspective view of an additional embodiment of the reinforcing beam. [Figure 5] [[ID=o6]]Figure 5 is a side view of the reinforcing beam of Figure 2. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an exploded side view of the reinforcing beam of Figure 2. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a graph showing the experimental test results of the reinforcing beam shown in Figure 8 under impact load conditions, compared with the previous reinforcing beam shown by the dashed line. [Figure 8] Figures 8 to 19 are cross-sectional side views of examples of the reinforcing beam cut at the middle section of its length. [Figure 9] Figures 8 to 19 are cross-sectional side views of examples of the reinforcing beam cut at the middle section of its length. [Figure 10] Figures 8 to 19 are cross-sectional side views of examples of the reinforcing beam cut at the middle section of its length. [Figure 11] Figures 8 to 19 are cross-sectional side views of examples of the reinforcing beam cut at the middle section of its length. [Figure 12] Figures 8 to 19 are cross-sectional side views of examples of the reinforcing beam cut at the middle section of its length. [Figure 13] [[ID=o0]]Figures 8 to 19 are cross-sectional side views of examples of the reinforcing beam cut at the middle section of its length. [Figure 14] Figures 8 to 19 are cross-sectional side views of examples of the reinforcing beam cut at the middle section of its length. [Figure 15] Figures 8 to 19 are cross-sectional side views of examples of the reinforcing beam cut at the middle section of its length. [Figure 16] Figures 8 to 19 are cross-sectional side views of examples of the reinforcing beam cut at the middle section of its length. [[ID=o0]] [Figure 17] Figures 8 to 19 are cross-sectional side views of examples of the reinforcing beam cut at the middle section of its length. [[ID=4o]] [Figure 18]Figures 8 to 19 are cross-sectional side views of examples of reinforcing beams cut at the middle section of their length. [Figure 19] Figures 8 to 19 are cross-sectional side views of examples of reinforcing beams cut at the middle section of their length. [Figure 20] Figure 20 is a perspective view of an additional embodiment of a reinforcing beam. [Figure 21] Figure 21 is a perspective view of an additional embodiment of a reinforcing beam. [Figure 22] Figure 22 is an exploded perspective view of the reinforcing beam of Figure 21. [Figure 23] Figure 23 is an exploded side view of the reinforcing beam of Figure 21. [Figure 24] Figure 24 is a perspective view of an additional embodiment of a reinforcing beam. [Figure 25] Figure 25 is an exploded perspective view of the reinforcing beam of Figure 24. [Figure 26] Figure 26 is an exploded side view of the reinforcing beam of Figure 24.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

[0017] This disclosure discloses various embodiments of vehicle reinforcing beams implemented as impact energy absorption and management devices, used in conjunction with other vehicle components to absorb and manage impact loads and impact energy while minimizing damage and intrusion to the vehicle in the event of an impact. For example, the reinforcing beam may be used in a bumper assembly mounted on a vehicle frame, where the reinforcing beam is a crosscar structure supported by a crash can. In some examples, such as electric vehicles or rear-engine vehicles, there may be increased requirements for front-end rigidity and impact energy absorption for the vehicle bumper assembly, such as having a larger vehicle mass or a front section that is more susceptible to impact intrusion. While it is generally known that bumper reinforcing beams with greater mass can function to meet greater rigidity requirements, increased mass typically increases vehicle cost and reduces driving range and / or fuel consumption.

[0018] The reinforcing beam 12 of this disclosure comprises an outer beam component 20 and an inner beam component 22 that reinforces an intermediate section 24 (Figure 3) of the outer beam component 20. The outer beam component 20 has an elongated hollow body which may be formed from a metal sheet material. For example, as shown in Figure 4A, the outer beam component 20 comprises a front piece 26 and a rear piece 28 which can be attached together along their respective upper and lower ends 27 and 29, such as along defined upper and lower flanges. The inner beam component 22 reinforces the hollow region between the front wall 30 and the rear wall 32 of the outer beam component 20 by providing an upper wall 34 and a lower wall 36 which each extend between the front wall 30 and the rear wall 32.

[0019] As described in this disclosure, references to the forward, rear, and other directional representations of this example of the reinforcing beam refer to its use on the front bumper assembly (Figure 1) and its relative position on the associated vehicle 100. However, the reinforcing beam disclosed herein may also be used in the rear bumper assembly 13 or side frame structure 15 (Figure 1A), in particular, among possible uses in vehicle structures or assemblies that absorb and manage impact loads and impact energy, such as side members of rockers or battery trays.

