Side bumper

Abstract

To provide a side bumper which does not increase cost even when a side bumper is broken and has to be replaced with new one.SOLUTION: A side bumper 10 comprises: a stringer 11 fitted to a side surface of a vehicle; and a laterally long panel 12 which is fitted to the stringer and is laterally long over a cross direction of the vehicle. The panel comprises: an upper stage member 20; a middle stage member 30; and a lower stage member 40. A lower edge of the upper stage member has a first fitting part 21. An upper edge of the lower stage member has a second fitting part 41. An upper edge of the middle stage member has a third fitting part 31 fitted to the first fitting part, and a lower edge of the middle stage member has a fourth fitting part 32 fitted to the second fitting part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , ,

[0005] , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a side bumper attached to the side surface of a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in order to prevent a cargo vehicle such as a truck from getting people, bicycles, etc. caught when turning right or left, as a protective device attached to both the left and right side surfaces of the vehicle, a horizontally long rod-shaped or planar side bumper (also referred to as a side guard) is known. And, as a planar side bumper considering the improvement of the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle, for example, a preventing-entanglement device shown in Patent Document 1 is known. This preventing-entanglement device is configured by incorporating a rectangular panel member into a rectangular frame body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the preventing-entanglement device shown in Patent Document 1, when the panel member is damaged by contact with people, bicycles, etc., the entire panel member has to be replaced, resulting in a problem of high cost.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to prevent the cost from becoming high even when the side bumper is damaged and replaced.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The side bumper of the present invention comprises a longitudinal beam attached to the side of a vehicle and a horizontally elongated panel attached to the longitudinal beam, the panel comprising an upper member, a middle member, and a lower member, wherein the lower edge of the upper member has a first fitting portion, the upper edge of the lower member has a second fitting portion, the upper edge of the middle member has a third fitting portion that fits with the first fitting portion, and the lower edge of the middle member has a fourth fitting portion that fits with the second fitting portion. The first fitting portion has a first surface side portion located on the surface side of the intermediate member when fitted with the third fitting portion, and a first back side portion located on the back side of the intermediate member. The second fitting portion has a second surface side portion located on the surface side of the intermediate member when fitted with the fourth fitting portion, and a second back side portion located on the back side of the intermediate member. The first back side portion has a first pressing portion formed at its tip, which is crank-shaped and bent toward the front side, and extends downward from the tip of the first surface side portion. The second back side portion has a second pressing portion formed at its tip, which is crank-shaped and bent toward the front side, and extends upward from the tip of the second surface side portion. The first pressing portion presses the back surface of the intermediate member when the first fitting portion and the third fitting portion are fitted together. The second pressing portion presses the back surface of the intermediate member when the second fitting portion and the fourth fitting portion are fitted together. The third fitting portion has a third pressing portion which presses the back surface of the first surface side when the upper edge of the intermediate member is bent outwards and the first fitting portion and the third fitting portion are fitted together. The fourth fitting portion has a fourth pressing portion which presses the back surface of the second surface side when the lower edge of the intermediate member is bent outwards and the second fitting portion and the fourth fitting portion are fitted together. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the side bumper of the present invention, if it is damaged, the upper, middle, or lower member can be partially replaced, thus reducing costs. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing a truck equipped with side bumpers. [Figure 2] This is an end view of the middle section member, where (A) is the overall view and (B) is an enlarged view of the third fitting section. [Figure 3] This is an end view of the upper component. [Figure 4] This is an end view of the lower component. [Figure 5] This is an end view showing the assembly process for the side bumper. [Figure 6] This is an end view showing the side bumper after assembly. [Figure 7] This is an end view showing the side bumper after assembly, where (A) is an enlarged view of the first and third fitting parts, and (B) is an enlarged view of the second and fourth fitting parts. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 shows a truck 1 fitted with a side bumper 10. The side bumper 10, which is one embodiment of the present invention, is attached symmetrically to both the left and right sides of the truck 1, between the front and rear wheels. Figure 1 shows the side bumper 10 attached to the left side of the truck 1.

[0011] Truck 1 is an example of a cargo vehicle, and is equipped with a driver's cab 2 at the front and a chassis 3 and body 4 (van type in the diagram) at the rear. Multiple (four in this example) longitudinal beams 11 of the side bumper 10 are fixed to the transverse beams (not shown) of the chassis 3 with bolts and nuts, etc., in the longitudinal direction of the truck 1, thereby attaching the side bumper 10 to the truck 1.

[0012] A horizontally elongated panel 12 is attached to the longitudinal beam 11, extending in the front-to-back direction of the track 1. The panel 12 consists of an upper member 20, a middle member 30, and a lower member 40. The upper member 20, middle member 30, and lower member 40 are made of extruded metal, and the front side (i.e., the side facing the track 1) is a smooth plate.

