Chrysler Corporation

Daimlerchrysler Corporation

James A Cotton

Patrick J Gibbons

Kenneth S Deneau

Paul J Eagle

Dean M Martin

Kristin Godfrey

Sherry A Feldpausch

Jason D Shawver

Anne Ridenour

An arrangement of a frame rail bumper beam combination is provided which has a frame rail for connection with a chassis of an automotive vehicle, and a bumper beam having a tubular cross-sectional shape with a first section connected with the frame rail, and a first upper surface between a front end and a rear end of the bumper beam, and the bumper beam having at least first and second cutouts in the first surface with a web therebetween that causes the rail to plastically deform in the first section of the bumper beam in a crash.

Automotive frame bumper interface for discriminated deceleration response

A reinforced instrument panel assembly capable of being preassembled and then installed as a unit in a motor vehicle. The instrument panel assembly comprises an instrument panel and motor vehicle instruments mounted on a rigid reinforcing bar. A mounting bracket is secured to each end of the reinforcing bar. When the preassembled instrument panel assembly is placed inside the vehicle body and moved forwardly to the installed position, the mounting brackets contact side frame members of the vehicle body and are readily accessible to the installer so that the mounting brackets can be secured to the side frame members quickly and easily. The instrument panel assembly can be moved to a position for installation with a direct forward movement in an ergonomic manner. Hooks on the mounting brackets guide the instrument panel assembly to its installed position. When the instrument panel is installed, the reinforcing bar serves as a brace to resist the effect of side impact on the body in a collision. The securement of the mounting bracket to the side frame member on the driver side of the vehicle includes a slotted connection which is capable of releasing in the event of a frontal impact when the driver is thrown forwardly against the instrument panel assembly. The reinforcing bar has crush-inducing formations enabling it to bend and crush in a frontal impact.

Reinforced instrument panel assembly

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Royal Oak, MI, United States of America

James A Cotton