1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a bumper structure of a motor vehicle, and more particularly to a bumper structure including a bumper fascia.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some of light duty motor vehicles are equipped with bumper structures of a type having a plastic bumper fascia.
An example of prior art bumper structure of the above described type is shown in FIGS. 4-7 of the accompanying drawings. As is shown in FIG. 4, some of conventional bumper fascias 10 are integrally molded so as to have openings 12 and 14 into which head lamps and a radiater grille are fitted. As is seen from FIG. 5, the bumper fascia 10 is fastened, at its rear end vertical flanges 16, to front end vertical flanges 22 of a front fender panel 24 through bolts 18, nuts 20 and retainers 26.
However, the bumper structures of he above-mentioned type has the following drawbacks.
As the size of the bumper fascia 10 becomes increased, the same tends to be distorted in shape due to inevitable thermal contraction at its molding process.
Thus, if the bumper fascia 10 having been outwardly distorted is mounted onto the front fender panel 24, it tends to occur that, as is seen from FIG. 7, a rear upper end of the bumper fascia 10 mismates with a front upper end of the front fender panel 24 leaving a considerable gap "A" therebetween. Designated by numeral 28 in FIG. 7 is a hood panel for the engine room. Furthermore, as is seen from FIG. 6, because of the thermal contraction of the bumper fascia 10, it tends to have an undesirable gap "B" betwen a rear outer end of the bumper fascia 10 and a front outer end of the front fender panel 24. These gaps "A" and "B" lower the external appearance of the front face of the motor vehicle.