Energy transfer beam for automotive side door

A door on an automotive vehicle, comprising:

• a frame having an upper portion and a lower portion;
• a reinforcement beam having a rearward end and a forward end affixed, respectively, to said frame at longitudinally spaced positions, said frame having a cross-sectional shape;
• an energy transfer member having a fixed end connected to said reinforcement beam at said rearward end and a distal free end extending forwardly from said fixed end;
• and
• a door inner panel mounted on said frame adjacent to said reinforcement beam.

A method of managing impact energy from a localized side impact load imposed on an automotive vehicle door having a longitudinally extending reinforcement beam therein, said reinforcement beam having a rearward end and a forward end connected to said vehicle door at longitudinally spaced positions, comprising the steps of:

• providing an energy transfer member having a fixed end secured to said reinforcement beam at one of said rearward end and said forward end and a cantilevered distal free end extending toward the other of said rearward end and said forward end;
• projecting said distal free end of said energy transfer member away from said reinforcement beam in response to a bending of said reinforcement beam upon the imposition of said localized side impact load applied thereon at substantially said fixed end of said energy transfer member;
• and
• impacting said distal free end into remote structure of said door to transfer a portion of said impact energy from said side impact load to said remote structure.