MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT FOR A VEHICLE BUMPER

Abstract: A vehicle bumper (12) of moulded construction and with wrap-­ around ends (26) is mounted on a vehicle (10) by two push-fit spigot/socket (20/22) joints at the front (or rear) of the vehicle and by two side extension connectors which include secure fastenings. The side connectors can have a snap fit feature (28, 30) for initial location of the bumper, with the snap-fit location being subsequently backed up by insertion of a threaded fastener (34). The push-fit joints require no additional securing means.

Description: This invention relates to a mounting arrangement for a vehicle bumper which facilitates the mounting of the bumper on the vehicle. The arrangement can be used on both the front and back ends of the vehicle. For convenience this specification will refer only to the front bumper mounting, but it is to be understood that the invention extends to both front and rear bumper mountings, and that features described here for front bumpers also apply, mutatis mutandis, to rear bumpers and their mountings. According to the invention, there is provided a mounting arrangement for mounting a bumper having wrap-around ends onto a vehicle, characterised in that two parallel forward facing sockets are provided on one of the vehicle body and the bumper, two parallel rearwardly projecting spigots are provided on the other of the bumper and the vehicle body, the spigots being a snug fit in the sockets, and in that means are provided for connecting the wrap-around bumper ends to the sides of the vehicle body so as to prevent disengagement of the spigots from the sockets. Preferably the sockets are provided on the vehicle body and the spigots on the bumper. The spigots preferably are a simple push fit into the sockets and have no separate securing means to retain them there, although the sockets may be adapted to frictionally grip the spigots. The connecting means for the bumper ends can include both a snap-fit fastening (which is engaged as the bumper is offered up to the vehicle) and a secure fastening such as a nut and bolt which can be put into place once the bumper is correctly positioned, to prevent the sockets and spigots from becoming disengaged. With this construction, there is no requirement for access by fastening tools to the space at the front end of the vehicle where the bumper is mounted. As a result, a particularly neat junction between the body and the bumper is possible. The only place where access by tools is required to secure the bumper is at the vehicle side, adjacent the wheel arches and access in this area presents no problem. The spigots, when mounted on the bumper itself, can be height adjustable after the bumper has been mounted on the vehicle to allow the gap between the bumper and the bodywork to be adjusted. Access for making this adjustment can be provided through a hole drilled in the bumper itself and opening in the under surface of the bumper. The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded view of a bumper and part of a vehicle to which it is to be mounted; Figure 2 is a vertical section through a socket/spigot joint; and Figure 3 shows a bracket to be attached to a wrap-around end of the bumper. Figure 1 shows the front wing 10 of a car, and a portion 12 of a front bumper to be attached to the wing 10 and to the front of the car. The bumper 12 is of the type which has a plastics outer skin 14 and a filling of foam 16. Such a bumper is described in EP-A-0 203 699. The present invention is not however restricted to use with this type of bumper. Embedded in the foam are two spigot support structures 18 (only one of which can be seen in Figure 1) to which spigots 20 are secured by height-adjustable connectors which will be described more fully later on. Sockets 22 (Figure 2) are fitted in the front of the car body to receive the spigots. At the extreme ends 24 of the wrap-around portions 26 of the bumper, a mounting button 28 (shown in detail in Figure 3) is attached by heat-staking to the skin of the bumper. A clip 30 is fitted in an aperture 32 formed on the vehicle body adjacent the wheel arch, and the clip is shaped so as to receive the button 28 in a snap-­ locking manner. To complete the assembly, a bolt 34 is passed through a washer 36, through a bore in the clip 30 and thus through the aperture 32 and is screwed home into a threaded insert 38 in the button 28. Figure 2 shows one socket 22. In this figure the socket is shown apart from any supporting structure formed by the car bodywork, but it will in fact be fully supported in the bodywork. The socket comprises a body of foamed polyurethane with a central aperture which is slightly undersized relative to the external cross-sectional dimensions of the spigot 20. In the embodiment described, the spigot is generally square in cross-­ section and so the socket aperture will also be generally square. The slight over-sizing is indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2 and ensures that the spigot 20 is a tight push fit in the socket 22 (the socket walls are able to yield when the spigot 20 is pushed in) and is frictionally gripped by the socket 22. The end of the spigot 20 which is attached to the bumper is mounted on a threaded, captive pin 40. The pin is held against axial movement between two end plates 42 and 44 and is threaded onto a nut 46 carried by the spigot 20. As the pin 40 is rotated, the nut 46 moves up or down the pin 40 so that the height of the bumper relative to the car is altered. The pin is turned by engaging a suitable tool with the pin head 48. The tool is introduced through a bore 50 which is cut through the material of the bumper, for example by a water jet. The mounting button 28 shown in Figure 3 has a head 52 on a neck 54 with a central stepped bore 56. This is all made of plastics material. A threaded metal insert 38 is fitted in the bore 56 from behind and is captive in the button when the rear face 58 of the button 28 is attached to the bumper skin. To mount the bumper 12 on the car, it is offered up to the front of the car and the ends of the spigots 20 are introduced into the sockets 22. As the spigots 20 are pushed right home, the buttons 28 engage in the clips 30 and snap into place. At this point the bumper is firmly held to the vehicle. However to complete the fixing, bolts 34 are put into place and tightened. Finally, any necessary adjustment to the height and vertical symmetry of the bumper relative to the car is done by turning the pins 40, the latter being accessed through the holes 50. This arrangement thus provides very simple and effective mounting of a bumper. The only fastenings which actually require the use of tools are the bolts 34, access to which is easy to obtain. Because the assembly line now does not require access at the front of the car, the styling at the front end is uncompromised.