[0020] Referring here to the drawings and illustrated exemplary embodiments, the bumper assembly 10 for vehicle 100 has a bumper reinforcing beam 12 supported by a number of crash cans 14 attached to the bumper reinforcing beam 12 at approximately equal intervals from the center of the bumper reinforcing beam 12, as shown in Figure 1. Each crash can 14 of the bumper assembly 10 is attached to the end or tip of a frame rail 16 or to another supporting portion of the vehicle frame, and is positioned so that the bumper reinforcing beam 12 extends laterally (in the width direction of the vehicle) across the front end of the vehicle 100. As shown in Figure 1, the bumper assembly 10 is attached to the front end of a vehicle 100, which may be a passenger vehicle or other type of automobile such as a car, truck, bus, van, or sports utility vehicle. The crash cans 14 support the bumper reinforcing beam 12 in the vehicle frame 16 and function to direct and absorb incoming impact loads 18 through the crash cans 14 from the supported bumper reinforcing beam 12 to the attached frame 16 (in the longitudinal or x-direction relative to the vehicle). Furthermore, the bumper assembly and other implementations are intended to be used or otherwise incorporated into the rear end or other areas of the vehicle. As shown in Figure 1A, various reinforcing beams of vehicle 100 are shown in the figure by dashed lines. Implementation forms of the bumper assembly may be incorporated into other vehicle structural members, such as the rear bumper, roof rails, A-pillars, and B-pillars, as shown.

[0021] For example, as shown in Figure 2, a bumper reinforcement beam 12 and a crush can 14 are illustrated. The crush can 14 is formed as a thin-walled hollow structure, which is a fragile structure designed to absorb the impact energy received by the bumper reinforcement beam 12 by shattering. The bumper assembly 10 may be configured to have one or more mounting plates 17 between the crush can 14 and the bumper reinforcement beam 12, or between the crush can 14 and a vehicle frame component 16 (Figure 1), or both. One or more mounting plates 17 may be configured to have multiple openings distributed for attachment to the bumper reinforcement beam 12 or vehicle frame component 16 having screw-type or similar fasteners such as bolts, rivets, etc. The crush can 14 may be welded to one or more mounting plates 17. Alternatively, the crush can 14 may be welded directly to the bumper reinforcement beam 12, or the vehicle frame component 16, or both.

[0022] As further shown in Figures 2 and 3, the inner beam component 22 of the bumper reinforcement beam 12 reinforces the intermediate section 24 of the outer beam component 20. The intermediate section 24 may be configured to include the central portion of the outer beam component 20, as shown in Figure 3. In other embodiments, the intermediate section 24 may be off-center along the length of the outer beam component 20. As shown in Figure 3, the intermediate section 24 may be configured to include one position along the length of the outer beam component 20, such that the bumper assembly 10 includes one inner beam component 22. In other embodiments, multiple intermediate sections 24 and multiple inner beam components 22 may be provided along the length of the outer beam component 20. By having multiple inner beam components 22, the beam assembly 10 may be configured to set the buckling point at a specific location without additional support from the inner beam components 22. The length between the ends of the inner beam component 22 is less than half the length of the outer beam component 22. For example, the length of the outer beam component may be in the range of 1,000 mm to 1,250 mm, such as approximately 800 mm to 1,600 mm or approximately 1,200 mm, and the length of the inner beam component may be in the range of approximately 300 mm to 600 mm, such as approximately 400 mm. In some embodiments, for example, in a bumper component extended for small overlapping impact tests, the outer beam component may have a length in the range of 1,500 mm to 1,600 mm. These ranges include their respective upper and lower limits.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, the lateral end sections 38a and 38b of the outer beam components located at both ends of the central section 24 lack the inner beam components 22. However, the lateral end sections 38a and 38b experience less bending stress than the central section 24 due to the support of the outer beam components 20 provided by the crush can 14 in the lateral end sections 38a and 38b. Therefore, the reinforcement provided by the inner beam components 22 is not provided in the lateral end sections 38a and 38b. It will be understood that the reinforcing beam may be longer in additional embodiments, and the impact location may be in a different location from the central section, such as in other embodiments on the vehicle.

[0024] As shown in Figure 4A, the bumper reinforcement beam 12 has a substantially straight shape along the length of the beam 12. Each beam component forming the reinforcement beam 12 has a corresponding straight shape, providing a secure fit of the components along the length of the beam. In other embodiments, such as shown in Figure 4B, the bumper reinforcement beam 12 includes a curved shape or sweep along the length of the beam 12. Such curved shapes or sweeps can generally accommodate the beam in a package space permitted by the vehicle design. The curved shape may have a constant curvature along the length of the bumper reinforcement beam, as shown in Figure 4B, or, in other embodiments, a varying radius of curvature in sections of different lengths, such as a greater curvature (and substantially smaller radius of curvature) at the lateral ends. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4B, each beam component forming the bumper reinforcement beam 12 has a corresponding curved shape to provide a secure fit of the components along the length of the reinforcement beam. The corresponding curved shapes between the beam components shown in Figure 4B are provided by the same or substantially similar radius of curvature for each beam component.

