# US 10,370,040 B1 · Vehicle impact absorbing structure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,370,040 B1 - Document ID: US10370040B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/900,318 - Filed: 2018-02-20 - Published: 2019-08-22 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-20 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Geoffrey John Cooper; AmirReza Latif; Sagar Ashok Dhond; Shunmugam Baskar; Sreekanth Gondipalle - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10370040B1 ## CPC - B62D 25/025: {Side sills thereof} - B62D 25/2036: {the subunits being side panels, sills or pillars (B62D21/157 takes precedence)} - B62D 21/155: {Sub-frames or underguards} - B62D 21/157: {for side impacts} - B62D 25/20: Floors or bottom sub-units {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11; drip trays F16N31/006)} - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) ## Abstract A vehicle body includes a floor side panel, a rocker panel, and a reinforcement structure. The floor side panel is secured to the rocker panel. The floor side panel and the rocker panel each extend longitudinally from a front to a rear of the vehicle body and define a cavity therebetween. The reinforcement structure is disposed within the cavity and forms a plurality of longitudinally aligned crush cans. Each crush can extends laterally from the floor side panel to the rocker panel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle body comprising: a floor side panel secured to a rocker panel, each extending longitudinally between a front and a rear of the vehicle body and defining a cavity therebetween; and a reinforcement structure disposed within the cavity and forming a plurality of longitudinally aligned crush cans, each crush can extending laterally from the floor side panel to the rocker panel, the reinforcement structure further comprising a plurality of webs and an external case that defines a channel, wherein each crush can is secured to at least one adjacent crush can via one of the plurality of webs, and wherein the plurality of crush cans and the plurality of webs are disposed within the channel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle body of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of crush cans includes first and second stepped flanges each extending laterally outward from opposing ends of the crush cans toward the floor side panel and rocker panel, respectively. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle body of claim 2, wherein the plurality of crush cans is secured to the external case within the cavity via welds that extend through at least one of the first and second stepped flanges and into the external case. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle body of claim 1, wherein the external case includes a top panel, a bottom panel, and a back panel, the top and bottom panels extending from opposing ends of the back panel, which is adjacent to the floor side panel, and toward the rocker panel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle body of claim 4, wherein the external case is secured to the floor side panel via welds that extend through the back panel and into the floor side panel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle body of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement structure includes an upper panel and a lower panel each having aligned and offset sections, and wherein the upper panel is secured to the lower panel along the aligned sections such that offset sections form the plurality of crush cans and the aligned sections form the plurality of webs. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vehicle body of claim 6, wherein the aligned sections of the upper panel and the lower panel each include stepped flanges, and wherein the upper panel is secured to the lower panel via welds that extend through the stepped flanges in the upper panel and into the stepped flanges in the lower panel. ### Claim 8 A vehicle comprising: a body having a floor side panel secured to a rocker panel, each panel extending longitudinally between a front and a rear of the vehicle and defining a cavity therebetween; and a reinforcement structure disposed within the cavity, forming a plurality of laterally extending crush cans, and including a plurality of webs, each web extending longitudinally between and linking a pair of adjacent crush cans, the reinforcement structure further comprising an external case that defines a channel, wherein the plurality of crush cans and plurality of webs are disposed within the channel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of crush cans includes first and second stepped flanges each extending laterally outward from opposing ends of the crush cans toward the floor side panel and rocker panel, respectively. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the plurality of crush cans is secured to the external case within the cavity via welds that extend through at least one of the first and second stepped flanges and into the external case. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the external case includes a top panel, a bottom panel, and a back panel, the top and bottom panels extending from opposing ends of the back panel, which is adjacent to the rocker panel, and toward the floor side panel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the external case is secured to the rocker panel via welds that extend through the rocker panel and into the back panel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the reinforcement structure includes an upper panel and a lower panel each having aligned and offset sections, and wherein the upper panel is secured to the lower panel along the aligned sections such that offset sections form the plurality of crush cans and the aligned sections form the plurality of webs. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the aligned sections of the upper panel and the lower panel each include stepped flanges, and wherein the upper panel is secured to the lower panel via welds that extend through the stepped flanges in the upper panel and into the stepped flanges in the lower panel. ### Claim 15 A vehicle body comprising: a side panel secured to and inboard of a rocker panel, each extending longitudinally between a front and a rear of the vehicle body and defining a cavity therebetween; and a reinforcement structure disposed within the cavity and including upper and lower panels secured to each other to form a plurality of longitudinally aligned crush cans, each crush can extending outboard from the side panel toward the rocker panel, the reinforcement structure further comprising a plurality of webs and an external case that defines a channel, wherein each crush can is secured to at least one adjacent crush can via one of the plurality of webs, and wherein the plurality of crush cans and plurality of webs are disposed within the channel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The vehicle body of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of longitudinally aligned crush cans includes first and second stepped flanges each extending laterally outward from opposing ends of the crush cans toward the side panel and rocker panel, respectively. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The vehicle body of claim 16, wherein the plurality of longitudinally aligned crush cans is secured to the external case within the cavity via welds that extend through at least one of the first and second stepped flanges and into the external case. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The vehicle body of claim 15, wherein the external case includes a top panel, a bottom panel, and a back panel, the top and bottom panels extending from opposing ends of the back panel, which is adjacent to the rocker panel, and toward the side panel. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The vehicle body of claim 15, wherein the reinforcement structure includes the upper panels and the lower panels each having aligned and offset sections, and wherein the upper panel is secured to the lower panel along the aligned sections such that offset sections form the plurality of crush cans and the aligned sections form the plurality of webs. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The vehicle body of claim 19, wherein the aligned sections of the upper panel and the lower panel each include stepped flanges, and wherein the upper panel is secured to the lower panel via welds that extend through the stepped flanges in the upper panel and into the stepped flanges in the lower panel.