The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 15, 2022
Filed:
Jul. 17, 2020
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US);
William F. Graves, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Faiyaz Mohammed, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., Plano, TX (US);
Abstract
Disclosed is a wheelhouse structure of a vehicle, including an inner panel with an inner flange that includes a straight portion, and an outer panel with an outer flange sized and shaped to interface with the inner flange along at least the straight portion. The outer panel includes a stiffening bead situated forward from, or proximate to a forward portion of, the straight portion. The wheelhouse structure also includes a plurality of joins coupling the inner flange to the outer flange, and a gap in the plurality of joins that is aligned with the first stiffening bead. When a rear portion of the wheelhouse structure is subjected to a loading force in a forward direction, the outer panel bends in locations proximate to the stiffening bead more easily than in locations remote from the stiffening bead.