[0013] Therefore, since the assembled panel 12 is planar, it can improve the aerodynamic performance of the track 1. That is, when the track 1 is running, with the above-mentioned rod-shaped side bumper, a lot of air flows downwards through the gaps in the rods, resulting in high air resistance. In contrast, with the side bumper 10 of the present invention, since the panel 12 is planar, a lot of air flows to the rear of the track 1, thus reducing air resistance and improving aerodynamic performance.

[0014] End members 13 are fixed to the front and rear of panel 12 to protect it. The end members 13 are curved in plan view toward the back of panel 12. The end members 13 are fixed to panel 12 by bolts and nuts (not shown). Cover members 14 are fixed to the front and rear ends of the front side of the middle member 30 by rivets (not shown). As a result, the end members 13 and the cover members 14 form a continuous plane.

[0015] The vertical girder 11, panel 12, end member 13, and cover member 14 that constitute the side bumper 10 are all made of metal, for example, made of an aluminum alloy.

[0016] Since the side bumper 10 is symmetric on both the left and right sides of the truck 1, in the following, regarding the middle member 30, upper member 20, and lower member 40, excluding the end member 13 and cover member 14, of the side bumper 10 attached to the left side surface of the truck 1 (that is, shown in FIG. 1), an end view as seen from the front side of the truck 1 will be referred to for explanation. In this end view, the left side (the truck 1 side) is referred to as the back, and the right side is referred to as the front.

[0017] FIG. 2 is an end view of the middle member 30, where (A) is an overall view and (B) is an enlarged view of the third fitting portion 31. The middle member 30 is in a flat plate shape and has a third fitting portion 31 at the upper edge, a third attachment portion 33 on the back side of the center, and a fourth fitting portion 32 at the lower edge.

[0018] The third attachment portion 33 is in an inverted C shape having a flange 33a and is a portion fixed to the vertical girder 11 as shown in FIG. 6 described later.

[0019] The third fitting portion 31 is a portion that fits with the first fitting portion 21 of the upper member 20 as shown in FIG. 6 described later. As shown in FIGS. 2(A) and (B), the tip is bent to the front side to form a third pressing portion 31a. The fourth fitting portion 32 is a portion that fits with the second fitting portion 41 of the lower member 40 as shown in FIG. 6 described later. As shown in FIG. 2(A), the tip is bent to the front side to form a fourth pressing portion 32a.

[0020] On the back side of the middle member 33, a V-shaped notch 31b is formed between the third pressing portion 31a and the third attachment portion 33, and a V-shaped notch 32b is formed between the fourth pressing portion 32a and the third attachment portion 33.

[0021] Since the middle member 30 has a vertically symmetric shape, it can be used with its top and bottom reversed.

[0022] Figure 3 is an end view of the upper member 20. The upper member 20 has, from top to bottom, a first mounting portion 26, a first connecting portion 25, and a first fitting portion 21. The first mounting portion 26 is an inverted C shape with a flange 26a and is the part that is fixed to the longitudinal beam 11, as shown in Figure 6 which will be described later. The first connecting portion 25 is the part that connects the first mounting portion 26 and the first fitting portion 21. The front surface of the first connecting portion 25 and the front surface of the first mounting portion 26 are continuous surfaces without any steps.

[0023] The first fitting portion 21 is roughly T-shaped and is the part that fits with the third fitting portion 31 of the middle member 30. As shown in Figure 7(A), which will be described later, the first fitting portion 21 has a first surface side portion 22 located on the surface side of the middle member 30 when fitted with the third fitting portion 31, and a first back side portion 23 located on the back side of the middle member 30.

[0024] The first back side portion 23 is bent in a crank shape at its tip toward the front side, forming a first pressing portion 23a. A V-shaped notch 23b is formed on the back side of the first pressing portion 23a. This notch 23b and the aforementioned notch 31b are guides for forming holes for rivets to prevent misalignment between the upper member 20 and the middle member 30. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7(A) described later, both notches are formed so that when the first fitting portion 21 and the third fitting portion 31 are fitted together, the notch 23b and the aforementioned notch 31b are in corresponding positions. Note that rivets to prevent misalignment are not necessarily required.

[0025] Furthermore, the first fitting portion 21 has a first contact portion 24 that contacts the surface of the vertical beam 11 when the panel 12 is attached to the vertical beam 11.

[0026] Figure 4 is an end view of the lower member 40. The lower member 40 has, in order from the bottom, a second mounting portion 46, a second connecting portion 45, and a second fitting portion 41. The second mounting portion 46 is an inverted C shape with a flange 46a and is the part that is fixed to the longitudinal beam 11, as shown in Figure 6 which will be described later. The second connecting portion 45 is the part that connects the second mounting portion 46 and the second fitting portion 41. The front surface of the second connecting portion 45 and the front surface of the second mounting portion 46 are continuous surfaces without any steps.

