Abstract:
Disclosed is a rotatably-mountable bumper configured for rotatably and ergonomically mounting to a mounting member for cushioning the contact between the mounting member and a potentially interfering member. The bumper transmits reactive forces between two members, such as a vehicle hood and grille, if portions of one member over travels. A fastening member on the bumper rotatably engages an aperture on the mounting member to secure the bumper to the mounting member. A registration member on the bumper retentively holds the bumper in rotatably-mounted engagement with the mounting member.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention provides a rotatably and ergonomically mountable bumper to cushion and transmit reactive forces between two members, such as a vehicle hood and grille, preventing contact if one member over travels. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Vehicles typically have movable hinged parts such as a hood and trunk lid. The hood is typically opened to provide access to the engine compartment of the vehicle for inspection, regular preventative maintenance as well as more serious repairs. When closing the hood, it is typical to allow the hood to close under its own weight or to provide additional closing force to the hood causing the hood to “slam” rather than to gently close. In some cases, the hood must be slammed closed to cause the hood latch mechanism to engage and latch the hood in the closed position. A fortuitously-placed spring is typically provided and positioned to absorb a portion of the shock energy of the slamming hood. 
         [0003]    A vehicle hood is typically a movable vehicle body panel characterized by a length and width that are much greater that the panel thickness. The vehicle hood is generally assembled from stamped and formed sheet metal panels and will typically tend to flex to some extent when it is abruptly closed. In cases where the dimensional tolerances between the hood and other body panels are tight enough and the hood is slammed closed, portions of the hood may flex or reactively deform enough to allow the hood to directly contact other vehicle components such as a show surface of a vehicle grille where contact is not intended by design. The continuing drive for higher quality and closer tolerances between vehicle body components may result in a reduction in the gap or spacing between the hood and other vehicle body components, improving overall vehicle body appearance while possibly increasing the likelihood of unintended contact between, for example, the vehicle hood and grille when the hood is slammed closed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention provides a rotatably and ergonomically-mountable bumper configured for cushioning the contact between a mounting member, such as a vehicle hood, and a potentially interfering second member, such as a vehicle grille. 
         [0005]    The rotatably-mountable bumper engages a mounting aperture provided on a first surface of the mounting member. The bumper includes a fastening member rotatable about the mounting aperture between a first position of rotation in which the mounting member disengages from the mounting aperture of the moving member and a second position in which the fastening member engageably mounts the bumper to the mounting aperture of the moving member. The bumper includes a body having two opposing ends and having the fastening member secured to the body at an intermediate position between the two opposing ends. A cushioning pusher member is secured to the body near one of the ends of the body. The pusher member is configured to contact a portion of the potentially interfering second member to transmit reactive forces between the mounting member and the second member thereby preventing the mounting member from directly impacting the potentially interfering member. The bumper has elasticity to cushion the impact and to absorb a portion of the energy of the impact. 
         [0006]    According to one aspect of the invention, the mounting member is a vehicle hood and the potentially interfering second member is a vehicle grille. 
         [0007]    According to another aspect of the invention, the bumper includes a registration member and the mounting member includes a complimentary registration feature positioned and configured to retentively engage the registration member wherein the action of the registration member and registration feature act to rotatably lock rotation of the bumper in the aperture to maintain the bumper in a mounted and properly aligned position. 
         [0008]    According to another aspect of the invention, the fastening member includes a shank portion having a first end secured to the bumper body. A head portion of the bumper is secured to the shank portion at an end of the shank opposite the bumper body. The head portion is sized and configured to be insertable into the mounting aperture when the fastening member is positioned in the aperture at the first position. The mounting aperture extends from the first surface through a second surface of the movable member where the second surface is spaced apart from the first surface. The length of the shank portion of the fastening member is chosen to be sufficient to permit the head portion of the fastening member to extend through the mounting aperture to rotatably engage against the second surface such that the head portion may be brought into retentive engagement with the second surface. The head portion of the fastening member is sized and configured to retentively engage the second surface when the fastening member is in the second position. 
