Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Vari-form, Inc.

Daimlerchrysler Corporation

Dean A Gericke

Ari Garo Caliskan

Mohammad Omar Faruque

Xiaoming Chen

Thierry Guimberteau

Daniel Szalay

James Wayne Lowe

Lawrence Anderson Queener

Raj Mehta

Everett Kuo

Louis Ratsos

David Anthony Wagner

Jason Scott Balzer

John T Reed

Parameswararao Pothuraju

Ian Dupret

Martin L Bliss

Jose U Coelho

Lou Ratsos

Ramakrishna P Koganti

Sergio Angotti

Bryan Mikula

Gurpreet S Aul

Larry D Marks

Glenn D Holland

Michael E Bolas

Michael Bolas

A vehicle roof support pillar assembly may include a first support pillar and a second support pillar. The first support pillar may have a first hollow body with a first side surface. The second support pillar may have a second hollow body with a second side surface, the second support pillar may be positioned next to the first hollow body when assembled and in use. The first and second side surfaces may contact each other along at least a portion of their vertical extent.

Vehicle roof support pillar assembly

A body side construction for an automotive vehicle is formed from multiple tubular members arranged to maximize the strength of the body side members while minimizing the amount of material utilized in the manufacture of the body side members and, thus reducing the cost of manufacture of the automobile. The body side members are formed from tubular members preferably manufactured through a hydroforming process. The tubular members extend from the front pillar to the rear pillar and can vary in number and in size as appropriate for the load being carried by the body side members. The tubular members can also be used to transition from the body side portion of the automobile to the roof structure to provide an integrated frame assembly. The formation of the body side members from multiple tubular members also creates an internal reinforcement web to further enhance the strength of the section.

Multiple tube body side construction for automobiles

A hydroforming process forms a hydroformed automotive component as a multiple cell member having an integral internal rib separating the cells and reinforcing the hydroformed component to increase the strength of a hydroformed component with a given size and shape. The tubular blank can be manufactured through a roll-forming process or by welding two structural tubular members, to form a tubular blank that has multiple cells with an internal rib separating the cells. The hydroforming process injects fluid under pressure into each of the cells to expand the tubular blank into the shape defined by the die holding the blank. The internal web separating the cells of the blank becomes an integral internal reinforcement spanning the component to enhance the strength, rigidity and stiffness of the component. Providing differential pressure on the multiple cells can stretch and twist the internal rib for positioning internally as desired.

Double hydroformed tube with integral reinforcement

A pillar to rocker joint assembly comprising a tubular pillar having a pinched flange near a lower end of the pillar is joined to a rocker assembly including a side sill and rocker reinforcement. A method of making a pillar to rocker joint assembly that comprises a vehicle structural support is formed by welding a structural support pillar to an outer body panel through an access opening in the pillar and welding a rocker reinforcement to a side sill. The rocker reinforcement is welded to the pillar through an access opening in the side sill, an access hole in the body outer panel, and an access opening in the pillar that is vertically spaced relative to the first access opening. A bottom flange of the B-pillar is welded to a lower edge flange of the rocker reinforcement and a lower edge flange of the side sill.

Tubular B-pillar to stamped rocker joint and method of assembling the same

A support rail for a vehicle has an A-pillar portion and a roof rail portion. The roof rail and A-pillar are formed with a tubular body portion and longitudinally extending support flanges. The support flanges are formed by pinching the blank during the hydroforming process to provide a double thickness flange. A windshield support flange, roof support flange and door opening flange are formed to extend outwardly from the tubular body portion. Front and rear tube connectors include blind openings or notches to facilitate welding.

