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:
May. 29, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 20, 1999
Norbert Weber, Bondorf, DE;
DaimlerChrysler AG, Stuttgart, DE;
Abstract
A passenger compartment of a vehicle body has a protective device that protects the vehicle occupants in a side collision. The protective device being integrated into each vehicle door, each vehicle seat, and into the center console fastened to the body floor and including reinforcing elements extending transversely to the lengthwise axis of the compartment. Impact plates are located between the elements, all of which elements lie in a horizontal plane and abut one another by the impact plates in the event of a side collision. The protective device is configured so that as soon as the lateral deformation of the passenger compartment begins in a crash, the reinforcing elements form a continuous cross member for accepting the force. At least one of the reinforcing elements that abut one another transversely to the lengthwise axis of the compartment in a side collision is designed so that it can be increased to a maximum length, in such fashion that all the gaps that exist between the reinforcing elements and the impact plates in the pre-collision state of the passenger compartment disappear. An actuator that can be actuated in the event of a collision adjusts the at least one reinforcing element to this maximum length.