Under-run protector and method of providing an under-run protection on a vehicle

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to under-run protectors for vehicles, for example under-run protectors for heavy commercial vehicles. Moreover, the present invention also relates to methods of providing under-run impact protection in vehicles, for example in heavy commercial vehicles.

Background of the invention

Vehicles are produced in a wide spectrum of sizes, for example from compact two-seater automobiles to heavy commercial vehicles comprising a tractor coupled in operation to a plurality of trailers. Moreover, despite care being exercised by vehicle drivers, impact events unfortunately occasionally occur between vehicles in operation. An under-run problem arises when a small vehicle, for example an automobile, impacts onto a large vehicle, for example a heavy commercial vehicle with trailer; the small vehicle has a tendency to become wedged beneath the large vehicle unless the large vehicle is equipped with under-run protection.

Under-run protectors are known. For example, there is described in a published Japanese patent application no. 2002-337637 (Isuzu Motors Ltd.) an under-run protector mountable below a front surface or a back surface of a large-sized vehicle in order to prevent a passenger car from slipping under the large-sized vehicle. The under-run protector includes a transverse bumper beam supported by an impact energy absorbing member via a pair of stays onto a chassis of the large-sized vehicle. The impact energy absorbing member is operable to absorb impact energy received during a collision event. Moreover, the bumper beam is mounted at a similar height to a bumper of an impacting vehicle, for example an automobile. Furthermore, a sensor is provided on the impact energy absorbing member so that a driver of the large-sized vehicle is informed regarding deformation of the impact energy absorbing member in an event that the driver is otherwise unaware of an impact event having occurred.

In another published Japanese patent application no. 08-295 193 (Nissan Diesel Motor Co. Ltd.), there is described a front under-run protector device. The under-run protector device is

operable to employ an elastic body therein to absorb impact energy and to resist twisting displacement of the front under-run protector itself. The front under-run protector is mountable at a lower section of a front bumper of a vehicle via a mounting arrangement including at least one bracket. Moreover, the front under-run protector is implemented as a lateral beam. A circular arc-shaped section is provided in the device for supporting a corresponding circular arc-shaped portion of the elastic body.

In a further published Japanese patent application no. 2000-296743 (Isuzu Motors Ltd.), there is described an impact-absorbing front under-run protector of compact form and of relatively low weight. The front under-run protector comprises an impact energy absorbing device comprising an energy absorbing body surrounded by a tubular body. The protector also includes a bracket and a protector fixed to a front part underside of a side member of a chassis frame of a vehicle. A slit is provided in the tubular body which assists the absorbing body being crushed in operation in a smooth manner during an impact event.

In a granted United States patent no. US 3, 934, 912, there is described a system including a retractable bumper coupled with an hydraulic shock absorber which are operable to provide an absorption characteristic which is governed by a pressurized gas. There is also included a weight sensor for sensing a gross weight of a vehicle, a pressure regulator for regulating the pressurized gas, and a carriage mechanism which supports the shock absorber and is operable to move in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Moreover, there is further included an electrical control unit for controlling both the pressure regulator and the carriage mechanism in response to a weight-indicative signal generated by the weight sensor, so that the energy absorption capacity of the system in a collision of the vehicle represented by a product of a resistance offered against a retracting movement of the bumper by the shock absorber and the distance travelled by the bumper until coming into contact with a body of the vehicle is susceptible to being varied depending on the weight of a payload of the vehicle.

Aforementioned known under-run protectors suffer one or more technical problems as follows:

(a) are costly to repair, for example as in the aforesaid published Japanese patent applications nos. 2002-337637 and 2000-296743;

(b) exhibit an elastic rebound force which can cause additional damage during impact events, for example as in the aforesaid published Japanese patent application no. 08-

295 193; and

(c) are complex and costly to implement, for example as in granted United States patent no. US 3, 934, 912.

Such one or more problems have hitherto prevented the commercial widespread adoption of advanced forms of under-run protection.

Summary of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide under-run protection for vehicles which are at least one of less expensive to deploy and/or repair, and substantially devoid of elastic rebound during an impact event.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an under-run protector as defined in appended claim 1 ; there is provided an under-run protector mountable to a chassis of a vehicle, the under-run protector comprising a bumper component, a deformable component operable to absorb impact energy, and a support component coupled to the chassis,

characterized in that

at least one of the support component and the bumper component include a recess for accommodating the deformable component, wherein

(a) the deformable component is susceptible to having an un-deformed state prior to an impact event, and a deformed state after an impact event, and

(b) the deformable component is operable to spatially separate the bumper component from the support component when the deformable component is in its un-deformed state, and movement of the bumper component relative to the support component is restricted to the bumper component abutting onto the support component when the deformable component is deformed to its maximum allowable extent.

