Daimlerchrysler Corporation

Fca US LLC

Sae U Park

Brian M Beaudet

Constantinos Sakatis

Homyoung Kim

Madhu Koka

Mingchao Guo

A vehicle front structure includes a left side rail that extends longitudinally in a front left portion of the vehicle. The left side rail includes an inboard shell and an outboard shell. A forward section of the outboard shell is at least partially disposed in an outer left quarter of a total width of the vehicle. A rearward section of the outboard shell is disposed inboard of the outer left quarter. The forward sections of the inboard and outboard shells each have a distal side, top side, and bottom side that respectively form generally U-shaped cross-sections. The outboard shell is fixedly attached to the inboard shell to form a generally rectangular cross-section. The forward section of the outboard shell is a first lateral width. The rearward section of the outboard shell is a second lateral width that is less than the first lateral width.

Vehicle front structure for lateral deflection during narrow offset impact

A vehicle body assembly including a portion that is subject to deformation during vehicle impact events includes a body component, and at least one deformation control plate carried by the vehicle body assembly to engage the body component and inhibit deformation of the body component beyond a threshold amount. The deformation control plate is arranged to engage with the frame component only when the frame component is deformed beyond a first amount. Further deformation of the frame component bends or otherwise deforms the deformation control plate which provides a force resisting further deformation of the frame component and also dissipates the kinetic impact energy away from the deforming area of the frame component.

Vehicle body deformation control assembly

A tow hook assembly for mounting to a front end of a vehicle. The tow hook assembly includes a base plate for mounting to the vehicle, the base plate having a central aperture for aligning over an opening in a mounting base on the vehicle. A tow hook has a shaft and an expanded base, with the aperture in the base plate receiving the shaft, and the expanded base being larger than the aperture to prevent the tow hook from being pulled through the base plate. In response to a frontal impact, however, the tow hook is released from the base plate, the shaft traveling freely through the aperture and the opening in the mounting base, so that minimal force of impact is transferred from the tow hook to the vehicle.

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Sae U Park