Benteler Industries, Inc.

Robert J DePierre

Alessandro Libriani

Kieran P Maloney

Timothy J Horling

A vehicle door impact beam having an elongated tubular body with a central axis, the end portions of the beam being taper cut to form inner and outer termini and opposite taper surfaces for each end, the included angle at the inner termini being greater than 180 degrees and the outer termini being less than 180 degrees, and the first and second taper surfaces each spiraling from the inner terminus to the outer terminus through an angle of about 90 degrees. The inner termini of both ends are on opposite sides of the beam, and the outer termini of both ends are on the same side of the beam.

Spiral taper cut impact beam

A vehicle door impact beam having an elongated tubular body and contour cut ends, all portions of the contour cut ends having a moment capacity at least equal to the bending moment. Each contour cut end has a sloping central body and a pair of end transitions straddling the body. This body and the transitions are each characterized by special equations.

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Kalamazoo, MI, United States of America

Robert J DePierre