The invention is of advantage in that the deformable component is crushable from its un- deformed state to its deformed state for absorbing impact energy, and that abutment of the bumper component onto the support component defines a limit to which the deformable component can be crushed, thereby easing repair.

Optionally, in the under-run protector, the recess is provided with tapered sidewalls for assisting removal of the deformable component from the recess after the impact event for repair purposes. Use of tapered sidewalls enables the deformable component to be more easily removed from the recess during repair after the impact event because a risk of the deformable component becoming jammed in the recess is reduced.

Optionally, in the under-run protector, the tapered sidewalls subtend in operation an angle (β) from a longitudinal axis of the recess in a range of 1° to 45°, more preferable in a range of 3° to 20° and most preferably in a range of 5° to 10°. Such ranges of angles are found beneficial on the one hand for defining a volume into which the deformable component can be crushed, and on the other hand for assisting to prevent the deformable component becoming jammed in the recess after the impact event has occurred.

Optionally, in the under-run protector, the deformable component is fabricated from one or more materials which are operable to undergo crushing and/or bending processes for absorbing the impact energy.

More optionally, in the under-run protector, the deformable component is fabricated from at least one of: (a) a metal;

(b) a reinforced composite; and

(c) a foam material.

Yet more optionally, in the under-run protector, the deformable component includes at least one of: steel, aluminium, aluminium alloy, extruded aluminium alloy, extruded metal alloy, metal alloy.

Yet more optionally, in the under-run protector, the deformable component includes at least one of: a ceramic material, a reinforced carbon-fibre and/or fibreglass composite, a resin material filled with wire elements, a filled plastics-material such as glass-filled polypropylene.

Yet more optionally, in the under-run protector, the deformable component includes at least one of: a porous plastics material including voids therein, a porous metal component including voids therein for example aluminium foam, a porous crushable ceramic material including voids therein. Yet more optionally, the foam material includes pores having a nominal diameter in a range of 1 μm to 3 mm, more beneficially in a range of 10 μm to 0.5 mm, and most beneficially in a range of 50 μm to 250 μm. The foam material beneficially has

closed pores which are ruptured when the pores are crushed during the impact event; alternatively, the foam material has open pores.

Optionally, in the under-run protector, the deformable component is attached to the bumper component and/or the support component by one or more fasteners accessible from outside the recess. Such a disposition of the one or more fasteners is of advantage In that the bumper component and the support component are susceptible to being released from their crushed deformable component without requiring user-access directly to the recess.

Optionally, to provide a sufficient degree of energy absorption during the impact event, the under-run protector is implemented such that the deformable component includes at least one deformable tube. More optionally, for more reliably defining an energy absorbing characteristic of the tube during the impact event, the at least one deformable tube includes surface features (400, 410) thereon to define crushing of the at least one tube during the impact event. Yet more optionally, the surface features are formed on at least one of: an exterior surface of the at least one tube, an interior surface of the at least one tube.

More optionally, in then under-run protector, the at least one tube includes a component within its interior region for defining crushing of the at least one tube during the impact event.

More optionally, in the under-run protector, the at least one tube is at least partially surrounded on its exterior surface by an exterior cladding operable to define crushing of the at least one tube during the impact event.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle including one or more under-run protectors mounted thereon, the one or more under-run protectors being implement pursuant to the first aspect of the invention, the one or more under-run protectors being mounted in at least one of following locations on the vehicle: a front region to provide a front under-run protector, a rear region to provide a rear under-run protector, one or more sides regions to provide one or more side under-run protectors.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of providing under- run protection on a vehicle, the method being characterized by including steps of: (a) mounting an under-run protector to a chassis of a vehicle, the under-run protector comprising a bumper component, a deformable component operable to absorb impact energy, and a support component coupled to the chassis, wherein at least one

of the support component and the bumper component include a recess for accommodating the deformable component, (b) arranging for the deformable component to have an un-deformed state prior to an impact event, and a deformed state after the impact event; (c) absorbing impact energy during the impact event by arranging for the deformable component to spatially separate the bumper component from the support component when the deformable component is in its un-deformed state, and for restricting movement of the bumper component relative to the support component to the bumper component abutting onto the support component when the deformable component is deformed to its maximum allowable extent.

