Instrument panel to front cowl attachment
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorSreenivas Kuchibhatla
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A stiffening assembly for a vehicle cowl panel includes a pair of cooperating C-shaped brackets. Each of the pair of cooperating C-shaped brackets comprises cooperating bracket arms adapted for holding opposed ends of the pair of cooperating C-shaped brackets at varying distances from one another. Each of the pair of cooperating C-shaped brackets comprises a pair of parallel bracket arms which align with one another when the stiffening assembly is attached to the cowl panel. Cowl panel and instrument panel assemblies incorporating one or more stiffening assemblies and vehicles incorporating the cowl panel and instrument panel assemblies are provided.
Claims18
A stiffening assembly for a vehicle cowl panel, comprising a pair of cooperating C-shaped brackets each comprising cooperating bracket arms adapted for holding opposed ends of the pair of cooperating C-shaped brackets at varying distances from one another.
An instrument panel and cowl panel assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
- a cowl panel;
- an instrument panel assembly attached to a vehicle-rearward cowl panel wall;
- and
- one or more stiffening assemblies attached to the vehicle-rearward cowl panel wall and to a vehicle-forward cowl panel wall;
- wherein the one or more stiffening assemblies each comprise a pair of cooperating C-shaped brackets each including cooperating bracket arms adapted for holding opposed ends of the pair of cooperating C-shaped brackets at varying distances from one another.
A vehicle, comprising:
- a body defining at least a passenger compartment and a cowl panel defined by at least a vehicle-rearward cowl panel wall and a vehicle-forward cowl panel wall;
- an instrument panel assembly attached to the vehicle-rearward cowl panel wall;
- and
- one or more stiffening assemblies attached to the vehicle-rearward cowl panel wall and to the vehicle-forward cowl panel wall;
- wherein the one or more stiffening assemblies each comprise a pair of cooperating C-shaped brackets each including cooperating bracket arms adapted for holding opposed ends of the pair of cooperating C-shaped brackets at varying distances from one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.