         [0009]    According to another aspect of the invention, the head portion and shank portion of the bumper together with the mounting aperture are aligned to a first axis wherein a peripheral shape of the head portion normal to the first axis substantially matches a shape of the mounting aperture when the fastening member is in the first position, thereby allowing the head portion to enter and pass through the aperture. Additionally, the peripheral shape of the shank portion normal to the first axis has a width less than the width of the aperture such that the shank portion can freely rotate in the aperture between the first and second positions such that the bumper can be rotatably engaged or disengaged from the mounting member. 
         [0010]    According to another aspect of the invention, a lip is formed on the body of the bumper at a position proximate to the second end of the body (i.e., opposite the pusher). The lip is configured to tension the shank and head within the mounting aperture of the moving member when the fastening member is in the second position. 
         [0011]    According to another aspect of the invention, a detent is provided for positioning and holding the fastening member and bumper in the second position. The detent includes a hole formed into one of the set consisting of the mounting member and the bumper body. A protrusion member is secured to the remaining member of the set. The socket is formed to generally conform to the shape of the protrusion member. The protrusion member and socket are aligned so as to retentively engage when the fastening member is in the second position to maintain the fastening member and bumper in the second position relative to the mounting aperture. 
         [0012]    According to another aspect of the invention, a complementary portion of the bumper body has a surface complementary to a surface of the mounting member wherein the complimentary portion is shaped and configured to contact a portion of the mounting member so as to compressively lock the bumper into the second position by communication of compressive force between the shank/aperture and complimentary portion of the body. 
         [0013]    According to another aspect of the invention, the mounting aperture is a slot having an oblong shape. 
         [0014]    According to another aspect of the invention, the mounting aperture is a slot having a substantially elliptical shape. 
         [0015]    According to another aspect of the invention, the head portion and the shank portion are made of an elastomeric material. 
         [0016]    According to another aspect of the invention, the mounting member is a hood of a vehicle. The potentially interfering member is a vehicle engine compartment grille. The pusher member is configured to contact a portion of a vehicle grille, wherein a reactive force is transmitted through the bumper between the grille and the hood, the cushioning force acting to prevent the hood from contacting the grille when the hood is slammed closed. 
         [0017]    According to another aspect of the invention, a method is disclosed for rotatably and ergonomically mounting a bumper to a mounting member. 
         [0018]    According to another aspect of the invention, a method is disclosed for preventing a vehicle hood from contacting a vehicle grille when the vehicle hood is slammed closed. 
         [0019]    The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best modes for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]      FIG. 1   a  illustrates a front perspective view of a first embodiment of the rotatably mountable bumper consistent with the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 1   b  illustrates an alternate registration member for a rotatably mountable bumper as would be applicable to the bumper illustrated in  FIG. 1   a  consistent with the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2   a  illustrates a perspective view of a vehicle hood and grille with two of the rotatably mounted bumpers depicted in  FIG. 1  secured to a front portion of the hood so as to contact the grille in phase with the hood when the hood transitions to a closed position, consistent with the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 2   b  illustrates a sectional view of the interface between the vehicle hood and grille with the rotatably mounted bumper of  FIG. 1   a  secured to an inner hood panel consistent with the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  illustrate schematic views of the rotatably mounted bumper of  FIG. 2  rotatably mounting to a panel consistent with the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 3   c  illustrates a sectional view taken along  3 C- 3 C of  FIG. 3   b;    
           [0026]      FIG. 4  illustrates a method of rotatably and ergonomically mounting a bumper to a mounting member; and 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  illustrates a method of preventing a vehicle hood from contacting a vehicle grille when the hood is slammed. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0028]      FIG. 1   a  illustrates a front perspective view of a first embodiment of the rotatably mountable bumper  10  consistent with the present invention. The bumper  10  includes a fastening member having a shank portion  12  and a head portion  14 . The shank portion  12  is secured on one end to a bumper body  16 , and an opposing end of the shank portion  12  is secured to the head portion  14 . In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1   a,  the shank portion  12  has a generally cylindrical shape and the head portion  14  has a generally oblong or elliptical shape. The shape of the head portion  14  is chosen such that the head may be aligned to insert into an aperture such as a slot as will be discussed further below. The rotatably-mountable bumper  10  has a pusher member  18  formed onto or secured to one end of the body  16 . A biasing member such as an elastomeric lip  24  is formed or secured to an end of the body  16  opposite the pusher member  18 . The lip  24  is configured to bias against the mounting member (shown and discussed with  FIGS. 2   b,    3   a  and  3   b  below). The lip  24  is configured and adapted to be elastically deformable when a sufficient force is applied and to responsively apply a reactive force generated by the deformation of the lip end of the body so as to bias the bumper body  16  and pusher member  18  against the mounting member (shown and discussed later). The rotatably-mountable bumper further includes a registration member  28 . The registration member  28  is discussed in more detail below in sections discussing  FIGS. 2   b,    3   a  and  3   b.  The components of bumper  10  may be formed from an elastic material or from a combination of elastic and non-elastic materials. Nevertheless, it is preferred that at least the lip  24  and the pusher member  18  have elasticity such that the lip is deformable to bias the bumper body  16  and pusher member  18 , and the pusher member  18  is elastically deformable to cushion contact between the pusher member  18  and another object. 
