Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Gregory T Bretz

Gary Mark Crosbie

Patrick James Blanchard

Roy E Bonnett

Saravanan Subramanian

Lothar Patberg

Peter Stockmann

An anti-intrusion beam for incorporation into a vehicle door assembly is manufactured from an outer skin formed from laminated layers of composite materials having fiber reinforcement oriented in a directional pattern in each respective layer. The anisotropic beam includes body members having an interior core formed of high density foam plastic. The transversely corrugated beam includes attachment areas that have the same corrugated configuration which are fastened to mounting lugs of an inner door panel arranged in a corresponding corrugation. Variations in the thickness and formation of the layers of the outer skin can be used to control the failure of the beam during impact to provide a progressive predicable failure pattern for the beam. A frame catcher can be inserted into the body portions of the anti-intrusion beam to permit the transfer of impact forces to the frame of the vehicle.

Anti-intrusion beam for a vehicle door assembly

A method of making a silicon metal containing article is characterized in the following steps. A water vehicle first slurry is formed which contains silicon metal particles, this first slurry being substantially free of ions which would cause a flocculation of the silicon metal particles. An organic vehicle based second slurry is formed which contains a compound which has an ion which would cause flocculation of silicon metal particles contained in a water vehicle slurry. The organic vehicle of said second slurry, however, is effective to suppress formation of ions by the ion forming compound. The first and the second slurries are added to form a castable silicon metal particle containing slurry in which the compound contained in the organic vehicle can form ions when in contact with the water vehicle. The castable silicon metal particle containing slurry is introduced into a casting mold. The castable silicon metal particle containing slurry is permitted to set up in the casting mold by flocculation of the silicon metal particles by the ion of the ion forming compound. The casting mold is removed after said castable silicon metal particle containing slurry has set up, thereby to form the silicon metal containing article.

Method of making a silicon metal containing article

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Canton, MI, United States of America

Gregory T Bretz