[0027] The second fitting portion 41 is roughly inverted T-shaped and, as shown in Figure 7(B) later, is the portion that fits with the fourth fitting portion 32 of the middle member 30. The second fitting portion 41 has a second surface side portion 42 located on the surface side of the middle member 30 when fitted with the fourth fitting portion 32, and a second back side portion 43 located on the back side of the middle member 30.

[0028] The second rear side portion 43 is bent in a crank shape at its tip toward the front side, forming a second pressing portion 43a. A V-shaped notch 43b is formed on the back side of the second pressing portion 43a. This notch 43b is a guide for forming a hole for a rivet to prevent misalignment between the lower member 40 and the middle member 30. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7(B) described later, both notches are formed so that when the second fitting portion 41 and the fourth fitting portion 32 are fitted together, the notches 43b and 32b are in corresponding positions. Note that rivets to prevent misalignment are not necessarily required.

[0029] Furthermore, the second fitting portion 41 has a second contact portion 44 that contacts the surface of the longitudinal beam 11 when the panel 12 is attached to the longitudinal beam 11.

[0030] The lower member 40 has the same shape as the upper member 20. Therefore, the upper member 20 can be used as the lower member 40 by inverting it vertically. In this way, since the upper member 20 and the lower member 40 have the same shape, manufacturing costs can be reduced compared to manufacturing members with different shapes.

[0031] Figure 5 is an end view showing the assembly process of the side bumper 10, and Figure 6 is an end view showing the side bumper 10 after assembly. The side bumper 10 is assembled by a first step of fixing the middle member 30 to the longitudinal beam 11, a second step of fitting the upper member 20 and the lower member 40 to the attached middle member 30, and a third step of fixing the fitted upper member 20 and the lower member 40 to the longitudinal beam 11. Each step will be described below.

[0032] In the first step, the intermediate bolt 34 is inserted into the third mounting portion 33 from the end face of the intermediate member 30, and with the head of the intermediate bolt 34 engaged with the flange 33a, the intermediate bolt 34 is inserted through the hole formed in the longitudinal beam 11, and the intermediate nut 35 is screwed onto the intermediate bolt 34 to attach the intermediate member 30 to the longitudinal beam 11.

[0033] In the second step, the first fitting portion 21 of the upper member 20 is fitted to the third fitting portion 31 on the upper edge of the installed middle member 30, and the second fitting portion 41 of the lower member 40 is fitted to the fourth fitting portion 32 on the lower edge of the middle member 30. In this state, as shown in Figure 5, the first mounting portion 26 of the upper member 20 is spaced apart from the longitudinal beam 11, and the second mounting portion 46 of the lower member 40 is also spaced apart from the longitudinal beam 11.

[0034] In the third step, the upper bracket 27, through which the upper bolt 28 is inserted, is inserted into the first mounting portion 26 from the end face of the upper member 20. Then, as shown by the counterclockwise arrow in Figure 5, the first mounting portion 26 is rotated so that the flange 26a abuts against the longitudinal beam 11, and the upper bolt 28 is inserted through the hole formed in the longitudinal beam 11. The upper nut 29 is then screwed onto the upper bolt 28 to fix the upper member 20 to the longitudinal beam 11.

[0035] Similarly, the lower bracket 47, through which the lower bolt 48 is inserted, is inserted into the second mounting portion 46 from the end face of the lower member 40. Then, as shown by the clockwise arrow in Figure 5, the second mounting portion 46 is rotated so that the flange 46a abuts against the longitudinal beam 11, and the lower bolt 48 is inserted through the hole formed in the longitudinal beam 11. The lower nut 49 is then screwed onto the lower bolt 48 to fix the lower member 40 to the longitudinal beam 11.

[0036] To remove the upper member 20 from the state shown in Figure 6, simply unscrew the upper bolt 28 and upper nut 29 to release the connection with the middle member 30. Similarly, to remove the lower member 40, simply unscrew the lower bolt 48 and lower nut 49 to release the connection with the middle member 30. Furthermore, to remove the middle member 30, with the upper member 20 and lower member 40 removed, simply unscrew the middle bolt 34 and middle nut 35.

[0037] As described above, the upper member 20, the middle member 30, and the lower member 40 can each be easily removed, so if the side bumper 10 is damaged, it can be partially replaced, thereby reducing costs. In particular, the upper member 20 and the lower member 40, which protrude outward more than the middle member 30, are more likely to be damaged, but since they can be replaced without removing the middle member 30, the ease of replacement is also improved.

