Back to results
US 7,396,072 B2Granted
Side panel for a motor vehicle, and method of making such a side panel
AssigneeBenteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
InventorsJochem Fischer, Sven Druhmann, Todd Tjoelker, Werner Böhmer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A side panel for a motor vehicle includes a bottom sill member, a roof panel portion, and a plurality of pillars extending between the sill member and the roof panel portion. The sill member forms with the pillars and the roof panel portion a single-piece structure from a sheet metal blank made of high-strength steel and has at least one region which is partly hardened and subject to increased load in the event of a crash of the motor vehicle.
Claims14
A side panel for a motor vehicle, comprising:
- a bottom sill member;
- a roof panel portion;
- and
- a plurality of pillars extending between the sill member and the roof panel portion,
- wherein the sill member forms with the pillars and the roof panel portion a single-piece structure from a sheet metal blank made of high-strength steel, wherein the single-piece structure has zones of different hardness.
2 more elements
Side panel side panel for a motor vehicle, comprising:
- a bottom sill member;
- a roof panel portion;
- and
- a plurality of pillars extending between the sill member and the roof panel portion,
- wherein the sill member forms with the pillars and the roof panel portion a single-piece structure from a sheet metal blank made of high-strength steel and has at least one region which is hardened and subject to increased load in the event of a crash of the motor vehicle, wherein the sheet metal blank has first and second areas, with the first area having a thickness greater than a thickness of the second area, thereby providing the single-piece structure with areas of different thickness.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.