[0025] As shown in the embodiments of Figures 5 and 6, the outer beam component 20 has an elongated hollow body formed from a metal sheet material such as a front sheet or piece 26 and a rear sheet or piece 28 that are mounted together. In other words, the front piece 26 of the outer beam component 20 is an outboard beam component 26, and the rear piece 28 is an inboard beam component 28. The front piece and the rear piece 26, 28 are connected together at their respective upper flanges 40a, 42a and lower flanges 40b, 42b. The front piece 26 and the rear piece 28 may be connected directly or indirectly by mechanical joining, such as by welding, adhesive, etc. As shown in Figure 5, the front piece 26 has an upper flange 40a that extends upward beyond the hollow internal region 44 defined by the outer beam component 20, and a lower flange 40b that extends downward beyond the hollow internal region 44 defined by the outer beam component 20. The upper flange 40a and lower flange 40b of the front piece 26 extend vertically in the planar extension of the front wall 30 of the front piece.

[0026] As also shown in Figure 5, the rear piece 28 has an upper flange 42a that extends upward beyond the hollow internal region 44 defined by the outer beam component 20, and a lower flange 42b that extends downward beyond the hollow internal region 44 defined by the outer beam component 20. The upper flange 42a and lower flange 42b of the front piece 26 extend vertically so that their front fitting surfaces are positioned to receive the rear fitting surfaces of the upper flange 40a and lower flange 40b of the front piece 26. The upper flanges 40a, 42a and the lower flanges 40b, 42b engage together to form a flange connection, with the sheets overlapping at the upper and lower front corners of the outer beam component 20, and protruding vertically above and below the hollow internal region 44 enclosed by the outer beam component 20.

[0027] As shown in Figure 5, the rear piece 28 of the outer beam component 20 includes an upper wall 48 and a lower wall 50 that, together with the rear wall 32, define a C-shaped cross section. The upper flange 42a of the rear piece 28 extends integrally upward from the front portion of the upper wall 48. Similarly, the lower flange 42b of the rear piece 28 extends integrally downward from the front portion of the lower wall 50. Thus, the embodiment shown in Figure 5 provides a depth D to the outer beam component 20 of the overall reinforcing beam 12, defined by the lengths of the upper wall 48 and the lower wall 50 of the outer beam component 20. The depth D of the section is constant along the length of the reinforcing beam 12 and is approximately proportional to the other components. In the illustrated embodiment, the depth is approximately 40 mm, but in other embodiments, it may be between 50 mm and 70 mm, or more or less. The rear wall 32 of the outer beam component 20 shown in Figures 5 and 6 has two rear ribs 47 that extend along the length of the outer beam component. In other embodiments, there may be more or fewer rear ribs, and the rear ribs may have different shapes, dimensions, and positions on the rear wall. The rear ribs 47 are also configured to be formed inward in a generally curved shape so that their vertical height on the rear surface and their forward depth from the rear surface of the rear wall 32 do not exceed the allowable curvature (minimum bending radius) of the sheet material. The rear ribs 47 provide additional rigidity to the rear wall 32. In other embodiments, the rear wall 32 lacks the rear ribs 47 (Figure 8). For example, the beam assembly may be configured to have a height of less than 80 mm. In some examples, the rear ribs 47 may not be provided.

[0028] Referring again to the front piece 26, the front wall 30 of the outer beam component 20 shown in Figures 5 and 6 has two front ribs 46 extending along the length of the outer beam component. In other embodiments, there may be more or fewer front ribs, and the front ribs may have different shapes, dimensions, and positions on the front wall. The front ribs 46 are also configured to be formed inward in a generally curved shape so that the vertical height on the front and the depth from the front to the rear of the front wall 30 do not exceed the allowable curvature (minimum bending radius) of the sheet material. The front ribs 46 provide additional rigidity to the front wall.

[0029] The metal sheet material of the outer beam component may contain any metal or metal alloy, as long as it has the desired properties such as rigidity and tensile strength. For example, the material may contain aluminum or steel such as high-strength steel or ultra-high-strength steel, as well as various alloys of other relevant metals in combination. For example, ultra-high-strength steel is steel having a tensile strength of over 780 MPa, or in some embodiments, over 1,000 MPa. The sheet material of the outer beam component may be formed by various processes, such as cold stamping, roll forming, roll stamping, hot stamping, press brake bending, or a combination thereof.

