Structural reinforcement system for automotive vehicles
AssigneeL&L Products, Inc.
InventorsWilliam J. Barz, Thomas L. Coon, Michael J. Czaplicki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automotive vehicle frame reinforcement system has a skeleton member designed to be secured to a vehicle frame, such as a roof or pillar section. An expandable material, such as an epoxy-based reinforcing foam, is disposed on the skeleton member. Once the system is attached to the frame, the foam expands and cures during an automobile assembly operation, bonding the reinforcement system to the frame. As a result, the reinforcement system provides enhanced load distribution over the vehicle frame without adding excessive weight.
Claims9
A system for reinforcement of an automotive vehicle frame, comprising:
- a skeleton member configured for placement in a cavity defined in the automotive vehicle frame, said skeleton member having an axis extending along a length of said skeleton member, said skeleton member having a plurality of ribs, said skeleton member having a first cross-sectional area taken generally perpendicular to said axis at first end of said length that is less than about seventy-five percent of a second cross-sectional area taken generally perpendicular to said axis at a second end of said length, said first end generally opposite said second end;
- and
- an expandable material over at least a portion of said skeleton member, said expandable material configured to secure said skeleton member to said cavity defined in the automotive vehicle frame and provide an energy distribution in conjunction with said plurality of ribs wherein said plurality of ribs is substantially devoid of said expandable material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.