IP Library Granted Patent US 9,828,034
Granted Patent B2
US 9,828,034 · App. 15/112,410 · Granted Nov 28, 2017

Vehicle bodywork structure device

Inventors: Christophe Cazes (Versailles, FR); Grégory Gatard (Leuville-sur-Orge, FR); Vincent Barelli (La Ville du Bois, FR); Xavier Delgerie (Le Plessis Robinson, FR)
Assignee: AUTOTECH ENGINEERING A.I.E.
B62D25/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,828,034
App. No.
15/112,410
Granted
Nov 28, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A motor vehicle bodywork beam including a main reinforcement having a bottom, two side walls and two flanges substantially parallel to the bottom and a secondary reinforcement. The secondary reinforcement is fixed to the main reinforcement. The main reinforcement and secondary reinforcement are fixed at each side wall level, and of the side walls and/or bottom of the main and/or secondary reinforcement comprise a transition, such that at least a part of the bottom of the secondary reinforcement is in contact with a part of the bottom of the main reinforcement. The bodywork beam has at least one closed cell formed by the main reinforcement and a secondary reinforcement, and the cell has four linear segments formed by the main reinforcement and/or secondary reinforcement, three linear segments covering at least 50% of the corresponding dimension of the cell, so that two segments are oriented transversely to the bottom of the main reinforcement, and the other two segments are substantially perpendicular to said two first segments.

Claims (29)

1. A B-pillar for a motor vehicle bodywork, the B-pillar having a longitudinal direction, comprising:

a main reinforcement having a substantially U-shaped cross-section including a bottom, two side walls forming an angle between 80° and 120° with the bottom of the main reinforcement, and two flanges substantially parallel to the bottom, the two flanges being inclined with respect to the bottom at a maximum angle of 10°;

at least one secondary reinforcement having a bottom and at least one side wall forming an angle between 80° and 120° with the bottom of the secondary reinforcement, wherein the at least one secondary reinforcement is fixed to the main reinforcement;

an assembly of the main reinforcement and the at least one secondary reinforcement, comprising:

the main reinforcement and the at least one secondary reinforcement being fixed to each other at each of their respective side walls, and

the bottom of the main reinforcement and the bottom of the secondary reinforcement having a transition, such that at least a portion of the bottom of the secondary reinforcement is in contact with a portion of the bottom of the main reinforcement,

wherein

at least one closed cell is formed by the assembly of the main reinforcement and the at least one secondary reinforcement, the closed cell comprising four linear segments formed by segments of the side walls and segments of the bottoms of the main reinforcement and the secondary reinforcement, wherein two first segments of the four segments are oriented transversely to the bottom of the main reinforcement, and the other two segments of the four segments form an angle between 80° and 120° to the two first segments,

the bottom of the main reinforcement has a rib, and the at least one secondary reinforcement has a bottom with a groove, wherein the rib of the main reinforcement is connected to the groove of the secondary reinforcement, and

the rib of the main reinforcement and the groove of the at least one secondary reinforcement are inclined with respect to the bottom of the main reinforcement.

2. The B-pillar according to claim 1 , comprising a first secondary reinforcement and a second secondary reinforcement, wherein the first secondary reinforcement is fixed at each of its side walls to a corresponding sidewall of the main reinforcement, and wherein the second secondary reinforcement is fixed at each of its side walls to a corresponding sidewall of the first secondary reinforcement.

3. The B-pillar according to claim 1 , wherein the rib of the bottom of the main reinforcement is located at a center of the bottom of the main reinforcement.

4. The B-pillar according to claim 1 , wherein the main reinforcement is arranged inside the U-shape of at least one secondary reinforcement.

5. The B-pillar according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one secondary reinforcement is arranged inside the U-shape of the main reinforcement.

6. The B-pillar according to claim 1 , wherein at least one secondary reinforcement has a substantially U-shaped cross-section having a bottom and two sidewalls.

7. The B-pillar according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one cell formed by the assembly of the main reinforcement and the at least one secondary reinforcement has a height between 8 mm and 100 mm.

8. The B-pillar according to claim 3 , wherein the rib of the main reinforcement and the groove of the at least one secondary reinforcement have a depth between 8 mm et 50 mm.

9. The B-pillar according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the segments has a groove or a shoulder or a step.

10. The B-pillar according to claim 1 , wherein a height of each cell as measured perpendicularly to the bottom of the main reinforcement is less than or equal to one third of a depth of the B-pillar.

11. The B-pillar according to claim 1 , wherein radii of a transition angle between two of the linear segments that are adjacent are less than 10 mm and have a size smaller than that of the adjacent segments.

12. A B-pillar for a motor vehicle bodywork, the B-pillar having a longitudinal direction, comprising:

a main reinforcement having a substantially U-shaped cross-section including a bottom, two side walls forming an angle between 80° and 120° with the bottom of the main reinforcement, and two flanges substantially parallel to the bottom, the two flanges being inclined with respect to the bottom at a maximum angle of 10°;

at least one secondary reinforcement having a bottom and at least one side wall forming an angle between 80° and 120° with the bottom of the secondary reinforcement, wherein the at least one secondary reinforcement is fixed to the main reinforcement;

an assembly of the main reinforcement and the at least one secondary reinforcement, comprising:

the main reinforcement and the at least one secondary reinforcement being fixed to each other at each of their respective side walls, and

the bottom of the main reinforcement and the bottom of the secondary reinforcement having a transition, such that at least a portion of the bottom of the secondary reinforcement is in contact with a portion of the bottom of the main reinforcement,

wherein

at least one closed cell is formed by the assembly of the main reinforcement and the at least one secondary reinforcement, the closed cell comprising four linear segments formed by segments of the side walls and segments of the bottoms of the main reinforcement and the secondary reinforcement, wherein two first segments of the four segments are oriented transversely to the bottom of the main reinforcement, and the other two segments of the four segments form an angle between 80° and 120° to the two first segments, and

at least one secondary reinforcement has a substantially L-shaped cross-section having a bottom and only a single sidewall.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 11, 2019
From: AUTOTECH ENGINEERING A.I.E.
To: AUTOTECH ENGINEERING S.L.
Reel/Frame 050988/0570 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 8, 2017
From: CAZES, CHRISTOPHE
To: AUTOTECH ENGINEERING, A.I.E.
Reel/Frame 042281/0137 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 13, 2017
From: GATARD, GRÉGORY; BARELLI, VINCENT; DELGERIE, XAVIER
To: AUTOTECH ENGINEERING A.I.E.
Reel/Frame 041242/0603 →
Priority Claims (1)
FR 14 50441 · Jan 20, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160332673A1 · Nov 17, 2016