[0030] As further shown in Figures 5 and 6, the inner beam component 22 is provided to reinforce the hollow region 44 between the front wall 30 and the rear wall 32 of the outer beam component 20 by providing an upper wall 34 and a lower wall 36 that extend between the front wall 30 and the rear wall 32. The upper and lower walls may also be called shear walls and may be configured to receive axial loads from impact forces to the bumper system. The inner beam component 22 may be configured to have greater bending strength than the outer beam component 20, for example, by resulting in the inner beam being at least partially formed of a metal sheet having a greater thickness. For example, the inner beam component 22 may be formed from a different metal sheet material having a greater thickness than the metal sheet material of the outer beam, such as up to twice the thickness. In the example shown in Figure 5, the thickness of the metal sheet forming the inner beam component 22 is about 2 mm, and the thickness of the metal sheet forming the outer beam component 20 is about 1 mm. Thus, the thickness of the metal sheet forming the inner beam component may be twice or 2.5 times or more the thickness of the outer beam component. In other embodiments, the inner beam component has a thickness greater than 1.2 mm, or greater than 1.5 mm, or greater than 1.8 mm.

[0031] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the inner beam component 22 has an intermediate portion or connecting wall 52 that defines a channel or C-shape along the inner beam component 22, integrally interconnecting the upper wall 34 and the lower wall 36. As shown in Figure 5, the intermediate portion 52 has a planar shape that abuts the inner surface of the outer beam component 20 to provide a joining surface area. The intermediate portion 52 of the inner beam may be attached to the front wall 30 of the outer beam component 20 via adhesive, welding, fasteners, etc. In some embodiments, the intermediate portion 52 of the inner beam may not be attached at all and may be in contact with the front wall 30 of the outer beam component 20. As shown in Figure 8, in other embodiments, the intermediate portion 152 may have a groove 154 formed along the front surface of the inner beam component 22 (Figure 8). Also, similar to ribs on the front wall, the groove 154 can provide additional rigidity and support to the front portion of the bumper reinforcement beam.

[0032] The upper wall 34 and lower wall 36 of the inner beam component 22 may be configured to divide the internal region 44 of the hollow body formed by the outer beam component 20, forming a plurality of elongated hollow regions 44', 44'', 44'''' (Figure 5). In this way, the height of the middle portion 52 of the inner beam component 22 is configured such that the rib 46 of the front wall 30 is generally centered on the respective upper hollow region 44' and lower hollow region 44''''. The upper wall 34 and lower wall 36 of the inner beam component 22 extend backward at an angle α with respect to the plane extension of the front wall 30 at an orientation normal or perpendicular to it, or in some embodiments, the angle α is defined with respect to a substantially horizontal plane. In some embodiments, the angle α is less than 40 degrees, preferably -5 to 20 degrees. In other embodiments, the angle α of the upper wall of the inner beam extends backward and upward at an angle of less than 20 degrees with respect to the normal to the plane extension of the front wall. In some embodiments, the angle α of the lower wall of the inner beam extends rearward and downward at an angle of less than 20 degrees with respect to the normal to the extension of the plane of the front wall. The angle may also be 12 degrees, 10–12 degrees, 8–12 degrees, 5–15 degrees, 0–15 degrees, or -5–20 degrees. In embodiments having a rear rib 47 positioned on the rear wall 32, the angle α may be 8–12 degrees. For example, the angle α may be 10 degrees when the rear rib 47 is present. In embodiments where the rear wall 32 lacks the rear rib 47, the angle α may be greater, such as 20 degrees.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the inner beam component 22 has rear flanges 56a and 56b that extend integrally from the upper wall 34 and the lower wall 36. As shown in Figure 5, the upper rear flange 56a extends upward from the upper wall 34, and the lower rear flange 56b extends downward from the lower wall 36. In some embodiments, the rear flanges 56a and 56b are coupled to the rear wall 32 of the outer beam component 20 via welding, adhesive, fasteners, etc. In other embodiments, the rear flanges are not coupled to the rear wall 32. In some examples, the upper rear flange 56a and the lower rear flange 56b extend to a position adjacent to the rear rib 47 of the rear wall 32. At such positions, the rear rib 47 may be configured to hold the upper flange 56a and the lower flange 56b to prevent vertical movement of the inner beam component 22 relative to the outer beam component 20 within the hollow interior region 44.

[0034] The thickness may be greater than that of the sheet material of the outer beam component 20, but the metal sheet material of the inner beam component 22 may be composed of the same metal, such as any metal or metal alloy having desired properties such as rigidity and tensile strength. For example, the material may be composed of aluminum or steel such as high-strength steel or ultra-high-strength steel, as well as various alloys by combination of other relevant metals. In other embodiments, the sheet material of the inner beam component may have greater rigidity than that of the outer beam component, for example, by having a smaller, equal, or larger thickness. Furthermore, the sheet material of the inner beam profile 22 may be formed by various processes such as cold stamping, roll forming, roll stamping, hot stamping, press brake bending, or a combination thereof.

[0035] As an additional or alternative configuration, the inner beam component 22 may be fabricated entirely or partially from a non-sheet material such as injection-molded polymer or composite material, aluminum extrusion, or composite pultrusion. Incorporating such alternative material structures for the inner beam component 22 may result in a configuration whose geometric shape differs from that of the inner beam component 22 shown in Figures 5 and 6. In such further alternative configurations, the inner beam component 22 or its components may be formed by machining, molding, or other processes suitable for the material selected to form the alternative material.

