Structural reinforcement member for a vehicle body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9758193-B2
Application number	US-201615019404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2016
Priority date	Feb 10, 2015
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle body includes a structural member having an inner surface defining an elongated cavity. The structural member includes an outer panel member joined to an inner panel member. A reinforcement member is positioned in the cavity wherein a gap is provided between the reinforcement member and the inner surface of the structural member. The reinforcement member includes an outer section, an inner section and a tension web interposed between and contacting the outer section and inner section. The outer section faces the outer panel member and the inner section faces the inner panel member. The tension web is secured to the outer panel member and inner panel member. An adhesive secured to the reinforcement member is activatable to expand toward the inner surface of the structural member to define a joint between the reinforcement member and the structural member and to at least partially fill the gap.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle body comprising:
a structural member having an inner surface defining an elongated cavity, the structural member including an outer panel member joined to an inner panel member;
a reinforcement member positioned in the cavity of the structural member wherein a gap is provided between the reinforcement member and the inner surface of the structural member, the reinforcement member including an outer section facing the outer panel member, a separate inner section facing the inner panel member, and a tension web interposed between and contacting the outer section and inner section, the tension web being secured to the outer panel member and inner panel member; and
an adhesive secured to the reinforcement member, the adhesive is activatable to expand toward the inner surface of the structural member to define a joint between the reinforcement member and the structural member and to at least partially fill the gap.

2. The vehicle body of claim 1 , wherein the outer section of the reinforcement member includes a base member having a plurality of projections extending laterally therefrom.

3. The vehicle body of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of projections includes an array of first projections and an array of second projections provided below the first projections.

4. The vehicle body of claim 3 , wherein a distal end portion of each of the first projections has a shape complimentary to an upper corner portion of the outer panel member, and a distal end portion of each second projections has a shape complimentary to a lower corner portion of the outer panel member.

5. The vehicle body of claim 2 , wherein the base member includes an upper first longitudinally extending reinforcing rib configured to interconnect the first projections and a lower second longitudinally extending reinforcing rib configured to interconnect the second projections.

6. The vehicle body of claim 5 , wherein the base member include at least one longitudinally extending third reinforcing rib located between the first and second reinforcing ribs, wherein each of the first, second and third reinforcing ribs is configured to be secured to the tension web.

7. The vehicle body of claim 3 , wherein the base member includes a plurality of reinforcing ribs configured to extend between and interconnect the first and second projections.

8. The vehicle body of claim 1 , wherein the inner section of the reinforcement member includes a base member having a plurality of projections extending laterally therefrom.

9. The vehicle body of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of projections includes an array of first projections and an array of second projections provided below the first projections, a distal end portion of each of the first projections and a distal end portion of each second projections is configured to be secured to the tension web.

10. The vehicle body of claim 9 , wherein the base member of the inner section includes a first longitudinally extending flange configured to interconnect the first projections and a second longitudinally extending flange configured to interconnect the second projections.

11. The vehicle body of claim 10 , wherein a distal end portion of the first flange has a shape complimentary to an upper corner portion of the inner panel member, and a distal end portion of the second flange has a shape complimentary to a lower corner portion of the inner panel member.

12. The vehicle body of claim 7 , wherein the base member includes a plurality of reinforcing ribs configured to extend between the first and second flanges and interconnect the first projections and second projections.

13. The vehicle body of claim 1 , wherein each of the outer panel member and inner panel member of the structural member is hat-shaped in cross-section and includes upper and lower weld flanges, the upper and lower flanges of the outer member being fixedly attached to the respective upper and lower flanges of the inner panel member, wherein an upper portion of the tension web is secured to the upper flanges of the outer and inner panel members and a lower portion of the tension web is secured to the lower flanges of the outer and inner panel members.

14. The vehicle body of claim 13 , wherein each of the structural member and tension web includes a first metal or metal alloy, and each of the outer section and inner section of the reinforcement member includes a reinforced polymer.

15. A structural reinforcement member for a vehicle body, the vehicle body including a structural member having an inner surface and defining an elongated cavity, the structural member including a first metal or metal alloy, the reinforcement member adapted for insertion in the elongated cavity with a gap between the reinforcement member and the inner surface, the reinforcement member comprising:
an outer section, an inner section and a tension web interposed between the inner and outer sections, the outer section including a plurality of laterally extending projections adapted to be secured to the inner surface of the structural member, the inner section including a plurality of laterally extending projections configured to be secured to the tension web, wherein each of the outer section and the inner section includes a reinforced polymer.

16. The structural reinforcement member of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of projections of the outer section includes an array of first projections and an array of second projections provided below the first projections, each of the first and second projections extending laterally from a base member configured to be secured to the tension web.

17. The structural reinforcement member of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of projections of the inner section includes an array of first projections and an array of second projections provided below the first projections, and the inner section further including a base member having a first longitudinally extending flange configured to interconnect the first projections and a second longitudinally extending flange configured to interconnect the second projections, each of the first flange and second flange adapted to be secured to the inner surface of the structural member.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Boettcher Eric J
• Voigt Derik Thomas

Classifications

• B62D25/025 Primary

  Side sills thereof · CPC title

• F16F7/124

  characterised by their special construction from fibre-reinforced plastics · CPC title

• B62D29/001

  characterised by combining metal and synthetic material · CPC title

• B62D25/02

  Side panels {(B62D33/046 takes precedence; sideboards for open load compartments B62D33/023)} · CPC title

• B62D21/157

  for side impacts · CPC title