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:
Oct. 26, 1999
Filed:
Feb. 13, 1998
Norbert Enning, Denkendorf, DE;
Audi AG, , DE;
Abstract
The invention concerns a stress-bearing structure of a motor-vehicle body made with hollow section beams, having at least at one structural member junction point (1) at which a first hollow section beam (2) is joined with a second hollow section beam (3) and a third hollow section beam (4), which are opposite each other on either side of the first hollow section beam. The second and third hollow section beams (3, 4) are attached to the respective opposite sides of the first hollow section beam (2) by a butt joint. The junction point (1) is reinforced by a junction point reinforcement element in the form of a hollow section extrusion (6). In accordance with the invention, a hollow section extrusion (6) is positioned beneath the structural-member junction point (1) on the inside of the vehicle body and fixed in place. The longitudinal axis of the hollow section extrusion (6) runs in the same direction as the longitudinal axis of the first hollow section beam (2). The transverse profile of the extrusion section has a greater width than the width of the first hollow-section beam (2), so that the extrusion section lies against both the second hollow-section beam (3) and the third hollow-section beam (4) with its contact surfaces (11, 13) attached to them. Lateral stresses exerted on the structural-member junction point (1) are absorbed and stayed by the hollow section extrusion (6) which functions as a tie rod. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the hollow section beams (2, 3, 4) and the section of extrusion (6) are made of a light metal.