Patents Examined by Kiran B. Patel
  • Patent number: 11654972
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a dash cross member, a rocker that is connected to an end portion of the dash cross member, and a reinforcement that reinforces a connected portion of the dash cross member and the rocker. At the connected portion of the dash cross member and the rocker, the dash cross member, the rocker, and the reinforcement are disposed to be overlapped with each other, and a plurality of first weld portions and a plurality of second weld portions are provided. The dash cross member and the rocker are welded to each other at each of the first weld portions. The rocker and the reinforcement are welded to each other at each of the second weld portions. The first weld portions and the second weld portions are arrayed so as not to be overlapped with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Takahashi, Satoshi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11648988
    Abstract: The rear structure for vehicles includes: a rear floor; and a pair of oblique members coupled to a lower surface of the rear floor and configured to be symmetrical with each other about a longitudinal centerline of the rear floor, each oblique member of the pair of oblique members extending from a first side and a second side, respectively, of the rear floor to a rear portion of the rear floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Sung Hun Kim, Ju Woong Park
  • Patent number: 11623692
    Abstract: A support extrusion for a subframe structure of a vehicle and methods of fabricating the same. In one example, a support extrusion can comprise a multicell structure that facilitates coupling the support extrusion with a rear crossmember of the subframe structure. The multicell structure can comprise a front cell column and a rear cell column that intervenes between the front cell column and the rear crossmember in a longitudinal direction of the subframe structure. The front cell column can comprise a trigger that facilitates plastically deforming the front cell column downward in a vertical direction of the subframe structure when subjected to impact forces of a frontal crash.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Johan Eklund, Anders Sandahi, Jens Raine, Domenico Macri, Emil Claesson, Per Zachrison, Kaldon Kalasho, Robin Larsson, Martin Granlund, Patrik Ulf Daniel Ljungbäck
  • Patent number: 11608017
    Abstract: A vehicle front body structure is provided for reliably transferring a collision load to a crash can and a front frame by preventing a bumper beam from buckling during a small overlap collision. Bending rigidity of the bumper beam in a vehicle width direction is such that 1) a bending moment generated on the bumper beam when a collision load in a direction toward a vehicle rear side is applied to an extending section, which extends outward in the vehicle width direction from a crash can fixed section, is the highest in a vehicle width direction inner end portion of the crash can fixed section on a side where the collision load is applied, and 2) the bending moment is continuously reduced as a distance from the vehicle width direction inner end portion in the vehicle width direction increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Narahara, Nobuyuki Shibutake, Yasushi Ishikawa, Yuichi Morita, Ken Fujimoto, Yusaku Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11608120
    Abstract: A sill frame arrangement for a vehicle body arrangement includes: a battery arrangement provided in a floor region of the vehicle body arrangement, which has at least one frame arrangement having frame longitudinal members and frame cross members which surround and support at least one battery module, the frame longitudinal members resting on sill elements of a sill arrangement, the sill arrangement including wall elements which form sill chambers. Over an entire height of the sill arrangement, only one wall element directed toward the frame arrangement is provided, at least one additional sill element being provided on each sill element, the sill element and the at least one additional sill element being integrally bonded and interlockingly connected to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: DR. ING. H.C. F. PORSCHE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Herbert Klamser, Alexander Schuenemann, Michael Wagner, Oliver Pfisterer
  • Patent number: 11603057
    Abstract: A vehicle body includes: a rear side member that is extended in the front-rear direction at the rear portion of the vehicle body; a back panel that is in contact with a rear end of the rear side member; and a crash box that is disposed between the back panel and a rear bumper and is positioned behind the rear side member. The crash box is fixed to the back panel with a bolt passed through a bolt hole that is extended through the back panel and that is positioned above the rear end of the rear side member. The rear side member is a hollow beam having a pair of side plates, an upper plate, and a lower plate, and a rear portion of the upper plate configures a flange that is bent upward along a lower back panel. The flange covers the bolt and the bolt hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiro Matsumoto, Iwao Furukawa, Akinari Hattori
  • Patent number: 11603145
    Abstract: An active drag-reduction system has first 22 and second 24 fluid outlets located on a vehicle 10 adjacent to a low pressure (drag) region 12, wherein fluid ejected from the second fluid outlet 24 is at a higher pressure/ejection velocity than from the first fluid outlet 22. Turbulent and/or low pressure regions adjacent to vehicles are not uniform, but rather have a varying intensity. For instance, the centre of a region may have a lower pressure and/or more turbulent nature than the periphery of the region. The system injects relatively higher pressure air or relatively higher speed air into the relatively lower pressure/more turbulent part of the low pressure/turbulent region, and relatively lower pressure air or relatively lower speed air into the relatively higher pressure/less turbulent part of the low pressure/turbulent region, compared to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: OGAB LTD.
