DESCRIPTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a bumper assembly having a protective cover which prevents the sensor from being damaged by protecting the parking sensors mounted on front or bumper parts of the vehicles from external factors. Background of the Invention

The atomization process of vehicles has been accelerated with the development of vehicle technologies. The technologic developments used in the vehicles increase the driving comfort of the drivers. In big cities with large population, the large number of people living causes the large number of vehicles in the traffic. The traffic jam increases since the drivers want to travel with their own cars instead of public transport.

In places with heavy traffic, the requirement to use vehicle increases considering the safety of the vehicles of the drivers the vehicles around them. Furthermore, in crowded places, for example in parking areas, parking the vehicle may create an important problem. The driver needs to park and leave the parking area without damaging their cars and the cars around them in exits and entrances of the parking areas so that the vehicles are parked on the determined parking areas.

Within this concept, the sensors are mounted on front and/or rear bumpers during the assembly of the vehicle in the factory or in accordance with the demand of the user. These sensors inform the driver by calculating the objects present where the vehicle is located from a certain distance. By this means, the objects that are not in sight of the driver (living or nonliving things) are detected and the driver is given a warning. The parking sensors operate in two different ways. First one of these are the hardware which gives aural warning to the driver and shows the distance between the object at which the sound waves hits or the obstacle by emitting sound waves to the environment by calculating the said distance. The other sensor type creates a certain magnetic field around the place where it is mounted in the vehicle. During parking the vehicle and/or back-forth movement, in case any object enters into the magnetic field created around the vehicle, the sensor detects the said object and informs the driver about the distance between the object and the vehicle just as in the sensors operating with sound waves, and it also gives audial warning. The use of sensors with the cameras has increased with the improvement in this application. By means of the cameras placed on front and/or front bumpers of the vehicles, the image is displayed on the screen provided on the control panel of the vehicles, and the sensor also gives an audial warning. Today, front-rear parking sensors have become a standard equipment in the vehicles such as air bag and abs.

The drivers control their vehicles according to the features of their vehicles. For this reason, a driver continuously using front-rear parking sensor of the vehicle in a daily routine can experience problems in parking in case the sensor breaks down. The sensors are sensitive equipment, and they are connected to the electric installation of the cables.

Currently, there is no bumper assembly which protects the park sensors in the bumper, and thus avoids the sensor to break down and/or get damaged due to any external factors that can come from outside.

The Objective of the Invention

The objective of the present invention is to provide a bumper assembly which protects the parking sensors mounted therein from external factors. Another objective of the present invention is to provide a bumper assembly which enables a healthy operation by protecting the sensors.

A further objective of the present invention is to provide a bumper assembly which enables the sensors to give a reliable warning.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a bumper assembly which prevents failure and/or new sensor costs due to the failure of the sensor. A further objective of the present invention is to provide a bumper assembly which enables the sensors to operate for a long time.

Summary of the Invention There is a cover in a bumper assembly developed in order to realize the objective of the present invention and disclosed in the first claim and the other dependent claims. The cover enables the sensor to be protected from external factors by being closed on the part of the sensors mounted outside from the inner surface which is in the inner part of the bumper through the holes made on the vehicle bumper.

Detailed Description of the Invention

A bumper assembly realized to fulfill the objective of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying figures, in which:

Figure 1 is the perspective view of the bumper assembly.

Figure 2 is the perspective cross sectional view of the bumper assembly.

Figure 3 is the perspective cross sectional view of the bumper assembly from a different angle.

Figure 4 is the perspective view of the protective cover. Figure 5 is the perspective view of the mounted protective cover.

The components shown in the figures are each given reference numbers as follows:

1. Bumper assembly

2. Sensor

3. Slot

4. Socket

5. Installation

6. Cover

61. Outer surface

62. Handle

63. Inner surface

64. Channel

65. Separator

66. Tab

A bumper assembly (1), which is the layer wherein the shocks against the effects that can come from outside are absorbed in front and rear part of the vehicle, essentially comprises

at least one sensor (2) which warns the driver by calculating the distance between the obstacles in front of the vehicle and the vehicle,

at least one slot (3) which is made for mounting the sensor (2),

- at least one socket (4) which is used for the electric connection of the sensor,

at least one installation (5) which enables the sensor (2) to communicate with the vehicle panel,

at least one cover (6) which protects the sensor (2) mounted on the slot (3) from external factors. In one embodiment of the invention, there is a sensor (2). The sensor (2) can be mounted to the vehicles during assembly in the factory or in accordance with the driver's demand. The sensor (2) is generally mounted on the front and/or rear bumper in the vehicles.

