Smart extendable vehicle bumpers have the potential to reduce collision damage by half, or more, by significantly increasing the distance in which to decelerate the occupants. This can dramatically reduce impact forces and increase safety.
US Regular Utility Patent Application US 16/012,665 has been filed - as of Jun 19, 2018. The RPA comprises 33 specification pages and 12 drawing pages. Contact temple89450 (@) hotmail.com for more information. Patent US11,167,709B issued November 9, 2021.
Link to USPTO patent page:
Extendable Bumper US 11,167,709B
This disclosure represent a new direction in vehicle safety teaching methods and embodiments for extending vehicle bumpers in response to detecting possible, or likely collisions. Some means to detect collisions include perception systems and communications systems.
This patent application outlines ways of significantly reducing vehicle collision damage, which is both relevant and critical for conventional and autonomous vehicles. The following link opens a PDF files for the US Utility Patent Application for Extendable Vehicle Bumpers: The following links opens PDF files for the US Utility Patent Application for Extendable Vehicle Bumpers:
Drawings:
Extendable Bumper Specification - RPA
Drawings:
Abstract
An improved bumper system for transportation vehicles (10) comprising one or more extendable bumpers (12, 14-15). The extendable bumpers extend substantially outward from a vehicle to provide a greater distance with which to reduce the forces acting upon the occupants and/or cargo of a transportation vehicle in the event of a collision. In some embodiments, the extendable bumpers extend in response to a detected, possible, or likely collision.
Prior Art
I have found some prior art from the early 1970's: Fairchild made a safety vehicle including a bumper that extends at speed. This must have been considered a commercially unacceptable improvement, as their concept did not make it into production. Further, Volvo made a safety vehicle with longer than normal bumpers. Unfortunately, bumpers that are extended based on speed alone, or are significantly longer have some drawbacks, including a higher polar moment of inertia, likely decreased aerodynamics, and appearance. The present application includes embodiments and methods that overcome these deficiencies.
Future Development
Many suggestions are contained within the present patent disclosure, and there may be many obvious alternative embodiments. CIP's (Continuation in Part) applications filled with the present inventor listed as a co-inventor are entitled to have the benefit the present application to overcome obviousness objections. Thus, please contact the given email address if you would like to work together to push this new field of safety forward.