Roof rail with integrally formed pinched flanges

A lower frame midrail structure for an automotive vehicle is formed from a pair of tubular members manufactured through a hydroforming process. The two tubular members are welded together in a longitudinally extending portion to provide support for the mounting structure of a bumper assembly. The joinder of the two tubular members creates a lower frame midrail cross-section that has a generally vertical internal web to strengthen and stiffen the midrail structure. The two tubular members laterally diverge from one another in a divergent zone in which the laterally spaced tubular members provide a stable interior and exterior support for a shock tower support member to be welded to the top of the tubular members. The hydroforming process can form openings in the sidewalls of the tubular members to permit passage of cross frame members to enhance the welding of the cross frame members to the midrail structure.

Dual tube lower frame midrail structure

An attachment mount apparatus connects a subframe component to the lower frame midrail structure for an automotive vehicle that is formed from a pair of tubular members manufactured through a hydroforming process. The two tubular members are formed with a pair of opposing semi-cylindrical depressions to receive a cylindrical mounting member internally of the frame structure. One of the semi-cylindrical depressions and the corresponding outer wall of the tubular member are pierced to receive the cylindrical mount and a mounting plate. The opposing semi-cylindrical depression serves as a stop to locate the cylindrical mount along the centerline of the frame structure. The mounting plate spans the entire frame structure and is supported on four wall thicknesses to provide a stable mount structure for subframe components. The cylindrical mounting member is threaded to receive a fastener for the mounting of the subframe member.

Method of manufacturing a vehicle frame member with a subframe attachment mount

A one-piece B-pillar having a front flange and a rear flange formed on an upper portion of the B-pillar. The front and rear flanges extend forwardly and rearwardly from a trapezoidal section of the B-pillar. An inner concave portion is provided in a lower portion of the B-pillar. The one-piece B-pillar is secured to the outer and upper surfaces of a roof rail and to the outer surface of a rocker to provide side impact strength. The B-pillar is hydroformed in one-piece to provide superior strength for roof crush performance. The tubular portion of the B-pillar is partially collapsed to form a trapezoidal section in the upper portion of the B-pillar.

Unitary hydroformed roof support pillar

A single component bumper beam and lower frame midrail structure, is formed through a hydroforming process to create a uniform 'B-shaped' cross-sectional configuration with internal crash triggers to enhance crash performance. The mounting legs of the integral bumper structure are formed with a reduced cross-section at the terminal ends thereof to facilitate insertion into lower frame midrails formed from a pair of horizontally disposed tubes. The terminal end portions of the mounting legs are formed with a longitudinally extending slot to receive a central co-joined wall member formed through the welding of the two vertically oriented tubular members in the lower frame midrails. The single component bumper and longitudinally extending mounting leg structure can be formed by welding together two vertically oriented tubes.

Single component automotive bumper and lower frame rail

An attachment mount apparatus connects a subframe component to the lower frame midrail structure for an automotive vehicle that is formed from a pair of tubular members manufactured through a hydroforming process. The two tubular members are formed with a pair of opposing semi-cylindrical depressions to receive a cylindrical mounting member internally of the frame structure. One of the semi-cylindrical depressions and the corresponding outer wall of the tubular member are pierced to receive the cylindrical mount and a mounting plate. The opposing semi-cylindrical depression serves as a stop to locate the cylindricalal mount along the centerline of the frame structure. The mounting plate spans the entire frame structure and is supported on four wall thicknesses to provide a stable mount structure for subframe components. The cylindrical mounting member is threaded to receive a fastener for the mounting of the subframe member.

Rear subframe attachment mount for hydroformed frame

The vehicle body of the present invention includes a first body structure formed from a plurality of tube members and a second body structure formed from sheet metal. The plurality of tube members are loosely fastened together so as to form the first body structure. The first body structure is splayed in a predetermined direction, inserted between two sheet metal members of the second body structure and fixedly secured thereto. Since the tube members are not rigidly fastened together, the tube members are free to move relative to one another in a direction lateral to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, thereby permitting for size variation in the second body structure. The tube members are then securely fastened together. The design of the first and second body structures facilitates a welding process wherein the welds joining the first and second body structures may be staggered and offset to further improve the rigidity and durability of the vehicle body.

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Brighton, MI, United States of America

Dean A Gericke