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:
Apr. 11, 2017
Filed:
Apr. 09, 2015
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Erlanger, KY (US);
Tyler E. Schnug, Northville, MI (US);
Kuo Sun, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Mark D. Clauser, Saline, MI (US);
Yizhou Fan, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Donald E. Maynard, Ypsilanti, MI (US);
Kevin J. O'Beirne, Northville, MI (US);
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Erlanger, KY (US);
Abstract
Vehicle structures and methods of assembling the same are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method of assembling a unibody structure of a vehicle includes assembling a door surround ring comprising a forward pillar portion, a roof rail portion, a rearward pillar portion, and a rocker portion. The method also includes, subsequent to assembling the door surround ring, installing the door surround ring into a vehicle side outer panel, coupling the door surround ring to the vehicle side outer panel. The method further includes, subsequent to installing the door surround ring into the vehicle side outer panel, coupling the door surround ring and the vehicle side outer panel to a vehicle interior structural member.