Features of the invention are susceptible to being combined in any combination without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Description of the diagrams

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the following diagrams wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic side-view illustration of an under-run protector pursuant to the present invention in a state ready to withstand an impact event;

Figure 2 is a schematic side-view illustration of the under-run protector of Figure 1 after an impact event during which the protector has absorbed impact energy by crushing and/or bending processes occurring therein;

Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of an attachment arrangement for coupling together components of the protector of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a schematic illustration of the under-run protector of Figure 1 provided with a recess having tapered side-walls;

Figure 5. is a schematic side-view cross-sectional illustration of an embodiment of an under-run protector pursuant to the present invention including a crushable tubular component surrounded externally by a cladding for controlling impact

energy-absorbing crushing processes occurring in the tubular component during an impact event;

Figure 6 is a schematic side-view cross-sectional illustration of an embodiment of an under-run protector pursuant to the present invention including a crushable tubular component surrounded externally by a cladding and also an interior insert for controlling impact energy-absorbing crushing processes occurring in the tubular component during an impact event; the interior insert includes voids therein for guiding crushing of the tubular component during the impact event;

Figure 7 is a schematic side-view cross-sectional illustration of an embodiment of an under-run protector pursuant to the present invention including a crushable tubular component surrounded externally by a cladding comprising alternating layers of crushable material and also an interior insert comprising alternating layers of crushable material or controlling impact energy-absorbing crushing processes occurring in the tubular component during an impact event;

Figure 8 is a schematic side-view cross-sectional illustration of the under-run protector of

Figure 7 after being subjected to an impact event;

Figures 9 and 10 are schematic side-view cross-sectional illustration of a tubular component of the under-run protection of Figure 1 including features therein for guiding crushing of the tubular component during an impact event;

Figure 11 is a schematic side-view illustration of a tubular component of the under-run protector of Figure 1 implemented by including a helical spring in an interior region defined by walls of a tube;

Figure 12 is a schematic side-view cross-sectional illustration of an embodiment of an under-run protector pursuant to the present invention including a tubular component implemented as a concentric configuration of crushable tubes;

Figure 13 is a schematic plan view of a vehicle including one or more under-run protectors of Figure 1 in at least one of following regions of the vehicle: a front region, a rear region, a side region, left- and right-hand side regions;

Figure 14 is a schematic illustration of an array of discrete under-run protectors forming an under-run protection bar;

Figure 15 is a schematic illustration of the array of discrete under-run protectors as illustrated in Figure 14 with a modification that the discrete under-run protectors are mutually pivotally coupled; and

Figure 16 is a schematic illustration of the under-run protector of Figure 1 modified so that a recess of the protector is at least partially accommodated in a bumper component of the protector.

Description of embodiments of the invention

In overview, the present invention is concerned with under-run protectors, for example an under-run protector as depicted in Figure 1 and indicated generally by 10 therein. The under-run protector 10 comprises a bracket component 20 mountable at a first portion thereof to a longitudinal or transverse beam 30 of a chassis of a vehicle to which the under- run protector 10 is fitted. The bracket component 20 includes a recess 40 at a second portion thereof. Moreover, the recess 40 includes a peripheral lip 50 and a recessed back surface 60. The recessed back surface 60 is designed to receive a first end 70 of a crushable hollow tubular component 80. A second end 90 of the crushable tubular component 80 is attached to a bumper component 100 whose diameter Cl ₁ is greater than a diameter d ₂ of the peripheral lip 50.

In operation, when the bumper component 100 receives an impact from another vehicle, for example from an automobile, impact forces F are transferred through the bumper component 100 to the crushable tubular component 80 to cause it to crumple as depicted in Figure 2. During an impact event, the tubular component 80 is susceptible to being crushed in a concertina-type manner by a distance d ₃ until the bumper component 100 contacts and thereby abuts onto the peripheral lip 50, such contact inhibiting further crushing of the crushable tubular component 80 as depicted in Figure 3. Sidewalls 110 of the recess 40 are operable to limit lateral movement of the crushable tubular component 80 during impact events and thereby provide a more predictable and reliable energy absorption characteristic.

After an impact event, the bumper component 100 and the bracket component 20 are often intact. Repair then merely constitutes removing remains of the crushed tubular component

80 from the recess 40, installing a new corresponding crushable tubular component 80 into the recess 40 and then ensuring that the tubular component 80 is coupled to the recessed back surface 60 and to the bumper component 100 in a secure manner. The crushed tubular component 80 can be discarded or more beneficially recycled.

