AU2012247050A1 - Bull Bar - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract A bull bar (1) has a carrier assembly (3) for mounting to a vehicle and a skin assembly (2) which is mountable to the carrier assembly (1). A winch (46) can be mounted on the carrier assembly (1). The skin assembly (2) has an aperture (5) through it, to allow access to the winch (46) from the front of the vehicle. 1l

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Invention Title: Bull Bar Bull Bar Field of the invention The present invention relates to a bull bar assembly for a vehicle. 5 Background of the invention A bull bar is a device which can be fitted to the front of a vehicle to protect the vehicle and passengers in a collision. Bull bars are generally of a unitary construction and often have a winch attached. If a winch is to be fitted to the bull bar, it is attached to the bull bar 10 before the bull bar is attached to the vehicle. The single piece bull bar is then manually lifted (with the combined weight of bull bar and winch) and attached onto the chassis mounting surface of the vehicle. The bolts and mounting holes are sized such that all adjustment is made through the one mounting point (using large diameter holes and smaller diameter mounting bolts), making it difficult to hold the weight of the bull bar, 15 align the bull bar in the vertical and horizontal relative to the vehicle, and then fasten the bull bar in position. Summary of the invention In contrast, in one aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a bull bar 20 comprising: a carrier assembly which is adapted for attachment to a vehicle; and a skin assembly which is adapted for attachment to the carrier assembly. It is preferred that the carrier assembly comprises: 25 a carrier bar which is adapted for attachment to the vehicle; and a carrier plate which is attached to the carrier bar. It is preferred that the carrier plate is adapted to have a winch or the like mounted on it. 30 It is preferred that the carrier assembly further comprises at least two deformable mountings, which are adapted for the mounting thereon of the skin assembly. It is preferred that each deformable mounting is adapted to deform under an impact loading from the skin assembly. - 1- It is preferred that the skin assembly comprises at least two rearwardly projecting plates, each of which is adapted for attachment to a defonnable mounting. 5 It is preferred that the skin assembly has an aperture through it to allow access to a winch or the like which is mounted on the carrier assembly. It is preferred that: the attachment of the carrier assembly to the vehicle is adjustable in one of the left 10 right and up-down directions relative to the vehicle, and the attachment of the skin assembly to the carrier assembly is adjustable in the other of the left-right and up-down directions relative to the vehicle. The bull bars of the present invention have a number of advantages over the bull bar 15 construction which is customarily used. The present bull bars are fitted as two separate assemblies, or as three separate assemblies if a winch is also being installed. The weight of each separate assembly is less than the weight of the customary bull bars, making them easier to install. In addition to the easier assembly, functionally when the winch is being utilised, the loading of the cable on the winch is directly transferred into the chassis 20 through the carrier plate, enabling a lighter bull bar skin to be used. Customary bull bar designs may require heavier reinforcing as the winch is attached directly to the bull bar which in turn is attached to the vehicle. If the skin is damaged, a replacement of the skin can be done without having to replace the entire bull bar assembly, something not possible with the current one-piece designs. According to some embodiments of the invention, 25 adjustment of the bull bar to achieve best position is easier as the various axis are separated into different mounting positions. Brief description of the drawings For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how it may be carried into effect, 30 embodiments of it are shown, by way of non-limiting example only, in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: figure 1 is a perspective view from the front and above of a bull bar according to a first embodiment of the invention; figure 2 is a perspective view from the rear and above of the bull bar of figure 1; -2figures 3 and 4 are exploded perspective views from the front and above illustrating aspects of the construction of the bull bar of figure 1; figure 5 is an exploded perspective view from the rear and above illustrating aspects of the construction of the bull bar of figure 1; 5 figures 6, 7 and 8 are perspective views illustrating aspects of the construction of a component of the bull bar of figure 1; figure 9 is an elevational view of a component of the bull bar of figure 1; and figure 10 is a cross sectional view on the line A-A of figure 9. 10 Description of preferred embodiments of the invention Construction In the drawings, a bull bar 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a skin assembly 2 and a carrier assembly 3. 15 As is illustrated most clearly in figures 3 and 4, the skin assembly 2 comprises five bumper segments 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Each of the bumper segments 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 is, to varying degrees, substantially U-shaped in a cross-section through the vertical plane. The central bumper segment 7 has an aperture through it, to allow access to any winch which is mounted within the bull bar. There is a rearwardly-projecting plate 11 between bumper 20 segments 6 and 7 and a rearwardly-projecting plate 12 between bumper segments 7 and 8. Each of the rearwardly-projecting plates 11 and 12 has a number of vertically-extending slots 10 extending through it, adjacent the rear edge of the plate. The skin assembly 2 includes right-hand, central and left-hand tubular uprights 13, 14 and 16 which extend upwards. 25 As is illustrated most clearly in figures 5, 6 and 7, the carrier assembly 3 comprises a carrier bar 17, a carrier plate 18 and two deformable mountings 19. The carrier bar 17 comprises a straight central portion 24, transition portions 23 at each 30 end of the central portion 24, and end portions 26 each of which is substantially parallel to the central portion 24. A series of horizontal slots 28 extend through the central portion 24 while a series of horizontal mounting slots 35 extend through each end portion 26. The carrier plate 18 comprises a horizontal planar portion 25 which has a front flange -3portion 30 extending downwards from the front edge. The periphery of the planar portion 25 of the carrier plate comprises a series of protruding tongues 31, 33 while each edge of the front flange 30 carries a protruding tongue 34. 5 The two deformable mounting 19 are mirror images of each other and each comprises an inner leg 21 and an outer leg 22. Each inner leg 21 and outer leg 22 is roughly Z-shaped in horizontal cross section, so that the deformable mounting 19 is roughly Y-shaped in horizontal cross section. Each inner leg 21 has a vertical slot 29 and a horizontal slot 32 through it, corresponding to the tongues 34 and 33 of the horizontal planar portion 25 of 10 the carrier plate 18. Assembly holes 38 pass through each leg 21 and 22, for assembly with a nut and bolt 39 as illustrated in figures 9 and 10. Each outer leg 22 has mounting holes 36 through it, for mounting the carrier assembly 3 to a vehicle chassis as described below in this specification. Each outer leg 22 carries a notch 44 on its upper edge, close to the forward edge of the leg. 15 Embodiments of the present invention may be produced in any suitable manner from any suitable material. Suitable materials include mild steel in various thicknesses, stainless steel, or aluminium. Components may be fabricated by laser cutting and folding the various parts and robotically welding to form the required assemblies, but could be also 20 fabricated by other methods including hand cutting, machining, water jet cutting, plasma cutting, hand folding, manual welding, spot welding, moulding, die casting or casting. According to some preferred embodiments of the invention, the carrier assembly and the skin assembly are fabricated from HRPO (hot-rolled pickled and oiled) steel. The material 25 is cut to size using laser profile cutting and shaped using CNC press brake folding. Welding is used for some joining, followed by grinding and powder coating for finishing. According to other preferred embodiments, the carrier assembly is fabricated from HRPO steel and the skin assembly is fabricated from 5005 aluminium or 5083 aluminium. In this 30 case, the material for the skin is cut to size using laser profile cutting and shaped using CNC press brake folding, followed by pre-polishing, welding, grinding and final polish. Fitting to vehicle To fit the bull bar assembly 1 to a vehicle the carrier assembly 3 is placed onto the screw -4threaded mounting studs 43 which project forwardly from a mounting plate 45 which is at the forward ends 42 of the vehicle chassis rail. The studs 43 are aligned with the horizontal mounting slots 35 a the ends 26 of the carrier bar 28. The placement of the carrier assembly 3 is adjusted in the horizontal plane to achieve correct alignment with the 5 vehicle, this adjustment being accommodated for by left/right sliding of the mounting slots 35 on the mounting studs 43. The carrier assembly 3 is then locked in place by threading nuts onto the free ends of the mounting studs 43 and by bolting the mounting brackets 41 to the chassis rails 42 and to the outer legs 22 of the deformable mountings 19. Each mounting bracket 41 has a substantially horizontally-extending leg 47, a substantially 10 vertically-extending leg 48 and a mounting flange 49 which extends outwardly. The horizontally-extending leg 47 of the mounting bracket 41 is bolted to outer face of the the chassis rail 42 and the vertically-extending leg 48 is bolted to the outer legs 22 of the deformable mountings 19. The mounting plate 45 is sandwiched between the mounting flange 49 and the end portion 26 of the carrier bar, with bolts (which are not illustrated in 15 the drawings) passing through the mounting flange 49, the mounting plate 45 the slot 35 in the end portion 26 of the carrier bar and are tightened with nuts, providing further strength to the bull bar/chassis interface. The mounting brackets 41 contribute strength to the bull bar construction and in particular contribute to inhibiting the deformation of the deformable mountings 19, of the carrier bar 17 and of the forward end of the chassis rail 20 42 when winching is taking place. As is illustrated in figure 8, if a winch it to be installed then the winch 46 is mounted on the carrier plate 18 after the carrier assembly 3 has been fitted to the vehicle. 25 The skin assembly I is then lifted into place and adjusted so that it is correctly positioned vertically, with mounting bolts for the skin assembly sliding in the vertically extending slots 10 in the plates 11 and 12. The skin assembly I temporarily rested on the notches 44 at the upper edges of the deformable mountings 19 during this process. 30 While the present invention has been described with reference to a few specific embodiments, the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various modifications may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. -5- A reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that the referenced prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia. 5 Throughout this specification, the words "comprise", "comprised", "comprising" and "comprises" are to be taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof. 10 In the claims, each dependent claim is to be read as being within the scope of its parent claim or claims, in the sense that a dependent claim is not to be interpreted as infringed unless its parent claims are also infringed. -6-