         [0029]      FIG. 1   b  illustrates an alternate registration member  30  for a rotatably-mountable bumper as would be applicable to the bumper  10  illustrated in  FIG. 1   a  to replace or assist the registration member  28  depicted in  FIG. 1   a.  The alternate registration member  30  illustrated in  FIG. 1   b  is a generally hemispherical protrusion member secured to the body  116 . The body  116  rotates about the fastening member consisting of a shank portion  112  secured on one end to the body  116 . An opposing end of the shank portion  112  is secured to the head portion  114 . As in  FIG. 1   a,  the shank portion  112  has a cylindrical shape and the head portion  114  has a generally oblong or elliptical shape. The alternate registration member  30  is not limited to the use of the exemplary illustrated hemispherical protrusion member, but may instead utilize any suitable variety of detent mechanism to releasably hold the rotary alignment of the bumper  110  in a desired position as would be known to one skilled in the art. 
         [0030]      FIG. 2   a  illustrates a partially assembled perspective view of a vehicle hood  32  and grille  34  with two of the rotatably mounted bumpers  10  of  FIG. 1  spaced apart and secured to a front portion  36  of the hood  32  so as to contact the grille  34  when the hood  32  closes or slams to a position within proximity of the grille  34 , thereby preventing the front portion  36  from directly contacting the grille  34 . The vehicle hood  32  is configured to pivot about an axis  56  between an open and a closed position. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2   b  illustrates a sectional view showing the interface between the front portion  36  of the vehicle hood  32  (see  FIG. 2   a ) and grille  34  with the rotatably-mounted bumper  10  of  FIG. 1  secured to a hood inner panel  26  consistent with the present invention. The bumper  10  is shown rotatably mounted to the hood inner panel  26  mounting aperture  40  by way of the head portion  14  having been inserted into the mounting aperture or slot  40  and then rotated along with the body  16  about the interface between the shank portion  12  and the mounting aperture or slot  40  to the second position in which the oblong or elliptical head portion  14  is aligned substantially crosswise to an elongated length of the mounting aperture or slot  40 . The biasing member in  FIG. 2   b  is the lip  24  shown in its non-elastically deformed state interfering with hood inner panel  26 . With the bumper  10  in the position illustrated, the lip  24  would be elastically deformed by contact with the hood inner panel  26  and would not protrude through the hood inner panel  26  as illustrated by  FIG. 2   b.  The deformation of the lip  24  against the hood inner panel  26  generates a reactive force at the interface between the hood inner panel  26  and the lip  24 . This reactive force applied to the body  16  generates a torque about a pivot point defined by the rotatably mounted fastening member (shank portion  12  and head portion  14 ) and the slot  40  thereby tending to shift or incline the bumper body  16  in a bias torque direction  42 . This bias torque direction  42  urges the registration member  28  (see  FIG. 1   a ) firmly against the registration feature (third surface  44 ) shaped and adapted to mate in a complimentary fashion and thereby to retentively register the alignment of the rotatably-mountable bumper  10  in the second position (in which the head portion  14  of the bumper engages with the hood inner panel  26  through the slot  40 ). The bumper  10  includes a cushioning pusher member  18  secured to an end of the bumper body  16 . The pusher member  18  is shaped, configured and positioned to contact and transfer reactive forces between the front portion  36  of the vehicle hood  32  (see  FIG. 2   a ) and the vehicle grille  34  as the vehicle hood  32  is closing, thereby preventing the leading edge  46  of the hood  32  (see  FIG. 2   a ) from contacting the show surface  48  of the grille  34 . 
