1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains to the field of accessories for automotive vehicles. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a front bumper for an automotive vehicle.
2. Discussion of Related Art
An ordinary front bumper is a shield against low-speed collisions, typically made of steel, aluminum, rubber, or plastic, and mounted on the front of a vehicle. When a low-speed collision occurs, the bumper—along with its attachment to the vehicle—absorbs the shock to prevent or reduce damage to the vehicle. 49 CFR Part 581, entitled “The bumper standard” and called simply “the standard” hereinafter, prescribes performance requirements for passenger cars in low-speed front (and rear) collisions. It applies to front (and rear) bumpers on passenger cars, and is aimed at preventing damage to the car body and safety related equipment at barrier impact speeds of 2½ mph across the full width and 1½ mph on the corners. This is equivalent to a 5 mph crash into a parked vehicle of the same weight. The standard requires protection in the region 16 to 20 inches above the road surface, and the manufacturer can provide the protection by any means it wants. For example, some vehicles do not have a solid bumper across the vehicle, but meet the standard by strategically placed bumper guards and corner guards. Some bumpers use energy absorbers or brackets and others are made with a foam cushioning material. Ordinary front (and rear) bumpers are not designed to be structural components that would significantly contribute to vehicle crashworthiness.
At this time, the U.S. military is involved in conflicts of a sort sometimes called urban warfare. The HMMWV (High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle) is often used on patrol in such conflicts. As provided, the HMMWV is susceptible to being disabled by an ordinary passenger vehicle ramming into the front end of the HMMWV. The HMMWV as usually provided does not even have a front bumper. Also, the HMMWV is not usually armored, and when disabled, the crew is usually at a great disadvantage because they are usually outnumbered, surrounded, and without cover.
In addition, a strategy used in attacking a HMMWV on patrol is to place a wrecked or disabled junk vehicle in the roadway at a place where there is no way for the HMMWV to get around the junk vehicle. Crew members then would sometimes have to exit the HMMWV and push the junk vehicle out of the way, and would be shot at while trying to get the junk vehicle out of the way.
What is therefore needed is a highly protective front bumper for the HMMWV and other vehicles used in such conflicts.
The prior art does provide highly protective front bumpers for such applications, but these are usually quite heavy, typically several hundred pounds, because of being made of steel. While there are advantages in having a steel front bumper, the HMMWV was not designed to maneuver with such a large amount of weight attached to the front.
In addition, the HMMWV is not a large vehicle, and is sometimes taken on extended duration patrols, and must then accommodate a large amount of supplies and equipment and several crew members. Storage space is therefore at a premium.
Thus, it would be advantageous to have a front bumper system that is not only high strength but also lightweight, and further, ideally, also includes some additional storage capacity.