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:
Aug. 11, 2015
Filed:
May. 20, 2013
Applicant:
Ford Global Technologies, Llc, Dearborn, MI (US);
Inventors:
Ridha Baccouche, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Rahul Arora, Royal Oak, MI (US);
Saeed David Barbat, Novi, MI (US);
James Chih Cheng, Troy, MI (US);
Srinivasan Sundararajan, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Assignee:
Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US);
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B62D 21/00 (2006.01); B62D 21/15 (2006.01); B62D 21/02 (2006.01); B62D 25/20 (2006.01); B60K 1/04 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
B62D 21/157 (2013.01); B60K 1/04 (2013.01); B62D 21/02 (2013.01); B62D 21/15 (2013.01); B62D 21/152 (2013.01); B62D 25/2036 (2013.01); B60K 2001/0438 (2013.01); B60Y 2306/01 (2013.01);
Abstract
A vehicle underbody structure includes a pair of longitudinal rails. A tunnel is spaced between the longitudinal rails. A number of nonintrusive support members span between the tunnel and the longitudinal rails. The support members have a hoop shape that surrounds an enclosed area. The hoop shape of the nonintrusive support members is adapted to deform into the enclosed area for preventing a side impact force from damaging the tunnel.