         [0032]    Additionally as can be seen in  FIG. 2   b,  the shape of the bumper body  16  and the location of the shank portion  12  on the bumper body  16  forces the shank portion  12  against a rear wall of the slot  40 . The shank portion  12  compressively locks the bumper  10  into the second position by communication of compressive forces between the rear wall of the slot  40  and the registration feature  44  of the registration member  28  through the bumper  10 . This occurs due to the advantageously chosen location of the slot  40  in a position closer to the front portion  36  of the vehicle hood than the dimensions of the bumper body  16  would require, forcing the shaft portion  12  against the rear wall of the slot  40  and causing the shaft portion  12  to elastically deflect to a small degree when the bumper body  16  is in the second position. These compressive forces together with the torque about the pivot point as discussed earlier act together to tightly secure the bumper  10  to the hood inner panel  26  and lock the bumper  10  into the illustrated second position. 
         [0033]    The rotatably-mountable bumper  10  advantageously permits tighter design tolerances in the spacing between the leading edge  46  of the front portion  36  of the hood  32  and the show surface  48  of the grille  34  when the vehicle hood  32  is in the closed position (illustrated in  FIG. 2   b ). The mounting member (in  FIG. 2   b  hood inner panel  26 ) has a first surface  52  facing the bumper body  16  and a spaced opposing second surface  50  having a slot  40  through which the head portion  14  protrudes to engageably mount the bumper  16  to the second surface  50  of the hood inner panel  26  when the bumper  10  is in the second position ( FIG. 2   b  illustrated position). Note that second surface  50  extends on both sides of the slot  40  illustrated in  FIG. 2   b.    
         [0034]      FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  illustrate a schematic view of a rotatably-mounted bumper  110  similar in configuration to the bumper  10  of  FIG. 1  but equipped with an alternate style registration member  30  depicted and discussed with  FIG. 1   b.    FIG. 3   a  depicts the bumper  110  in the first position characterized by the head portion  114  of bumper  110  aligned with the slot  140  to permit the head portion  114  of the bumper  110  to be selectively insertable or removable from the slot  140  of the mounting member  20 . The mounting member  20  includes a registration feature as a hole  58  sized and positioned to accept the registration member  30 . In the particular exemplary case of  FIG. 2   b  discussed earlier, the mounting member  20  may be the hood inner panel  26  of  FIG. 2   b.  In  FIG. 3   a  the head portion  114  of the bumper  110  is sized and configured to be inserted into and through the mounting aperture or slot  140  of the mounting member  20  when the bumper  110  is in the first position (as illustrated in  FIG. 3   a ). The bumper  110  may then be rotated about a portion of the slot  140  by a defined angle θ 1  to place the bumper  110  into the second position (as illustrated in  FIG. 3   b ) in which the head portion  114  has its major lengthwise dimension aligned crosswise to the lengthwise dimension of the slot  140  such that spaced opposing surfaces of the mounting member  20  (surfaces  150  and  152  of  FIG. 3   c ) are captured between the head portion  114  and the body  116 , thereby rotatably mounting the bumper  110  to the mounting member  20 . When placed in the second position, the registration feature  30  is received into and engaged with the hole  58  in the mounting member  20 . In  FIG. 3   b,  the slot  140  in the mounting member  20  has a width W 1 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 3   c  illustrates a sectional view taken along  3   c - 3   c  of  FIG. 3   b.  The bumper body  116  is positioned against the first surface  152  of the mounting member  20 . The head portion  114  has portions engaged against the opposing spaced second surface  150  of the mounting member  20  such that the mounting member  20  is retentively captured between the head portion  114  and body  116  of the bumper  110 . The head portion  114  is configured to have a major length L 1  (see  FIG. 3   b ) that is greater than the width of the slot W 1  (see  FIG. 3   b ) such that portions of the head  114  can engage against the second surface  150  of the mounting member  20  when the bumper  110  is in the second position (or engagement position, illustrated in  FIG. 3   c ). The head portion  114 , shank portion  112  and slot  140  are aligned to a first axis  54  such that the peripheral shape of the head portion  114  normal to the first axis  54  substantially matches the shape of the mounting aperture or slot  140  (see  FIG. 3   a ) when the bumper  110  is in the first position relative to the slot  140 . The peripheral shape of the shank  112  normal to the first axis  54  is required to have a width less than the width W 1  (see  FIG. 3   b ) of the aperture or slot  140  so that the shank portion  112  can freely rotate in the mounting aperture or slot  140  between the first and second positions. 