The under-run protector 10 provides many benefits. In an event of a moderate impact, for example an automobile impacting upon the under-run protector 10 at a velocity in a range of 2 km to 20 km, the bumper component 100 potentially remains substantially non-deformed and can be reused. Moreover, the tubular component 80 is beneficially retained in position by clamps and/or screws in such a manner that they are not prone to becoming jammed when the tubular component 80 becomes crushed during an impact event; screws and/or fixtures 120 present to retrain the tubular component 80 in position are accessible for example from a rear face of the bracket component 20 as depicted in Figure 3. Optionally, the tubular component 80 includes at each of its ends 70, 90 an end plate including one or more holes for receiving the screws and/or fixtures 120 when the tubular component 80 is implemented as a hollow item.

In Figures 1 , 2 and 3, the sidewalls 110 of the recess 40 are illustrated to be substantially parallel. Optionally, the sidewalls 110 can be implemented in a frusto-conical manner as depicted in Figure 4, namely diverging outwards from the back surface 60 towards the peripheral lip 50 as shown. The sidewalls 110 beneficially subtend an angle β relative to a central longitudinal axis 150 of the tubular component 80. Beneficially, the angle β is in a range of 1° to 45°, more preferable in a range of 3° to 20° and most preferably in a range of 5° to 10°. Implementing the sidewalls 110 to be deployed as a frusto-conical surface resists the tubular component 80 become wedged and jammed into the recess 40 and therefore renders replacement of the tubular component 80 after an impact event easier to implement. Beneficially, the bumper component 100 is attached to the tubular component 80 using a screw and/or fastener 130 as depicted in Figure 3 to assist with repair.

The tubular component 80 is described in the foregoing as being crushable. In one example embodiment of the invention, the tubular component 80 is hollow and has walls fabricated from one of more of:

(a) a metal, for example steel, aluminium, aluminium alloy, extruded aluminium alloy;

(b) a reinforced composite, for example a ceramic material, a reinforced carbon-fibre and/or fibreglass composite, a resin material filled with wire elements, a filled plastics- material such as glass-filled polypropylene;

(c) a foam material, for example a porous plasties material including voids therein, a porous metal component including voids therein for example aluminium foam, a porous crushable ceramic material including voids therein.

A foam material, in the context of the present invention, includes pores having a nominal diameter in a range of 1 μm to 3 mm, more beneficially in a range of 10 μm to 0.5 mm, and most beneficially in a range of 50 μm to 250 μm. In one embodiment of the invention, the pores are open. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the pores are closed.

Optionally, the tubular component 80 is filled with a compressible material in its interior region. Such compressible material beneficially includes one or more of:

(a) a foam material, for example a porous plastics material including voids therein, a porous metal component including voids therein for example aluminium foam, a porous crushable ceramic material including voids therein;

(b) an insert including a configuration of crushable walls mutually spaced apart by voids. Optionally, the voids are at least partially filled with solid material. Optionally the solid material is a heat-absorbing gel for absorbing instantaneous heat generated during impact resulting from deforming grain boundaries in metal material for example. Such gel is known from electric arc-welding processes for maintaining selective regions of components cool during welding processes.

Optionally, a region 200 outside the tubular component 80 in the recess 40 is filled with aforementioned one or more compressible materials as depicted in Figure 5 in cross- sectional view. Including compressible material in the recess 40 around the tubular component 80 is of benefit in that it obliges the tubular component 80 to collapse in a concertina-type manner rather than simply bending and buckling in one lateral dimension; a more predictable and reliable energy absorbing characteristic is thereby provided by the tubular component 80 during a collision event.

Optionally, the region 200 surrounding the tubular component 80 and a region 210 inside the tubular component 80 are filled with aforesaid one or more compressible materials as depicted in Figure 6. Beneficial, a crushable element is included as shown within the region 210 which defines voids 250 for guiding folding of the tubular component 80 during an impact event. More optionally, the voids 250 are also filled with a porous crushable material which more readily crushes in comparison to the aforesaid crushable element.

Optionally, both of the regions 200, 210 are each implemented as a stack of plate- or disc- like elements wherein adjacent plate- or disc-like elements 300, 310 have mutually different

resistances so as to guide folding of the wall of the tubular element 80 during an impact event as depicted in Figures 7 and 8. Elements 300 are more easily crushed and compressed than the elements 310 such that the tubular component 80 preferentially during an impact event, where a force F is applied to the bumper component 100, folds into volumes defined by the elements 300 as illustrated in Figure 8.

