Twelve-cornered strengthening member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10611409-B2
Application number	US-201715838148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2017
Priority date	Sep 19, 2008
Publication date	Apr 7, 2020
Grant date	Apr 7, 2020

Abstract

A strengthening member for an automotive vehicle includes a twelve-cornered cross section including sides and corners creating eight internal angles and four external angles. The strengthening member also includes four indentations extending along a length of the strengthening member. Each indentation is respectively defined by two of the eight internal angles and one if the four external angles of the strengthening member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A strengthening member for an automotive vehicle, comprising a twelve-cornered cross section including sides and corners creating eight internal angles and four external angles, wherein the four external angles of the twelve-cornered cross section range from about 105° to about 130°; and
four indentations extending along a length of the strengthening member, each indentation being respectively defined by two of the eight internal angles and one of the four external angles of the strengthening member.

2. The strengthening member of claim 1 , wherein the eight internal angles of the twelve-cornered cross section range from about 100° to about 110°.

3. The strengthening member of claim 1 , wherein the corners of the twelve-cornered cross section have substantially the same thickness as the sides of the twelve-cornered cross section.

4. The strengthening member of claim 1 , wherein the corners of the twelve-cornered cross section have substantially the same hardness as the sides of the twelve-cornered cross section.

5. The strengthening member of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the sides and corners of the twelve-cornered cross section ranges from about 0.7 mm to about 6.0 mm.

6. The strengthening member of claim 1 , wherein each of the four external angles of the twelve-cornered cross section has substantially the same angular degree as the other external angles of the twelve-cornered cross section and each of the eight internal angles of the twelve-cornered cross section has substantially the same angular degree as the other internal angles of the twelve-cornered cross section.

7. The strengthening member of claim 1 , wherein a length of each of the sides of the twelve-cornered cross section is the same.

8. The strengthening member of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the sides of the twelve-cornered cross section differs in length from one of the other sides of the twelve-cornered cross section.

9. The strengthening member of claim 1 , wherein some of the four external angles of the twelve-cornered cross section differ in angular degree.

10. The strengthening member of claim 1 , wherein each of the four external angles of the twelve-cornered cross section differ in angular degree.

11. The strengthening member of claim 1 , wherein the length of the strengthening member extends between a first end of the strengthening member and a second end of the strengthening member, and wherein the strengthening member tapers along at least a portion of the length.

12. The strengthening member of claim 1 , wherein the strengthening member forms at least a part of one of a front rail of a motor vehicle, a side rail of the motor vehicle, a roof structure of the motor vehicle, and/or a cross member of an engine compartment of the motor vehicle.

13. A strengthening member for an automotive vehicle, comprising a twelve-cornered cross section including sides and corners creating eight internal angles and four external angles; and
four indentations extending along a length of the strengthening member, each indentation being respectively defined by two of the eight internal angles and one of the four external angles of the strengthening member, wherein at least one of the four indentations differs in depth from one of the other four indentations.

14. The strengthening member of claim 13 , wherein each of the four indentations differ in depth from the others of the four indentations.

15. The strengthening member of claim 13 , wherein each internal angle and each external angle is greater than 90°.

16. The strengthening member of claim 13 , wherein the length of the strengthening member extends between a first end of the strengthening member and a second end of the strengthening member, and wherein the strengthening member tapers along at least a portion of the length.

17. A strengthening member for an automotive vehicle, comprising a twelve-cornered cross section including sides and corners creating eight internal angles and four external angles; and
four indentations extending along a length of the strengthening member, each indentation being respectively defined by two of the eight internal angles and one of the four external angles of the strengthening member, wherein the length of the strengthening member extends between a first end of the strengthening member and a second end of the strengthening member, and wherein the strengthening member is convoluted along the length.

18. The strengthening member of claim 17 , wherein the eight internal angles of the twelve-cornered cross section range from about 100° to about 110° and the four external angles of the twelve-cornered cross section range from about 105° to about 130°.

19. The strengthening member of claim 17 , wherein the corners of the twelve-cornered cross section have substantially the same thickness as the sides of the twelve-cornered cross section.

20. The strengthening member of claim 17 , wherein the corners of the twelve-cornered cross section have substantially the same hardness as the sides of the twelve-cornered cross section.

21. The strengthening member of claim 17 , wherein each internal angle of the twelve-cornered cross section has substantially the same angular degree as the other internal angles of the twelve-cornered cross section and each external angle of the twelve-cornered cross section has substantially the same angular degree as the other external angles of the twelve-cornered cross section.

22. The strengthening member of claim 17 , wherein a length of each of the sides of the twelve-cornered cross section is the same.

23. The strengthening member of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the sides of the twelve-cornered cross section differs in length from one of the other sides of the twelve-cornered cross section.

24. The strengthening member of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the external angles of the twelve-cornered cross section differs in angular degree from one of the other external angles of the twelve-cornered cross section.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Tyan Tau
• Shaner Leonard Anthony
• Hu Yu-Kan

Classifications

• Y10T29/49622

  Vehicular structural member making · CPC title

• B62D21/152

  Front or rear frames · CPC title

• B60R19/34

  destroyed upon impact, e.g. one-shot type · CPC title

• B62D25/082

  Engine compartments · CPC title

• B62D21/15 Primary

  having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or temporarily change shape or dimension upon impact with another body (bumpers B60R19/02; shock absorbers in general F16F) · CPC title