Claims (9)

1. A bull bar comprising: a carrier assembly which is adapted for attachment to a vehicle; and a skin assembly which is adapted for attachment to the carrier assembly. 5

2. A bull bar as claimed in claim 1, in which the carrier assembly comprises: a carrier bar which is adapted for attachment to the vehicle; and a carrier plate which is attached to the carrier bar. 10

3. A bull bar as claimed in claim 2, in which the carrier plate is adapted to have a winch or the like mounted on it.

4. A bull bar as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the carrier assembly further comprises at least two deformable mountings, which are adapted 15 for the mounting thereon of the skin assembly.

5. A bull bar as claimed in claim 4, in which each deformable mounting is adapted to deform under an impact loading from the skin assembly. 20

6. A bull bar as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, in which the skin assembly comprises at least two rearwardly projecting plates, each of which is adapted for attachment to a deformable mounting.

7. A bull bar as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the skin 25 assembly has an aperture through it to allow access to a winch or the like which is mounted on the carrier assembly.

8. A bull bar as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which: the attachment of the carrier assembly to the vehicle is adjustable in one of 30 the left-right and up-down directions relative to the vehicle, and the attachment of the skin assembly to the carrier assembly is adjustable in the other of the left-right and up-down directions relative to the vehicle. -7-

9. A bull bar as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, substantially as described with reference to the drawings -8-