When the crushable tubular component 80 is formed as a hollow tube, the tube is preferable shaped and/or includes features formed therein which assist it to fold in a predetermined manner. Such features include circumferential slots or depressions formed by at least one of:

(a) selectively machining the tubular component 80, for example as illustrated schematically in longitudinal cross-section in Figure 9 wherein the tubular component

80 has a substantially circular transverse cross-section, by including a plurality of exterior circumferential slots 400, a plurality of interior circumferential slots 410 disposed offset to the exterior circumferential slots 400 such that regions between the exterior slots 400 are bent outwards and regions between the interior slots 410 are bent inwards during an impact event; the interior circumferential slots 410 can optionally be omitted; alternatively the slots 400, 410 can be formed as a spiral on one or more the interior and exterior surfaces of the tubular component 80; (b) hydroforming the tubular component 80, for example in a form generally similar to that illustrated in Figure 9;

(c) selectively laser and/or chemically etching material from the tubular component 80, for example laser ablating one or more slots, for example circumferential slots and/or spiral slots, along an exterior surface of the tubular component 80; (d) selectively electro-eroding material from the tubular component 80 to form one or more slots on its exterior and/or interior surfaces, the one or more slots having a form as elucidated in the foregoing;

(e) selectively grinding material from the tubular component 80 to form one or more slots on its interior and/or exterior surfaces, the one or more slots having a form as elucidated in the foregoing; and

(f) selectively adding material to the tubular component 80 by welding, clamping and/or deposition, for example by heat shrinking one or more tubular rings into and/or onto the tubular component 80 for example by heat-shrinking one or more external circumferential rings 500, and/or heat-shrinking one or more interior circumferential rings 510 in an mutually offset manner as illustrated in Figure 10.

As elucidated in the foregoing, the tubular component 80 is beneficially fabricated from a tube having a circular cross-section, an oval cross-section or a rectilinear cross-section, or any combination of these cross-sections.

In another example embodiment, the tubular component 80 is implement as a tube with a spiral spring 550, for example a steel spring, included in a central enclosed region of the tube as illustrated schematically in longitudinal cross-section in Figure 11.

The tubular component 80 is optionally implemented as a concentric configuration of a plurality of tubes 80a, 80b, 80c as illustrated schematically in cross-section in Figure 12. The tubes 80a, 80b, 80c are operable so as to move outwardly towards the sidewalls 110 of the recess 40 when crushed during an impact event. Optionally, the tubes 80a, 80b, 80c are provided with slots 410 on an inside surface thereof for ensuring that the tubes 80a, 80b, 80c collapse laterally outwardly when crushed during an impact event in a predictable manner. The tubes 80a, 80b, 80c beneficially are of mutually different lengths as illustrated and extend from the back surface 60 of the recess 40 a further distance than the peripheral Hp 50 operable to receive the bumper component 100 when the tubular component 80 in Figure 12 is crushed to its full extent under an impact event. As illustrated, the tube 80a is radially outer-most and is also of relatively longest length; conversely, the tube 80c is radially inner- most and is also of relatively shortest length. The tube 80b is accommodated concentrically between the tubes 80a, 80c as illustrated and is of relatively intermediate length. Moreover, the tubes 80a, 80b, 80c are beneficially heat-shrunk together or assembled together using an adhesive or similar binding agent. Furthermore, the tubes 80a, 80b, 80c are optionally fabricated from mutually different material, have mutually different wall thicknesses and are operable to provide a resistance to the force F which is progressively stiffer in a predictable manner as the bumper component 100 is crushed towards the peripheral lip 50 as denoted by arrows 600 during an impact event. Although three tubes 80a, 80b, 80c are illustrated in Figure 12, it will be appreciated that two or more tubes can be employed in various embodiments of the invention.

Referring to Figure 12, the tubes 80a, 80b, 80c are designed for size and fabricated from appropriate materials so that they provide a progressively increasing resistance against the force F as a function of crushing of the tubular component 80. In other words, impact energy resulting from a minor impact event is absorbed by crushing of the tube 80a only, whereas higher impact energy resulting from a moderate impact event is absorbed by progressively crushing of the tubes 80a, 80b, and if necessary even by crushing all three tubes 80a, 80b, 80c. Concentric mounting of the tubes 80a, 80b, 80c with the longest tube outer-most as

illustrated prevents the tube 80a collapsing inwards and obliges it to collapse outwards towards the sidewalls 110 in response to the force F and thereby provide a more predictable impact energy absorbing characteristic during an impact event.