         [0036]      FIG. 4  illustrates a method of rotatably and ergonomically mounting a bumper to a mounting member. The method begins at step  402  by forming a mounting aperture in a first surface of the moveable mounting member, the aperture extending through to a second surface of the mounting member, the second surface spaced apart from the first surface. Then, at block  404 , a bumper body is provided having a pusher member secured to a first end of the body and a lip secured to an opposing second end of the body. At block  406 , a head portion is provided wherein the head portion is sized and configured to be insertable into the aperture when in a first position relative to the aperture and to retentively engage the second surface after insertion into the aperture when the head portion is rotated to a second position relative to the aperture. Then, at block  408 , a shank portion is provided and secured at a first end to the bumper body and secured at an opposing second end to the head portion, the shank portion having a peripheral shape that is not greater than the a width of the aperture such that the shank portion can freely rotate in the aperture between the first and second positions. The method continues at block  410  with inserting the head portion in the first position and a portion of the shank portion sufficiently into the aperture from the first surface side of the mounting member. Then, at block  412 , the bumper is pressed against the first surface such that the head substantially extends through the aperture beyond the second surface. At block  414 , the bumper is rotated about the aperture into the second position wherein the head retentively engages the second surface thereby mounting the bumper to the mounting member and aligning a registration member of the bumper with a registration feature of the mounting member. At block  416 , the bumper is tensioned to the mounting member by action of the lip pressing against the mounting member to forcibly pivot the bumper to forcibly engage the registration member and the registration feature, the engagement acting to lock the bumper in the second position. At block  418 , the pusher member contacts a portion of the second member. Then, at block  420 , reactive forces are transferred between the mounting member and the second member through the bumper, thereby preventing the second member from directly contacting the mounting member. 
         [0037]      FIG. 5  illustrates a method of preventing a vehicle hood from contacting a vehicle grille when the hood is slammed. The method begins at step  502  by providing a hood having an aperture formed in a first surface of a forward portion of the hood, the aperture extending through to a second surface of the hood. Then at block  504  a bumper body is provided having a compressible cushioning pusher member secured to a first end of the body and a lip secured to an opposing second end of the body. At block  506  a head portion is provided, the head portion is sized and configured to be insertable into the aperture when in a first position and to retentively engage against the second surface when in a second position. Then at block  508  a shank portion is provided. The shank portion is secured at a first end to the bumper body and secured at an opposing second end to the head portion so as to mount the head portion to the bumper body. The shank portion has a peripheral shape that is not greater than a width of the aperture such that the shank portion can freely rotate in the aperture between the first and second positions. At block  510  the head portion is positioned into the first position relative to the aperture. Then at block  512  the method continues by inserting the head portion and a portion of the shank portion sufficiently into the aperture from the first surface side of the hood. At block  514  the bumper is pressed against the first surface of the hood such that the head substantially extends beyond the aperture in the second surface. The method continues at block  516  by rotating the bumper about the aperture into the second position wherein the head retentively engages the second surface thereby mounting the bumper to the first surface of the hood. At block  518  the bumper is tensioned to the hood action of the lip pressing against the first surface of the hood to compressibly tension the head against the second surface of the hood, thereby tensilely holding the bumper retentively secured to the hood. Then at block  520  the method continues by slamming the hood to a closed position. At block  522  the method ends by contacting a portion of the grille by the pusher member to transmit reactive forces between the hood and grille, thereby preventing the hood from contacting the grille. 
         [0038]    While the best modes for carrying out the invention have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention within the scope of the appended claims.