Passenger compartment side collision protection assembly

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.