PROTECTIVE MEMBER FOR A VEHICLE

ELEMENT DE PROTECTION POUR VEHICULE

English Abstract

A device for a vehicle (2) comprising a protective member (1) spanning a
section of the
vehicle (1), and mounting means to mount the protective member (1) to the
vehicle (2).
The protective device may be contructed of a plurality of interconnected
elements to
form a frame (15, 25, 38).

French Abstract

Un dispositif pour véhicule (2) comprend un élément protecteur (1) s'étendant sur une partie du véhicule (1), et un dispositif de montage pour installer l'élément protecteur (1) sur le véhicule (2). Le dispositif protecteur peut être constitué de multiples éléments interreliés pour former un châssis (15, 25, 38).

Claims

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1. A protective member for a vehicle, said vehicle having a front end shape
defined in part
by an original vehicle bumper, said protective member including a replacement
bumper member
shaped substantially the same as the original vehicle bumper but formed from
substantially
heavier gauge material to provide enhanced resistance to deformation.
2. The protective member of claim 1 further including a plurality of
interconnected elements
secured to the replacement bumper to form a protective frame above the
replacement bumper
when the replacement bumper is secured to the vehicle.
3. The protective member of claim 1 or 2 wherein the replacement bumper
includes
apertures registering with indicator lights on the vehicle to allow the
indicator lights to beam
therethrough.
4. The protective member of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein at least the replacement
bumper is
formed of a metal alloy.
5. The protective member of claim 4 wherein the metal alloy contains at least
one of steel
and aluminium.
6. The protective member of claim 5 wherein the alloy has a thickness of at
least 8mm.

Description

2159968
S
PROTECTIVE MEMBER FOR A VEHICLE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for protecting vehicles. More
particularly, but
not exclusively, this invention relates to a device for protecting a vehicle
from being
damaged by minor external impacts.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The damage caused to vehicles from minor impacts without the addition of extra
protection can be expensive. Damage to a vehicle may by prevented or minimised
by the
use of a protective device mounted to span a section of the vehicle to be
protected.
It is an object of the invention to provide a protective device for a vehicle
which
overcomes at least some of the abovementioned problems, or at least to provide
the
public with the useful choice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a device for
protecting a vehicle
comprising a protective member spanning a section of the vehicle, and mounting
means
to mount the protective member to the vehicle.
It will be appreciated the invention has particular advantage when installed
on vehicles
used in environments where minor impacts to a vehicle are more frequent than
in normal
driving environments. These environments include off-road places such as farms
and forests.

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Preferably the protective member comprises a plurality of interconnected
elements to
form a frame. Preferably the frame is mounted between the rear of the cab of
the vehicle
such that the frame protects the cab from a load being hauled.
Alternatively the frame is preferably mounted at the front or the rear of the
vehicle and
is ancillary to the bumper of the vehicle.
Preferably the protective member is adapted to replace an existing bumper of a
vehicle
or is ancilliary to the bumper of the vehicle.
Preferably the protective member is formed of a durable material such as steel
or an
alloy. Preferably the protective member is formed of 12mm alloy.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
This invention is now described by way of example with reference to the
accompanying
drawings. The disclosures and the description are purely illustrative and are
not intended
to limit the application of the invention.
Figure 1 - shows a protective member in the form of a replacement and
strengthened vehicle bumper;
Figure 2 - shows a protective member in the form of the bumper of figure 1
with
uprights from the bumper to form a frame at the front end of a
vehicle;

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Figure 3 - shows a protective member in the form of a frame or "bullbar"
mounted at the front of a vehicle according to an alternative
embodiment of the invention;
Figure 4 - shows a protective frame in the form of a rear guard at the rear of
a
truck cab according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OFTHE INVENTION
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the invention, reference
will now be
made to various embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the drawings
and specific
language will be used to describe these embodiments. It will be understood
that no
limitation of the scope of the invention is intended, and alterations and
further
modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of
the
invention as described.
Referring now to the drawings, figure 1 shows a protective member in the form
of an
upgraded and strengthened vehicle bumper 1. Bumper 1 is moulded to the shape
of the
lower front end of a truck 2 and matches the body lines of the truck 2. In
this example
the bumper 1 is designed to replace the original bumper on the truck 2. The
bumper 1
is made of a strong and durable material such as an alloy or steel. Preferably
the bumper
1 is constructed of 12mm alloy because of its lightness, strength, and its
mouldability.
Apertures 3 may be made in the bumper 1 to allow indicator lights of a vehicle
to beam
through the aperture in the bumper 1 when in use. Metal bumper attachments
(not

