Vehicle body apparatus and system including a rocker insert

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11511808-B2
Application number	US-202017090133-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2020
Priority date	Nov 5, 2020
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus for a vehicle body including a rocker insert is provided. The apparatus includes a vehicle body including a plurality of metallic structure members and a lower portion operable to provide support to a floor surface within a passenger compartment of a vehicle and a rocker insert mounted to an in-vehicle side portion of the lower portion. The rocker insert includes an elongated bar portion including a hollow center portion including internal reinforcing web features. The rocker insert is oriented with respect to the vehicle body such that a longitudinal axis of the elongated bar portion of the rocker insert is parallel to an in-vehicle forward direction of the vehicle body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for a vehicle body including a rocker insert, comprising:
a vehicle body including a plurality of metallic structure members and a lower portion operable to provide support to a floor surface within a passenger compartment of a vehicle; and
a rocker insert mounted to an in-vehicle side portion of the lower portion including an elongated bar portion including a hollow center portion including internal reinforcing web features, wherein the rocker insert is oriented with respect to the vehicle body such that a longitudinal axis of the elongated bar portion of the rocker insert is parallel to an in-vehicle forward direction of the vehicle body, wherein the elongated bar portion has a common cross section along the longitudinal axis of the elongated bar portion and wherein the reinforcing web features extend through the elongated bar portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a spacer operable to create a gap between the lower portion and the rocker insert.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the elongated bar portion includes a fastener receiving feature;
wherein the spacer includes a spacing rivet hole insert inserted into the fastener receiving feature and including a washer portion disposed between the rocker insert and the lower portion; and
further comprising a rivet disposed within the spacing rivet hole insert fastening the rocker insert to the lower portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rocker insert further includes a mounting tab attached to an elongated side of the elongated bar portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the mounting tab is attached to the lower portion by one of welding, a threaded fastener, a rivet, and an adhesive.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elongated bar portion is attached to the lower portion by one of spot welding, a threaded fastener, a rivet, and an adhesive.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an external cover, wherein the external cover is attached on a first side to the lower portion, is attached to a second side to the lower portion, and encapsulates the rocker insert between the external cover and the lower portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the rocker insert is attached to the external cover with adhesive.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elongated bar portion includes an external crease running longitudinally along an elongated side of the elongated bar portion.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rocker insert further includes a mounting tab attached to an end portion of the elongated bar portion.

11. A system for a vehicle body including a rocker insert, comprising:
a vehicle body including a plurality of metallic structure members and a lower portion operable to provide support to a floor surface within a passenger compartment of a vehicle; and
a first rocker insert mounted to an in-vehicle first side portion of the lower portion and including a first elongated bar portion including a first hollow center portion including a first set of internal reinforcing web features, wherein the first rocker insert is oriented with respect to the vehicle body such that a longitudinal axis of the first elongated bar portion of the first rocker insert is parallel to an in-vehicle forward direction of the vehicle body, wherein the first elongated bar portion has a first common cross section along the longitudinal axis of the first elongated bar portion and wherein the first set of reinforcing web features extend through the elongated bar portion; and
a second rocker insert mounted to an in-vehicle second side portion of the lower portion and including a second elongated bar portion including a second hollow center portion including a second set of internal reinforcing web features, wherein the second rocker insert is oriented with respect to the vehicle body such that a longitudinal axis of the second elongated bar portion of the second rocker insert is parallel to an in-vehicle forward direction of the vehicle body, wherein the second elongated bar portion has a second common cross section along the longitudinal axis of the second elongated bar portion and wherein the second set of reinforcing web features extend through the elongated bar portion; and
wherein the in-vehicle second side portion of the lower portion is on an opposite side of the lower portion from the in-vehicle first side portion of the lower portion.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a spacer operable to create a gap between the lower portion and the first rocker insert.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first elongated bar portion includes a fastener receiving feature;
wherein the spacer includes a spacing rivet hole insert inserted into the fastener receiving feature and including a washer portion disposed between the first rocker insert and the lower portion; and
further comprising a rivet disposed within the spacing rivet hole insert fastening the first rocker insert to the lower portion.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first rocker insert further includes a mounting tab attached to an elongated side of the first elongated bar portion.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the mounting tab is attached to the lower portion by one of welding, a threaded fastener, a rivet, and an adhesive.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first elongated bar portion is attached to the lower portion by one of spot welding, a threaded fastener, a rivet, and an adhesive.

17. The system of claim 11 , further comprising an external cover, wherein the external cover is attached on a first side to the lower portion, is attached to a second side to the lower portion, and encapsulates the first rocker insert between the external cover and the lower portion.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first rocker insert is attached to the external cover with adhesive.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first elongated bar portion includes an external crease running longitudinally along an elongated side of the first elongated bar portion.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Halonen Jeffrey R
• Swartzell Terry A
• Tong Yiran
• Reini Luke A
• White Andrew W
• Regiec Michael D
• Parsons Warren J
• Taylor Monte L

Classifications

• B62D27/026

  Connections by glue bonding (in general F16B11/00; processes C09J5/00) · CPC title

• B62D25/025

  Side sills thereof · CPC title

• B62D29/008

  predominantly of light alloys, e.g. extruded · CPC title

• B62D21/157 Primary

  for side impacts · CPC title

• B62D29/001

  characterised by combining metal and synthetic material · CPC title