# US 10,479,411 B2 · Structurally reinforced vehicle body > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,479,411 B2 - Document ID: US10479411B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/885,587 - Filed: 2018-01-31 - Published: 2019-08-01 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-01-31 - Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. - Inventors: Blaine C. Benson; Keith O'Brien; Justin E. Dominic - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479411B2 ## CPC - B62D 21/157: {for side impacts} - B60J 5/0425: {the elements being arranged essentially horizontal in the centre of the lower door structure (B60J5/0426 - B60J5/0448 take precedence)} - B60J 5/0431: {the elements being arranged at the hinge area} - B60J 5/0458: {Passive coupling of the reinforcement elements to the door or to the vehicle body} - B62D 25/02: Side panels {(B62D33/046 takes precedence; sideboards for open load compartments B62D33/023)} - B62D 25/04: Door pillars {; windshield pillars} - 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) - B60J: WINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES FOR VEHICLES; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES (fastening, suspending, closing, or opening of such devices E05) ## Abstract A vehicle includes a body that defines a front door opening, and includes an A-pillar framing the front door opening, and a door over the front door opening. The front door includes an inner door panel and an outer door panel defining an interior door cavity therebetween. The vehicle also includes an impact beam and a transfer member housed in the interior door cavity. The impact beam has a forward end that laterally overlaps the A-pillar. The transfer member laterally overlaps the A-pillar in common with the forward end of the impact beam, and faces the inner door panel from laterally between the forward end of the impact beam and the inner door panel. When the vehicle experiences a side impact event, the A-pillar assumes side impact energy via transfer from the forward end of the impact beam through the transfer member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle, comprising: a body defining a front door opening, the body including an A-pillar framing the front door opening, and a front door over the front door opening, the front door including an inner door panel and an outer door panel defining an interior door cavity therebetween; an impact beam housed in the interior door cavity, the impact beam having a forward end laterally overlapping the A-pillar; and a transfer member housed in the interior door cavity, the transfer member laterally overlapping the A-pillar in common with the forward end of the impact beam, facing the inner door panel from laterally between the forward end of the impact beam and the inner door panel, and having substantially at least as much capacity to transfer side impact energy in compression as the impact beam has in bending at the forward end thereof; whereby when the vehicle experiences a side impact event, the A-pillar assumes side impact energy via transfer from the forward end of the impact beam through the transfer member. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the transfer member has substantially the same capacity to transfer side impact energy in compression as the impact beam has in bending at the forward end thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the transfer member is laterally spaced apart from the inner door panel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the transfer member includes a push face at which the transfer member faces the inner door panel from laterally between the forward end of the impact beam and the inner door panel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the transfer member includes at least one strut leg laterally backing the push face. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the transfer member includes opposing strut legs projecting into the interior door cavity toward the inner door panel and laterally beyond the impact beam, and the push face extends between the strut legs. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the strut legs vertically flank the forward end of the impact beam. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The vehicle of claim 4, wherein, at the push face, the transfer member is laterally spaced apart from the inner door panel. ### Claim 9 A vehicle, comprising: a body defining a front door opening, the body including an A-pillar framing the front door opening, and a front door over the front door opening, the front door including an inner door panel and an outer door panel defining an interior door cavity therebetween; an impact beam housed in the interior door cavity, the impact beam having a forward end laterally overlapping the A-pillar; and a transfer member housed in the interior door cavity, the transfer member laterally overlapping the A-pillar in common with the forward end of the impact beam, and including opposing strut legs projecting into the interior door cavity toward the inner door panel and laterally beyond the impact beam, and a push face extending between and laterally backed by the strut legs at which the transfer member faces the inner door panel from laterally between the forward end of the impact beam and the inner door panel; whereby when the vehicle experiences a side impact event, the A-pillar assumes side impact energy via transfer from the forward end of the impact beam through the transfer member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the transfer member has substantially at least as much capacity to transfer side impact energy in compression as the impact beam has in bending at the forward end thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the transfer member has substantially the same capacity to transfer side impact energy in compression as the impact beam has in bending at the forward end thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the strut legs vertically flank the forward end of the impact beam. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The vehicle of claim 9, wherein, at the push face, the transfer member is laterally spaced apart from the inner door panel. ### Claim 14 A vehicle, comprising: a body defining a front door opening, the body including an A-pillar framing the front door opening, and a front door over the front door opening, the front door including an inner door panel and an outer door panel defining an interior door cavity therebetween, and a forward support bracket laterally spaced apart from the outer door panel; an impact beam housed in the interior door cavity, the impact beam having a forward end supported by the forward support bracket and laterally overlapping the A-pillar; and a transfer member housed in the interior door cavity, the transfer member supported by the forward support bracket and laterally overlapping the A-pillar in common with the forward end of the impact beam, projecting from the forward support bracket into the interior door cavity toward the inner door panel, and facing the inner door panel from laterally between the forward end of the impact beam and the inner door panel; whereby when the vehicle experiences a side impact event, the A-pillar assumes side impact energy via transfer from the forward end of the impact beam through the transfer member. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the transfer member has substantially at least as much capacity to transfer side impact energy in compression as the impact beam has in bending at the forward end thereof. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the transfer member has substantially the same capacity to transfer side impact energy in compression as the impact beam has in bending at the forward end thereof. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the forward support bracket is laterally between the forward end of the impact beam and the inner door panel, and the transfer member includes opposing strut legs projecting from the forward support bracket into the interior door cavity toward the inner door panel and laterally beyond the impact beam, and a push face extending between the strut legs at which the transfer member faces the inner door panel from laterally between the forward end of the impact beam and the inner door panel. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the strut legs vertically flank the forward end of the impact beam. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The vehicle of claim 17, wherein, at the push face, the transfer member is laterally spaced apart from the inner door panel. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the forward support bracket is laterally between the forward end of the impact beam and the inner door panel and includes opposing support flanges, and the transfer member includes opposing base flanges respectively corresponding to the support flanges and connected thereto, opposing strut legs respectively projecting from the base flanges into the interior door cavity toward the inner door panel and laterally beyond the impact beam, and a push face extending between the strut legs at which the transfer member faces the inner door panel from laterally between the forward end of the impact beam and the inner door panel. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The vehicle of claim 20, wherein the support flanges vertically flank the forward end of the impact beam. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The vehicle of claim 20, wherein, at the push face, the transfer member is laterally spaced apart from the inner door panel. ### Claim 23 A vehicle, comprising: a body defining a front door opening, the body including an A-pillar framing the front door opening, and a front door over the front door opening, the front door including an inner door panel and an outer door panel defining an interior door cavity therebetween, and a forward support bracket laterally spaced apart from the outer door panel from laterally between the forward end of the impact beam and the inner door panel, the forward support bracket including opposing support flanges; an impact beam housed in the interior door cavity, the impact beam having a forward end supported by the forward support bracket in a vertically flanked relationship with the support flanges, and laterally overlapping the A-pillar; and a transfer member housed in the interior door cavity, the transfer member including opposing base flanges respectively corresponding to the support flanges and connected thereto, opposing strut legs respectively projecting from the base flanges into the interior door cavity toward the inner door panel and laterally beyond the impact beam, and a push face extending between the strut legs, laterally overlapping the A-pillar in common with the forward end of the impact beam, and facing the inner door panel from laterally between the forward end of the impact beam and the inner door panel; whereby the transfer member has substantially at least as much capacity to transfer side impact energy in compression as the impact beam has in bending at the forward end thereof, and when the vehicle experiences a side impact event, with the transfer member transferring substantially all assumed side impact energy, the A-pillar assumes side impact energy via transfer from the forward end of the impact beam through the transfer member. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The vehicle of claim 23, wherein the transfer member has substantially the same capacity to transfer side impact energy in compression as the impact beam has in bending at the forward end thereof.