In one embodiment of the invention, there is a slot (3). The slot (3) is the part in which the sensor (2) is placed. The slot (3) almost the same dimensions as the sensor (2). In one embodiment of the invention, there is a socket (4). The socket (4) provides electricity from the vehicle so that the sensor (2) can operate.

In one embodiment of the invention, there is an installation (5). After the sensor (2) is attached to the slot (3), the installation (5) is transferred to the front panel of the vehicle through the shortest way possible in the vehicle (inside the upholstery). On the front panel, there is a screen which shows the distance detected by the sensor (2) to the driver, and gives preferably an audio warning. The installation (5) enables the sensor (2) to communicate with the screen showing the distance to the driver.

In one embodiment of the invention, there is a cover (6). The cover (6) protects the sensor (2) mounted to the slot (3) from external factors during using the vehicle or parking. Since the cover (6) surrounds the sensor (2) and the socket (4), materials such as stones and pebbles bouncing during driving are prevented from damaging the sensor (2) and the socket (4). By this means, the cover (6) allows the sensor (2) to operate accurately and effectively.

In one embodiment of the invention, the cover (6) has a curved outer surface (61) such that it will preferably include the sensor (2) and the socket (4). In one embodiment of the invention, there is a handle (62) on the outer surface (61) which enables the cover (6) to be attached and detached. In this embodiment of the invention, there are preferably two handles (62), and they are located above and below the edge of the outer surface (61). In another embodiment of the invention, the handle (62) can be a piece which is mounted on the outer surface (61) and enables the cover (6) to be attached and detached.

In one embodiment of the invention, the cover (6) has an inner surface (63) facing the sensor (2) and the socket (4). The inner surface (63) is designed such that it will not damage the sensor (2) and the socket (4). In one embodiment of the invention, there is a channel (64) provided on the inner surface (63) of the cover (6). The channel (64) is comprised of two parallel long protrusions, and it has the form in which the sensor (2) and the socket (4) will fit.

In one embodiment of the invention, there is a separator (65). The separator (65) is in form a protrusion perpendicularly cutting two protrusions of the channel (64) parallel to each other. The separator (65) separates the sensor (2) and the socket (4) fitting into the channel (64) from each other. By means of the separator (65), the sensor (2) and the socket (4) are prevented from contacting each other during the movement of the vehicle, and thus it is enabled that the sensor (2) and the socket (4) operate sturdily.

In one embodiment of the invention, there is a tab (66). The tab (66) is preferably provided on the inner surface (63) of the cover (6). The tab (66) enables the cover (6) to fit into the slot (3) where the sensor (2) is present and to perform a secure connection. In this embodiment of the invention, there are preferably two tabs (66), and they are provided on lower and upper parts of the inner surface (63).

In this embodiment of the invention, the number of the cover (6) is equal to the number of sensors (2), there are two of them. The design of the cover (6) is symmetrical depending on the mounting way of the sensor (2) to the slot (3), and they are on the left and the right. The left cover (6) and the right cover (6) are identical and they are symmetrical. In the alternative embodiment of the invention, the cover (6) is mounted on the inner surface of the bumper assembly such that it will be a member of the bumper assembly (1). In this mounting style, the cover (6) is connected to the inner surface of the bumper assembly (1) via a hinge like connecting member such that the part that will cover the sensor (2) will be movable. After the sensor (3) is inserted into the slot (3), the cover (6) present right next to it is covered on the sensor (2) and the socket (4), and it is attached to the slot (3) via the tabs (66) from its movable end.

In this embodiment of the invention, the mounting of the sensor (2) in the bumper assembly (1) is performed as such: the sensor (2) placed into the slot (3) made on the surface and the socket (4) are connected to each other. There is an installation (5) going out of the end that does not connected to the sensor (2) and moving inside the vehicle. After the sensor (2) is mounted with the socket (4) and connected to the installation (5), the cover (6) is held from the handle (62) on its outer surface (61) and closed on the sensor (2) and the socket (4). By means of the separator (65) provided on the inner surface (63) of the cover (6), it can be understood whether the cover (6) fits onto the sensor (2) and the socket (4). When it is understood that the cover (6) fits, the tabs (66) on its inner surface (63) engages into the slot (3) in which the sensor (2) is placed, and thus a secure connection is provided. The inventive bumper assembly (1) enables the parking sensors (2) to have long life and operate sturdily by means of having a cover (6) protecting the sensor (2).