    Inventors: Osama Elogab, Hatem Elogab
  • Patent number: 11603135
    Abstract: A vehicle body includes a plurality of shock absorber housings positioned at right and left sides of the vehicle body and configured to cover and support shock absorbers of a vehicle, wherein a lower end of each of the shock absorber housings includes a flange unit comprising a plurality of flanges arranged along an outer periphery of the lower end of the shock absorber housing, and a connection member connecting the shock absorber housings to each other in a width direction of the vehicle body, wherein an end of the connection member is fitted between the flanges of the flange unit and is coupled to a corresponding one of the shock absorber housings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Ji Ae Yong, Seok Ju Gim, Ho Yeon Kim, Chui Hee Heo, Tae Gyu Park
  • Patent number: 11603137
    Abstract: A subframe assembly for a vehicle utilizing straight, parallel extruded longitudinal siderail members. This subframe assembly provides front-end (or rear-end) crash energy absorbance by plastically deforming, crumpling, and bending down to avoid the stackup and occupant cabin intrusion of components, such as the attached engine/motor, engine/motor mounts, steering components, and suspension components. The laterally disposed longitudinal siderail members each provide a straight, substantially uninterrupted lower load path to transfer crash energy from the lower load path crash management system beam and crashboxes or the like to a rear upper load path body in white bracket, and ultimately to the battery frame in the event of a crash, with the siderail members and crashboxes optionally being longitudinally coaxially aligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventor: Johan Eklund
  • Patent number: 11597447
    Abstract: A vehicle body may include a floor; a pair of side sills connected to first and second side edges of the floor, respectively; and a cross unit mounted on the floor and extending in a width direction of a vehicle, wherein the cross unit includes a lower crossmember connecting the pair of side sills, an upper crossmember disposed above the lower crossmember, a first reinforcement member disposed between the lower crossmember and the upper crossmember, and a pair of second reinforcement members connected to first and second end portions of the first reinforcement member, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hyung Tae Kim
  • Patent number: 11584447
    Abstract: An electric vehicle structure may include a floor panel; a center tunnel disposed at a center of the floor panel in a vehicle width direction, extending along a vehicle front-rear direction, and projecting upward from the floor panel; a dash panel disposed at front ends of the floor panel and the center tunnel; and a front reinforcement attached to an inner surface of a peripheral wall of the center tunnel and extending rearward from the dash panel through the center tunnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kyosuke Kawase
  • Patent number: 11584442
    Abstract: An embodiment vehicle impact energy absorption system includes a dash panel, a pair of front side members extending toward a front of the dash panel, a front subframe disposed below the pair of front side members, and an electric motor mounted on the front subframe, wherein a front edge of the electric motor is pivotally connected to the front subframe, and a rear edge of the electric motor is pivotally connected to the dash panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Seung Min Jeong
  • Patent number: 11584449
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to extrusion for a vehicle component. The vehicle component includes a plurality of flanges that form a periphery of the vehicle component, a cavity that extends through the periphery of the vehicle component, a corner portion that is positioned proximate to a corner defined by a pair of the plurality of flanges, and a channel that is positioned proximate to the corner portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Shawn Michael Morgans, Stephen William Gallagher, Vladimir Vladimirovich Bogachuk, Musheeruddin Zubair Syed, Conor Daniel Hennessey
  • Patent number: 11584462
    Abstract: A panel includes a standoff formed from a wall extended in a height direction from an exterior surface of the panel. The wall is formed from a first wall section and a second wall section that is offset from the first wall section in a lateral direction of the panel along the exterior surface of the panel. A stopper hole is defined in the panel and extended in the height direction, in parallel with the first wall section and the second wall section, from the exterior surface of the panel. The stopper hole receives a stopper. The stopper hole is interposed between and separates the first wall section and the second wall section along the exterior surface of the panel, or is offset from the wall of the standoff in the lateral direction of the panel along the exterior surface of the panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Francis M. Madrid, Brian Large
  • Patent number: 11577787