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shown) are welded at one end to suitable places against the inside of the
bumper 1 and
are attached to the chassis of the truck 2 by bolts or by welded joints at the
other end
of the attachments.
Cutout sections 4 may be made in the bumper to allow access to any tow hooks
originally on the vehicle 2 to protrude through the cutout sections 4 in the
bumper 1
when the bumper 1 is attached to the vehicle 2.
A concave portion 5 may be formed in the bumper 1 and a steel bar 6 secured in
the
concave portion 5 by the bumper 1 to allow a hook to be retained about the
steel bar 6
for towing purposes.
The bumper 1 may be moulded of a width such that the bumper 1 forms a wide
skirt
(not shown) across the front of the vehicle or be modified with a rake (not
shown).
It is an advantage to have a replacement bumper formed of a strong alloy for
added
strength and durability. This design of bumper is particularly suitable for
use on a vehicle
used for agricultural, forestry, and/or quarry work.
Referring now to figure 2, an alternative embodiment of the invention is
shown. A
bumper 10, similar in design to bumper 1, is moulded to either replace the
original
bumper of the truck 13 or be an addition to the original bumper as a bullbar.
The
bumper 10 is to be attached to the chassis of a truck 13 by suitable
attachment means
such as with bolts or by welding.
A plurality of interconnected elements form a frame 15 at the front of the
vehicle. These

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interconnected elements include vertically extending uprights 12 made of metal
or alloy
which are attached to the bumper 10 and extend upwardly to a height to protect
the
front end of the truck 13. For added strength, sections of preferably alloy
tubing 11 are
attached to uprights 12 to form a solid frame 15 to protect the front of the
vehicle 13
from minor impacts.
The frame is designed to protect the particular front end of the vehicle, and
in this case
the frame is shaped to allow the beams of the headlights 14 to penetrate
between the
frame members.
Referring now to figure 3, an alternative embodiment of the invention in the
form of a
frame 25 or "bullbar" is shown. In this embodiment the original bumper remains
intact
on the vehicle. The frame 15 is attached to the chassis of the vehicle from
beneath the
bumper and protrudes at a spaced distance from the front of the vehicle.
Uprights 20, cross members 21, and a metal plate 22 are connected together to
form a
protective frame 25. A bottom rake 23 projecting beyond the plate 22 is
connected to
the bottom of the frame to provide further support for the frame 25. The bull
bar is
attached using bolts, or by welds, to the chassis of the vehicle by arms
attached to the
central uprights and extending underneath the bumper (not shown).
Preferably the plate 22 is made of 12mm alloy and the uprights 20 of 8mm
alloy.
Preferably the cross members 23 are made of 12mm alloy tubing.
Apertures 24 may be cut out of the plate 22 in appropriate places to allow the
beams
from indicator lights to pierce through.

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Referring to figure 4, a protective frame 38 showing a rear guard to protect
the cab of
a truck, is illustrated.
Two vertically extending uprights 30 are connected to a bracket 31 which is
itself
connected to the top section of the chassis of a truck. Tubing 32 is shaped to
define the
frame 38 which follows the width and height of the rear of the cab of a truck.
The
tubing 32 is welded to the other ends of the uprights 30 from the bracket 31.
Cross members 33, 34, 35 are welded perpendicular to the uprights 30 within
the tubing
32 to give the frame 38 added strength. Mesh 36 is preferably attached to the
cab side
of the frame 38 above the cross member 34 to allow a driver to view the road
from the
rearview mirror of the cab when the truck is not hauling. A metal plate 37 is
attached
to the cab side of the frame 38 between the outer frame 32 and below the cross
member
34 to the bottom tubing 32 for added protection and strength.
The protective frame 38 in this instance protects the cab from any load being
hauled
from behind the cab in the event of the load being pushed into the cab.
Where in the aforegoing description reference has been made to specific
components or
integers of the invention having known equivalents, then such equivalents are
herein
incorporated as if individually set forth.
Although this invention has been described by way of example and with
reference to
possible embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that modifications and
improvements may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the
invention

S 2159968
as appended in the claims.

Representative Drawing