Claims: 1. A mounting arrangement for mounting a bumper (12) having wrap-around ends onto a vehicle, characterised in that two parallel forward facing sockets (22) are provided on one of the vehicle body (10) and the bumper (12), two parallel rearwardly projecting spigots (20) are provided on the other of the bumper (12) and the vehicle body (10), the spigots (20) being a snug fit in the sockets (22), and in that means (28, 30) are provided for connecting the wrap-around bumper ends (12) to the sides of the vehicle body (10) so as to prevent disengagement of the spigots (20) from the sockets (22). 2. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the sockets (22) are provided on the vehicle body (10) and the spigots (20) on the bumper (12). 3. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the spigots (20) are a simple push fit into the sockets (22) and have no separate securing means to retain them there. 4. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the spigots (20) are frictionally gripped in the sockets (22). 5. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the connecting means for the bumper ends include, on each side of the bumper, both a snap-fit fastening (28, 30) which is engaged as the bumper (12) is offered up to the vehicle (10) and a secure fastening (34) which can be put into place once the bumper (12) is correctly positioned, to prevent the sockets (22) and spigots (20) from becoming disengaged. 6. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the secure fastening is a threaded fastener (34) and the snap-fit fastening consists of a part (30) to be secured to the vehicle (10) and a part to be secured to the bumper (12), both parts having a bore therethrough for the fastener (34) and one part including a captive threaded insert (38) into which the fastener (34) can be screwed. 7. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 6, wherein all the parts of the snap-fit fastening other than the captive insert are of plastics material. 8. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the spigots (20) are height adjustable after the bumper (12) has been mounted on the vehicle. 9. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 8, wherein access for making the height adjustment is provided through a hole (50) formed in the bumper (12) and opening in the under surface of the bumper (12). 10. A bumper having wrap-around ends, for mounting on a motor vehicle, having two parallel spigots (20) extending from its rear face and adapted to be a push-­ fit in two sockets (22) on a vehicle body, and connec­ ting means (28) on the bumper side extensions for connecting the side extensions to the vehicle body. 11. A bumper as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the spigots (20) are tubes of rectangular cross-section. 12. A bumper as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, wherein each connecting means comprises one part of a two-part snap-fit fastening (28, 30), the other part being fitted on the vehicle body and said one part having a captive threaded insert (38) for receiving and securing one end of a threaded fastener (34).

Inventors: FLEMING, STEPHEN DAVID, LANE, MARTYN GARY
Applicants: FORD FRANCE SOCIETE ANONYME, FORD MOTOR COMPANY, FORD MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED, FORD-WERKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B60R19
IPC codes: B60R19