[0036] Referring to Figure 7, the simulation test results show the rearward displacement of the bumper reinforcement beam 12 in millimeters (mm) when an increased force load is applied during a central pole impact test. The graph in Figure 7 shows the results of a simulation test comparing the bumper reinforcement beam 12 shown in Figure 8 with a known bumper reinforcement beam design proportionally to have the same mass as the tested bumper reinforcement beam. The results showed that the strength increased by 36% (at peak load) and energy absorption increased by 92% after a displacement of 100 mm. To obtain a similar level of performance, other bumper reinforcement beam designs generally require an increase in mass of approximately 25%.

[0037] Figures 8-20 illustrate other embodiments of the reinforcing beam, showing various alternative configurations and variations from the reinforcing beam shown in Figures 5 and 6. For example, Figures 8 and 9 illustrate reinforcing beams 112 and 212 having the alternative rib structures described above. For example, Figure 8 illustrates a reinforcing beam 112 having an outer beam component 120 having a rear piece 128 lacking a rear rib for forming a substantially planar rear wall 132 and a front piece 126 having a front wall 130. Also, Figure 8 illustrates an inner beam component 122 having a groove 154 located on an intermediate portion or connecting wall 152 interconnected between an upper wall 134 and a bottom wall 136.

[0038] Figure 9 illustrates a reinforcing beam 212 provided with an outer beam component 220 having a ribless front piece 226 to form a substantially planar front wall 230 (although it may have a curved shape or sweep along its length). The outer beam component includes a ribless rear piece 228 to form a substantially planar rear wall 232. The inner beam component 222 has a groove 254 located on an intermediate portion or connecting wall 252 interconnected between the upper wall 234 and the lower wall 236.

[0039] In the example shown in Figure 10, the reinforcing beam 312 has a common sheet thickness for the outer beam component 320 and the inner beam component 322. If the sheet thickness of the inner beam component 322 is small, the upper wall 334 and the lower wall 336 will be closer to each other, and the transition bend in the front portion of the upper and lower walls may have a smaller radius of curvature, thereby allowing for a shorter height in the intermediate portion 352. In the illustrated example, the outer beam component 322 comprises a ribless rear piece 328 and a rib-equipped front piece 326 that forms a substantially planar rear wall 332.

[0040] Similarly, in the embodiment shown in Figure 11, the reinforcing beam 412 has a common sheet thickness, but instead of 1 mm as shown in Figure 10, the reinforcing beam 412 has a thickness of 2 mm, which results in the formation of a greater height of ribs 446 on the front wall 430 without exceeding the allowable curvature (minimum bending radius) of the sheet material. In the illustrated example, the outer beam component 422 comprises a ribless rear piece 428 and a front piece 426 having ribs that form the front wall 430, so as to form a substantially planar rear wall 432.

[0041] As shown in Figure 12, the inner beam component 522 of the reinforcing beam 512 is reduced in height not only as in the embodiment shown in Figure 10, but to a greater extent. This lower height of the inner beam component 522 is due to the inner beam component having a thinner sheet material, resulting in a greater degree of bending. In the illustrated example, the outer beam component 522 comprises a ribless rear piece 528 and a rib-equipped front piece 526 that forms a substantially planar rear wall 532, and a front wall 530.

[0042] In the embodiment shown in Figure 13, the inner beam component 622 is modified from the reinforcing beam shown in Figures 5 and 6 by reversing the rear flanges 656a and 656b that extend integrally from the upper wall 634 and the lower wall 636. As shown in Figure 13, the upper rear flange 656a extends downward from the upper wall 634, and the lower rear flange 656b extends upward from the lower wall 636. In the illustrated example, the outer beam component 622 comprises a ribless rear piece 628 and a front piece 626 with ribs that form a front wall 630, so as to form a substantially planar rear wall 632.

[0043] Referring to embodiments of the reinforcing beams 712, 812 shown in Figures 14 and 15, they reduce the height of the front walls 730, 830 by omitting upper and lower flanges that extend beyond the contour of the hollow internal region, respectively. Instead, the front pieces 726, 826 are coupled to the rear pieces 728, 828 of the outer beam components 720, 828 by attaching the upper and lower edges of the front pieces 726, 826 to the inwardly projecting front flanges 742a, 842a on the rear pieces 728, 828. Specifically, as shown in Figure 14, the front piece 726 is attached to the rearward-facing surface of the front flange 742a of the rear piece 728. In an alternative configuration, as shown in Figure 15, the front piece 826 is attached to the front surface of the front flanges 842a, 842b of the rear piece 328.

