Fca US LLC

Meenakshi Solaimalai

Abhijeet Thorat

Sunil Waghmare

Thomas F Wentworth

Joseph E Rudelic

Eric J Stahmer

Andrew L O'Bannon

Janakiram Sholingar

A structural assembly for a vehicle, including a first rail extending in the nominal direction of forward vehicle travel, a second rail extending in the nominal direction of forward vehicle travel and a cross member having a main body having a first end and a second end, and being joined inboard of the first end to the first rail and inboard of the second end to the second rail, wherein the first end and second end of the cross member are angled relative to the direction of forward vehicle travel at an obtuse angle.

Angled cross member for a vehicle

A vehicle rail assembly has an extending longitudinal rail with a kick down area. A kick down area enabler is positioned in the rail at the kick down area. The kick down area enabler includes a foot rest portion, an outer part portion and a kick down portion all contacting the rail. The outer part portion and kick down portion part are cantilevered from the foot rest portion via welding. The kick down area enabler provides additional energy absorption for the rail to prevent intrusion into a passenger compartment.

Kick down area enabler

A vehicle front rail has an elongated body with a first end adapted to couple with a bumper and a second end adapted to couple with a rocker panel. A portion of the body, adjacent the first end, has a cross section with an overall dumbbell shape. It includes a first and second portion separated by a narrow portion. A reinforcement member is positioned in the narrowed portion of the dumbbell cross section.

Front rail to improve early energy absorption

Growing community of inventors

Auburn Hills, MI, United States of America

Meenakshi Solaimalai