    Abstract: A rear vehicle-body structure is provided that can absorb a rear-end collision load by a short frame region on a vehicle-body rear side. Embodiments include a rear side frame having a rear-side breaking frame section including a rear-side breakage starting portion on a rear side among breakage starting portions disposed at intervals in a front-rear direction, a front-side breaking frame section including a front-side breakage starting portion on a front side and at which the direction of breakage is opposite from the direction of breakage at the rear-side breakage starting portion, and a middle frame section between the rear-side breakage starting portion and the front-side breakage starting portion. The axial proof stress of the rear-side breaking frame section is lower than the axial proof stress of the front-side breaking frame section; and the middle frame section includes beads at a predetermined interval in an axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Harumitsu Kubota, Taichi Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 11565754
    Abstract: A vehicle body includes a plurality of shock absorber housings positioned at right and left sides of the vehicle body and configured to cover and support shock absorbers of a vehicle, wherein a lower end of each of the shock absorber housings includes a flange unit comprising a plurality of flanges arranged along an outer periphery of the lower end of the shock absorber housing, and a connection member connecting the shock absorber housings to each other in a width direction of the vehicle body, wherein an end of the connection member is fitted between the flanges of the flange unit and is coupled to a corresponding one of the shock absorber housings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Ji Ae Yong, Seok Ju Gim, Ho Yeon Kim, Chui Hee Heo, Tae Gyu Park
  • Patent number: 11560180
    Abstract: A rocker component for a vehicle includes a reinforcement beam having a metal sheet that is shaped with a plurality of elongated bends extending in parallel along a length of the reinforcement beam that together form a cross-sectional shape extending continuously along the length of the reinforcement beam. The cross-sectional shape of reinforcement beam includes a beam portion and a flange portion integrally extending from the beam portion. The beam portion has a multi-hollow shape that encloses a plurality of hollow cavities that extend longitudinally between openings at opposing ends of the reinforcement beam. The flange portion integrally extends from the beam portion and includes an edge of the metal sheet. The flange portion is configured to attach to the vehicle for supporting the rocker component along an outboard side region of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Shape Corp.
    Inventors: Joseph R. Matecki, Brian Oxley, Matthew Kuipers, Cody Alger, Douglas S. Baas
  • Patent number: 11548364
    Abstract: An embodiment vehicle body connection structure for connecting an underbody on which a battery assembly is mounted and an upper body includes a plurality of main mounting portions engaging the battery assembly, a chassis frame on both sides of the underbody and side sills on both sides of the upper body along a length direction of the upper body through a main engage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Kang Chul Lee, Joonghyun Shin, Jung Jong Chun
  • Patent number: 11548578
    Abstract: A modular vehicle body includes a pair of outer frames. An inner board space with a fixed width is defined between the outer frames. Each outer frame includes a front side board and a door sill. The front side board includes a main board provided with a vertical board having a predetermined width. A first flange is provided on a side of the vertical board. The door sill includes an inner board provided with a horizontal board having a predetermined width. A second flange is provided on a side of the horizontal board. The inner board is fixedly coupled to the main board. The first flange and the second flange form an outer edge. A width between the outer edges of the pair of outer frames is set to correspond to a width of a vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Foxtron Vehicle Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chia-Hong Chen, Kai-Wei Tseng, Chih-Ming Lai
  • Patent number: 11548558
    Abstract: A front vehicle-body structure comprises a crash can fixed to a front end of a front frame. The crash can comprises an upper face portion, a lower face portion, a pair of side face portions, corner portions respectively positioned between the side face portion and the upper face portion and between the side face portion and the lower face portion, a first fragile portion provided at each of the corner portions, and a second fragile portion provided at each of the side face portions. The first fragile portion is configured to be deformed before the second fragile portion when a collision load applied toward a vehicle rearward side is inputted to an extension portion of a bumper beam. The second fragile portion is configured to be deformed before the front frame when the collision load applied toward the vehicle rearward side is inputted to the extension portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Narahara, Nobuyuki Shibutake, Yasushi Ishikawa, Yuichi Morita