[0044] Further embodiments of reinforcing beams are shown in Figures 16 to 19, which integrate or omit different walls, such as by using a single sheet that is roll-formed or otherwise bent to form these different shapes. As shown in Figures 16 and 17, a single sheet is used to bend the reinforcing material such that the upper and lower walls of the inner beam component are integrally part of the same metal sheet as the outer beam component. Specifically, in Figure 16, the reinforcing beam 912 has an outer portion 920 having a rear piece 928 that forms a substantially C-shaped component. The rear piece 928 lacks ribs and forms a substantially planar rear wall 932. The outer portion 920 includes a front piece 926 having a front wall 930 that includes ribs. The sheet defining the outer beam component 920 further defines the inner beam component 922. The inner portion 922 extends inward in front of the rear wall portion 932 and has an upper wall 934 and a rear wall 936 that extends between the front wall 930 and the rear wall 932 of the outer portion 920.

[0045] Similar to Figure 17, a single sheet is used to define both the outer portion 1020 and the inner portion 1022 of the reinforcing beam 1012. However, instead, the outer portion 1020 has a rear piece 1028 which further has a rear wall with a central rib 1032 that follows the C-shape of the inner portion 1022, and in particular follows the upper wall 1034 and lower wall 1036 of the inner portion 1022.

[0046] In Figure 18, the reinforcing beam 1112 is configured as a separate piece and includes an inner beam component 1122 that is provided as rear reinforcement along the upper wall 1134 and lower wall 1136 portions of the rear wall rib 1132. Similarly, and as shown in Figure 19, the reinforcing beam 1212 may be configured with an outer beam component used without the inner beam component 1122 of Figure 18.

[0047] In yet another embodiment shown in Figure 20, the reinforcing beam 1312 may include an inner beam component 1322 having a corrugated shape along its length, the corrugated shape being formed in the z-direction on the upper wall 1334 and the lower wall 1336. Forming such a corrugated shape can provide improved stability along the upper and lower walls when subjected to stress and impact loads.

[0048] In other embodiments shown in Figures 21 to 23, the reinforcing beam 1412 includes an inner beam component 1422 having tapered ends 1460 and 1462. The inner beam 1422 has a front side 1452, or an intermediate wall or connecting wall connecting the upper wall 1434 and the lower wall 1436. The front side 1452 is adjacent to the front wall 1430 of the outer beam and extends substantially parallel to the front wall 1430 of the outer beam. The inner beam 1422 also has a rear side 1464 that generally includes the rearmost portions of the upper wall 1434 and the lower wall 1436. The front side 1452 is longer than the length of the rear side 1464. The tapered ends 1460 and 1462 define the tapered shape by connecting both ends of the front side 1452 to the respective ends of the rear side 1464 of the inner beam component 1422, with the difference in their lengths defining the tapered shape. As shown in Figure 23, the tapered ends 1460 and 1462 are angled at approximately 45 degrees to the front wall 1430 such that the front end 1452 is longer than the rear end 1464. The tapered shape of the ends 1460 and 1462 can provide a gradual reduction of stress concentration due to impact and a reduction in strength at the ends of the inner beam component 1422. This configuration of gradually decreasing strength can provide increased stability along the beam 1412 when subjected to stress and impact loads.

[0049] Similarly, as shown in Figures 24 to 26, the reinforcing beam 1512 includes an inner beam component 1522 having tapered ends 1560 and 1562. The inner beam 1522 has a front side 1452 or an intermediate wall or connecting wall that connects the upper wall 1534 and the lower wall 1536. The front side 1552 is adjacent to the front wall 1530 of the outer beam and extends substantially parallel to the front wall 1530 of the outer beam. The inner beam 1522 also has a rear side 1564 that generally includes the rearmost portions of the upper wall 1534 and the lower wall 1536. The tapered ends 1560 and 1562 define the tapered shape by connecting both ends of the front side 1552 to both ends of the rear side 1564 of the inner beam component 1522, respectively, due to the difference in their lengths. As shown in Figure 26, the tapered ends 1560 and 1562 are angled at approximately 45 degrees to the front wall 1530 such that the front side 1552 is longer than the rear side 1564. The tapered shape of the ends 1560 and 1562 can provide a gradual reduction in stress concentration during impact and a reduction in strength at the ends of the inner beam component 1522. This configuration with gradually decreasing strength can provide increased stability along the beam 1512 when subjected to stress and impact loads.

[0050] For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “join” (all its forms, joined, joined, etc.) generally means a direct or indirect (mechanical) joining of two components to each other. Such joining may be essentially fixed or essentially movable, achieved by two (mechanical) components formed integrally with each other as a single unit and any additional intermediate members, or by two components, and may be essentially permanent or essentially detachable or removable unless otherwise stated.

