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US 9,174,678 B2Granted
Twelve-cornered strengthening member
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsTau Tyan, Leonard Anthony Shaner, Yu-Kan Hu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A strengthening member for an automotive vehicle comprises a twelve-cornered cross section including sides and corners creating internal angles and external angles. Each internal angle ranges from about 100° to about 110° and each external angle ranges from about 105° to about 130°.
Claims22
A strengthening member for an automotive vehicle, comprising:
- a twelve-cornered cross section including sides and corners creating internal angles and external angles;
- wherein the strengthening member has a mean crush force of at least 500 kN over a crush distance of 150 mm or more when axially impacted with a rigid wall at 35 mph.
A motor vehicle, comprising:
- an engine compartment;
- a front rail;
- a side rail;
- a roof structure;
- and
- a strengthening member comprising a twelve-cornered cross section including sides and corners creating internal angles and external angles;
- wherein at least a portion of a length of the strengthening member tapers so that a cross-sectional area of the twelve-cornered cross section changes along a longitudinal axis of the strengthening member;
- and
- wherein the strengthening member forms at least a part of one of the front rail, the side rail;
- the roof structure, or a cross member of the engine compartment;
- wherein the strengthening member has a mean crush force of at least 500 kN over a crush distance of 150 mm or more when axially impacted with a rigid wall at 35 mph.
8 more elements
A strengthening member for an automotive vehicle, comprising:
- a twelve-cornered cross section including sides and corners creating internal angles and external angles;
- wherein at least a portion of a length of the strengthening member tapers so that a cross-sectional area of the twelve-cornered cross section changes along a longitudinal axis of the strengthening member;
- wherein the strengthening member has a mean crush force of at least 500 kN over a crush distance of 150 mm or more when axially impacted with a rigid wall at 35 mph.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.