Referring to Figure 13, there is shown a plan view of a vehicle indicated generally by 700 including the under-run protector 10 including its tubular componentδO and its mounting bracket 20 and recess 40 implemented pursuant to the foregoing at various locations thereon. The vehicle 700 includes a front tractor portion 710 in which a driver of the vehicle 700 sits to steer a trajectory of the vehicle 700, and a rear trailer portion 720. The trailer portion 720 includes a set of double wheels 730 towards an end thereof. Moreover, the front tractor portion 710 includes a pair of traction wheels 740 thereon, the wheels 740 being rotationally couplable to an engine (not shown) of the vehicle 700 for propelling the vehicle 700 along its trajectory in operation.

The bumper component 100 is beneficially implemented as a transverse or longitudinal elongate element which is supported at a plurality of locations therealong by a corresponding plurality of tubular components 80 housed within their associated recesses 40 in bracket components 20 to a chassis 800 of the vehicle 700. The under-run protector 10 is thus deployable to provide one or more of: side under-run protection, front under-run protection and rear under-run protection. Each bumper component 100 of the vehicle 700 is susceptible to being supported by tubular components 80 which are mutually similar. Alternatively, each bumper component 100 is susceptible to being supported by tubular components 80 which are mutually different; for example, tubular components 80 included near ends of the elongate bumper components 100 are beneficially implemented to provide greater resistance to impact forces, and thereby absorb more impact energy by crushing processes, than tubular components 80 included near central regions of the bumper components 100.

Optionally, the vehicle 700 can be equipped with under-run protection pursuant to the invention along one or more of:

(a) a front region of the vehicle 700;

(b) one or more side regions of the vehicle 700; and

(c) a rear region of the vehicle 700, such that there is provided a series of mutually separate bumper components 100, each bumper element 100 being supported by its associated tubular component 80, as depicted in

Figure 14; such an implementation of the present invention will be referred to as being a bumper array assembly. Such an implementation as illustrated in Figure 14 is of benefit in

that an impact event on the bumper component 100 implemented as an elongate component as illustrated in Figure 13 requires potentially many of the associated tubular components 80 to be replaced whereas an implementation including a series of bumper components 100 implemented as short members as illustrated in Figure 14 only requires repair along the series whereat impact has occurred, thereby rendering repair potentially less costly. Optionally, the series of bumper components 100 are pivotally coupled together by pivots 850 at their abutting ends to form a chain of bumper components as illustrated in Figure 15; such pivotal mounting of the bumper elements 100 enables the under-run protector 10 to function also in a catching-net manner to conform to a profile of a object impacting onto the under-run protector 10. Such a catching-net manner of operation enables a small automobile impacting onto the vehicle 100 to experience an impact force distributed over substantially an entire frontal area of the small automobile, thereby reducing potential injury and damage in the small automobile.

Modifications to embodiments of the invention as described in foregoing are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

The recess 40 in embodiments of the invention described in the foregoing can optionally be included in the bumper component 100 instead of the bracket component 20 as shown in Figure 16. More optionally, the recess 40 can be partially included in the bumper component 100 and partially in the bracket component 20 as also illustrated in Figure 16. Such configurations as shown in Figure 16 provide benefits with regard to ease of repair after an impact event. In Figure 16, the recess 40 optionally has sidewalls 110 which are tapered by the angle β in a manner as elucidated in the foregoing for assisting with removal of the tubular component 80 during repair after an impact event has occurred.

The under-run protector 10 as described in the foregoing is susceptible to being employed with heavy commercial vehicles. However, its application is not limited thereto and can also be employed in association with one or more of: aquatic vehicles, automobiles, construction vehicles, crash barriers, motorcycles, military vehicles for withstanding projectile impact.

Expressions such as "has", "is", "include", "comprise", "consist of, "incorporates" are to be construed to include additional components or items which are not specifically explicitly defined; namely, such terms are therefore to be construed in a non-exclusive manner. Moreover, reference to the singular is also to be construed to also include the plural. Furthermore, numerals and other symbols included within parentheses in the accompanying

claims are not to be construed to influence interpreted claim scope but merely assist in understanding the present invention when studying the claims.