[0051] The articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to indicate that the preceding description contains one or more elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be comprehensive and mean that additional elements other than those listed may exist. Furthermore, it should be understood that any reference in this disclosure to “one embodiment” or “embodiment” is not intended to be construed as excluding the existence of other implementations that also incorporate the described configuration. In addition, as used in this disclosure, terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., are used to distinguish one element from another without indicating any order, quantity, or importance.

[0052] Any number, percentage, ratio, or other value described herein is intended to encompass not only that value but also other values ​​that are approximately or approximate to the stated value, as understood by a person skilled in the art encompassed by the implementation of this disclosure. Accordingly, the stated values ​​should be interpreted broadly to include values ​​that are at least sufficiently close to the stated value in order to perform the desired function or achieve the desired result. For example, the terms “approximately,” “about,” and “substantially” may refer to quantities that are less than 5%, less than 1%, less than 0.1%, and less than 0.01% of the stated quantity.

[0053] Furthermore, it will be understood that any direction or reference frame in the foregoing description is merely a relative direction or movement. For example, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “inboard,” and “outboard,” and their derivatives, are based on the orientation shown in Figure 1. However, it will be understood that various alternative orientations may be provided unless otherwise expressly stated. It will also be understood that the specific apparatus and processes illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described herein are merely exemplary embodiments of the concept of the present invention as defined in the accompanying claims. Therefore, unless otherwise expressly stated in the claims, the specific dimensions and other physical configurations relating to the embodiments disclosed herein should not be considered limiting.

[0054] Modifications and variations in the embodiments described herein can be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is intended to be limited only by the appended claims, which shall be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law. It will be understood that this disclosure is described in an exemplary manner, and the terms used are intended to be descriptive and not restrictive. Many modifications and variations of this disclosure are possible in light of the teachings above, and this disclosure may be carried out in manners other than those specifically described herein.

Claims

1. A bumper reinforcement beam configured to be supported by multiple crash cans in a vehicle frame, An outer beam having an elongated hollow body formed from a metal sheet material and configured to extend laterally between the plurality of crush cans, wherein the hollow body has a front wall and a rear wall extending along a length defined between a first end and a second end of the hollow body, A bumper reinforcing beam comprising: an inner beam positioned along the intermediate section of the outer beam, having an upper wall and a lower wall extending between the front wall and the rear wall of the outer beam, respectively.

2. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the front wall and the rear wall of the outer beam is provided with at least one rib extending along the length of the outer beam.

3. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 1, wherein the inner beam has both ends that define a length between them that is less than half the length of the outer beam.

4. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 1, wherein the inner beam is formed from a second metal sheet material having a greater thickness than the metal sheet material of the outer beam.

5. The bumper reinforcement beam according to claim 1, wherein the inner beam has an intermediate portion that interconnects the upper wall and the lower wall, both defining a channel along the inner beam.

6. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 5, wherein the intermediate portion of the inner beam is coupled to the front wall of the outer beam.

7. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 1, wherein the inner beam is provided with a rear flange that extends integrally from the rear portions of the upper and lower walls.

8. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 7, wherein the rear wall comprises a pair of rear ribs configured to hold the rear flange.

9. The bumper reinforcement beam according to claim 1, wherein the outer beam comprises a front piece having the front wall and a rear piece having the rear wall, the front piece and the rear piece each comprising an upper flange and a lower flange, and the front piece and the rear piece are attached together along the upper flange and the lower flange, respectively, so as to surround the hollow interior of the outer beam.

10. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 9, wherein the upper flanges of the front and rear beam pieces protrude upward from the hollow interior of the outer beam, and the lower flanges of the front and rear beam pieces protrude downward from the hollow interior of the outer beam.

11. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 1, wherein the upper and lower walls of the inner beam extend rearward at an angle of less than 40 degrees with respect to the normal to the extension of the plane of the front wall.

12. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 11, wherein the upper wall of the inner beam extends rearward and upward at an angle of less than 20 degrees with respect to the normal to the extension of the plane of the front wall, and the lower wall of the inner beam extends rearward and downward at an angle of less than 20 degrees with respect to the normal to the extension of the plane of the front wall.

13. A bumper reinforcement beam configured to be supported by multiple crash cans in a vehicle frame, A front beam piece having a front wall, A rear beam piece having a rear wall and upper and lower flanges that define an elongated hollow body having a length configured to span between a plurality of crush cans, attached along the upper and lower edges of the respective front beam pieces, An inner beam piece is installed between the front beam piece and the rear beam piece, and has an upper wall and lower walls that extend between the front wall and the rear wall, respectively. A bumper reinforcing beam, wherein the inner beam piece has a length of less than half the length of the elongated hollow body.

14. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 13, wherein the upper wall and the lower wall of the inner beam extend rearward at an angle of less than 40 degrees with respect to the normal to the extension of the plane of the front wall.

15. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 14, wherein the upper wall of the inner beam extends rearward and upward at an angle of less than 20 degrees with respect to the normal to the extension of the plane of the front wall.

16. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 14, wherein the lower wall of the inner beam extends rearward and downward at an angle of less than 20 degrees with respect to the normal to the extension of the plane of the front wall.

17. The bumper reinforcement beam according to claim 13, wherein the front beam piece and the rear beam piece are mounted together along their respective upper and lower flanges, and the front beam piece and the rear beam piece are each formed from separate metal sheets.

18. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 17, wherein the upper flanges of the front and rear beam pieces protrude upward from the hollow interior of the hollow body.

19. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 17, wherein the lower flanges of the front and rear beam pieces protrude downward from the hollow interior of the hollow body.

20. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 13, wherein the rear beam piece has an upper wall and a lower wall that define a C-shaped cross-section together with the rear wall.

21. The bumper reinforcement beam according to claim 13, wherein the rear wall of the rear beam piece has a mounting surface adapted for attachment to the crash can.

22. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 13, wherein the front wall comprises a pair of front ribs extending along the length of the front beam piece.

23. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 22, wherein the rear wall comprises a pair of rear ribs extending along the length of the rear beam piece.

24. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 23, wherein the inner beam piece comprises a pair of rear flanges that extend integrally from the rear portions of the upper and lower walls, and the rear rib is configured to hold the rear flanges.

25. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 13, wherein the front beam piece and the rear beam piece are formed from a metal sheet material, and the inner beam piece is formed from a second metal sheet material, the second metal sheet material having a greater thickness than the metal sheet material of the front beam piece and the rear beam piece.

26. The bumper reinforcement beam according to claim 13, wherein the inner beam piece has an intermediate portion that interconnects between the upper wall and the lower wall and defines a channel along the inner beam piece.

27. A bumper reinforcement beam for vehicles, Outboard beam component having an outboard wall, An inboard beam component comprising an inboard wall and an upper flange and a lower flange attached along the upper and lower edges of each of the outboard beam components, defining an elongated hollow body having a length defined between the ends of the outboard beam component, An inner beam component is installed between the outboard beam component and the inboard beam component, and has a C-shaped cross-section defining an upper shear wall and a lower shear wall, respectively, that extend between the outboard wall and the inboard wall. A bumper reinforcing beam in which the inner beam component has a length of less than half the length of the elongated hollow body.

28. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 27, wherein the upper shear wall and lower shear wall of the inner beam divide the internal volume of the hollow body to form a plurality of elongated hollow regions.

29. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 27, wherein at least one of the outboard wall and the inboard wall comprises at least one rib extending along the length of the elongated hollow body.

30. The bumper reinforcement beam according to claim 27, wherein the outboard beam component and the inboard beam component are formed from a metal sheet material, and the inner beam component is formed from a second metal sheet material, the second metal sheet material having a greater thickness than the metal sheet material of the outboard beam component and the inboard beam component.

31. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 27, wherein the inner beam component has an intermediate portion that interconnects between the upper shear wall and the lower shear wall and jointly defines the C-shaped cross-section.

32. The bumper reinforcement beam according to claim 31, wherein the intermediate portion of the inner beam component is coupled to the outboard wall.

33. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 27, wherein the inner beam component comprises a rear flange extending from the rear portions of the upper shear wall and the lower shear wall.

34. The bumper reinforcement beam according to claim 33, wherein the inboard wall comprises a set of inboard wall ribs, and the inboard wall ribs are configured to hold the rear flange.

35. The bumper reinforcement beam according to claim 27, wherein the upper and lower shear walls of the inner beam component extend rearward at an angle of less than 40 degrees with respect to the normal to the extension of the plane of the outboard wall.

36. The bumper reinforcement beam according to claim 35, wherein the upper shear wall of the inner beam component extends rearward and upward at an angle of less than 20 degrees with respect to the normal to the extension of the plane of the outboard wall, and the lower shear wall of the inner beam component extends rearward and downward at an angle of less than 20 degrees with respect to the normal to the extension of the plane of the outboard wall.

37. The bumper reinforcement beam according to claim 27, wherein the upper flanges of the inboard beam component and the outboard beam component protrude upward from the elongated hollow body, and the lower flanges of the inboard beam component and the outboard beam component protrude downward from the elongated hollow body.

38. The bumper reinforcement beam according to claim 27, wherein the elongated hollow body has a length configured to span between a plurality of crush cans, and the inboard wall of the inboard beam component has a mounting surface adapted for attachment to the crush cans.

39. The bumper reinforcement beam according to claim 27, wherein the inner beam component includes a first length attached to the outboard beam component and a second length attached to the inboard beam component.

40. The bumper reinforcing beam according to claim 27, wherein the inner beam component has a tapered end connecting the end of the first length to the end of the second length.

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