[0038] Furthermore, since the side bumper is subjected to vibrations when the truck is in motion, if the divided components are combined to form a panel, it is necessary to fix the components that make up the panel to each other. However, in the side bumper 10 of the present invention, the first fitting portion 21 of the upper member 20 and the third fitting portion 31 of the middle member 30 are fitted together, and the second fitting portion 41 of the lower member 40 and the fourth fitting portion 32 of the middle member 30 are fitted together to form the panel 12. Therefore, bolts or rivets are not required to fix the upper member 20 and the middle member 30, or to fix the lower member 40 and the middle member 30. Thus, the appearance of the side bumper 10 can be improved.

[0039] Furthermore, in order to improve the appearance and make the components appear as separate parts, it is necessary to make each component come into contact with the others. However, if the components are simply in contact with each other, vibrations during driving can cause friction that wears down the contact points, and the resulting metal powder may contaminate the surrounding area. In contrast, the side bumper 10 of the present invention reduces friction by fitting and relatively fixing each component, thus avoiding the above-mentioned problems.

[0040] Figure 7(A) is an enlarged view of the first fitting portion 21 and the third fitting portion 31 after the side bumper 10 has been assembled. When the first fitting portion 21 and the third fitting portion 31 are fitted together, the first pressing portion 23a of the first back surface side portion 23 presses against the back surface of the middle section member 30. Also, the third pressing portion 31a of the third fitting portion 31 presses against the back surface of the first front surface side portion 22 of the first fitting portion 21.

[0041] Figure 7(B) is an enlarged view of the second fitting portion 41 and the fourth fitting portion 32 after the side bumper 10 has been assembled. When the second fitting portion 41 and the fourth fitting portion 32 are fitted together, the second pressing portion 43a of the second back surface side portion 43 presses against the back surface of the middle section member 30. Also, the fourth pressing portion 32a of the fourth fitting portion 32 presses against the back surface of the second front surface side portion 42 of the second fitting portion 41.

[0042] In this way, the fitting strength can be increased by the pressing part pressing against the member, thus further preventing the above-mentioned problems from occurring.

[0043] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways without departing from its spirit. For example, although an example has been described in which the side bumper 10 is attached to the side of the truck 1 between the front wheel and the rear wheel as shown in Figure 1, the side bumper 10 may also be attached, for example, between the rear wheel and the rear end of the body.

[0044] As shown in Figure 1, an example has been described in which the body 4 of the truck 1 is of the van type. However, if the body 4 is of the wing type with tailgates, a rubber material may be attached to the surface of the first mounting portion 26 of the upper member 20 in order to protect the upper member 20 that the tailgates contact when the tailgates are rotated. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] 1...Truck, 10...Side bumper, 11...Vertical beam, 12...Panel, 20...Upper member, 21...First fitting part, 30...Middle member, 31...Third fitting part, 32...Fourth fitting part, 40...Lower member, 41...Second fitting part

Claims

1. The longitudinal beams attached to the side of the vehicle, A side bumper comprising a horizontally elongated panel attached to the longitudinal beam and extending in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, The panel consists of an upper member, a middle member, and a lower member. The lower edge of the upper member has a first fitting portion, The upper edge of the lower member has a second fitting portion, The upper edge of the middle section member has a third fitting portion that fits with the first fitting portion, The lower edge of the aforementioned middle section member has a fourth fitting portion that fits with the second fitting portion, The first fitting portion has a first surface side portion located on the surface side of the intermediate member when fitted with the third fitting portion, and a first back side portion located on the back side of the intermediate member. The second fitting portion has a second surface side portion located on the surface side of the intermediate member when fitted with the fourth fitting portion, and a second back side portion located on the back side of the intermediate member. The first back side portion has a first pressing portion formed thereon, which is a crank-shaped bend on the front side and extends downward from the tip of the first front side portion. The second back side portion has a second pressing portion formed thereon, which is a crank-shaped bend on the front side and extends upward from the tip of the second front side portion. The first pressing portion presses the back surface of the middle member when the first fitting portion and the third fitting portion are fitted together. The second pressing portion presses the back surface of the middle member when the second fitting portion and the fourth fitting portion are fitted together. The third fitting portion has an upper edge of the middle member that is bent outwards, and a third pressing portion that presses against the back surface of the first surface side when the first fitting portion and the third fitting portion are fitted together. The fourth fitting portion is a side bumper in which the lower edge of the middle member is bent outwards and a fourth pressing portion presses against the back surface of the second surface side portion when the second fitting portion and the fourth fitting portion are fitted together.

2. In the side bumper according to claim 1, The lower member is a side bumper, having the same shape as the upper member.

Images