Vehicle body comprising an interception device for frontal collisions with a slight overlap

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9937957-B2
Application number	US-201415037946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2014
Priority date	Nov 22, 2013
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle body may include a crossmember and a longitudinal member. The vehicle body helps ensure improved load absorption in collision events with small overlap between the crossmember and another vehicle or object. The deformation capabilities of the vehicle body in collision events involving a full surface area of the crossmember are not substantially impaired. Form-fitting members that comprise connection partners may be provided for the longitudinal member, wherein the form-fitting members ensure that a load path of collision energy is introduced into the longitudinal member selectively in the event of a collision with small overlap. A form-fitting member may form a form-fitting connection in a direction of the longitudinal member in the event of a collision.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle body comprising:
a crossmember configured as a front or rear bumper of a vehicle, the crossmember extending generally laterally with respect to the vehicle;
a longitudinal member positioned generally longitudinally with respect to the vehicle;
a first connection partner extending generally laterally from the crossmember, wherein the first connection partner is positioned laterally outwards of the longitudinal member with respect to the vehicle, wherein the first connection partner is wedge-shaped; and
a second connection partner disposed along or integrated into the longitudinal member, wherein the second connection partner is bolt-shaped and is spaced apart from the first connection partner,
wherein in a crash event involving only a region of the crossmember that is laterally outwards of the longitudinal member and/or the first connection partner, the crossmember and/or the first connection partner are deformed so that the first connection partner engages with the second connection partner in a form-fit manner thereby transferring energy to the longitudinal member so that the longitudinal member absorbs energy from the crash event,
wherein at least a portion of the second connection partner protrudes from the longitudinal member and is angled directly towards the first connection partner such that an acute angle is formed between the at least the portion of the second connection partner and the longitudinal member.

2. The vehicle body of claim 1 wherein the first connection partner does not engage the second connection partner in a crash event involving a region of the crossmember that is longitudinally aligned with the longitudinal member.

3. The vehicle body of claim 1 wherein a region of the crossmember towards an outer edge of the crossmember is oriented at an angle of less than 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal member.

4. The vehicle body of claim 1 wherein the bolt-shaped second connection partner extends from the longitudinal member at an angle of between 90 to 170 degrees.

5. The vehicle body of claim 1 wherein the first and second connection partners, the crossmember, and the longitudinal member are comprised of a multiphase steel or a high-strength hot-forming steel.

6. The vehicle body of claim 1 wherein a distance between the first connection partner and the longitudinal member is greater than a cross section of the bolt-shaped second connection partner.

7. The vehicle body of claim 1 wherein a load path is not introduced into the longitudinal member in an event of a collision under 20 km/h with full overlap.

8. The vehicle body of claim 1 wherein the first connection partner is connected to the crossmember in at least one of an integrally bonded manner or a non-positive manner, wherein the second connection partner is connected to the longitudinal member in at least one of an integrally bonded manner or a non-positive manner.

9. The vehicle body of claim 8 wherein the integrally bonded manner comprises a welded connection, a brazed connection, or an adhesive connection, wherein the non-positive manner comprises a screw connection.

10. The vehicle body of claim 1 wherein at least one of the longitudinal member or the crossmember is comprised of a multiphase steel or a high-strength hot-forming steel.

11. The vehicle body of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first connection partner or the second connection partner is comprised of a multiphase steel or a high-strength hot-forming steel.

12. The vehicle body of claim 1 further comprising a crashbox disposed between the crossmember and the longitudinal member, wherein the crashbox absorbs energy from the crash event.

13. The vehicle body of claim 1 wherein in a crash event involving a majority of a total lateral width of the crossmember, the first connection partner does not engage with the second connection partner.

Assignees

• Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe Ag

Inventors

• Kibben Martin
• Patberg Lothar
• Röttger Rolf Peter
• Zörnack Markus

Classifications

• B62D29/007

  predominantly of special steel or specially treated steel, e.g. stainless steel or locally surface hardened steel · CPC title

• B60R19/16

  having deflecting members, e.g. rollers, balls · CPC title

• B62D21/152 Primary

  Front or rear frames · CPC title

• B60R19/34

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