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US 2011/0215614 A1Published application
Lightweight cross-car beam and method of constructing a structural member
OwnerAyyakannu Maniinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cross car beam or other elongated structural member including a series of walled open ended sections fixed end to end in a linear array by having ends joined to respective sides of a series of interposed junction plates. The junction plates may have locator features formed thereon to properly position the respective ends of adjacent sections and to be located in a welding fixture.
Claims16
A cross car beam adapted to be attached at either end to an automobile body extending across said automobile body comprising:
- a series of thin walled separate sections having different configurations, said sections having ends connected together end to end in an aligned linear array comprising said cross car beam, with junction plates interposed between each adjacent respective open ends of adjacent sections and fixed with said junction plates to respective section ends abutting a respective side of each of said junction plates to thereby connect all of said adjacent sections together.
A method of constructing a cross car beam comprising:
- forming a series of diversely configured walled sections;
- connecting an open end of each of said sections end to end together in a linear array, respective adjacent sections fixed to respective sides of corresponding interposed junction plates to form a unitary elongated structure comprising said cross car beam, with sections thereby positioned to mount a respective interior component.
A method of constructing a structural member comprising:
- forming a series of walled sections;
- attaching an open end of each section to a respective side of a series of junction plates each interposed between two adjacent sections to form a unitary structure comprised of said series of sections extending end to end in said series.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.