Abstract: A reinforcement beam for an automotive component includes a hollow beam structure formed from a metal sheet, such as a high-strength steel. The hollow beam structure has two adjacent tubular portions that share a common center wall and together extend along the length of the hollow beam structure. The two adjacent tubular portions may each have a first side wall and a second side wall arranged on opposing sides of the adjacent tubular portions. The two adjacent tubular portions are each closed with a weld seam that is formed between an edge portion of the metal sheet and an intermediate portion of the metal sheet. The edge portions interface in a perpendicular configuration with the respective interfacing intermediate portion of the metal sheet.

Abstract: A front rail configured to be supported by a vehicle frame includes a tubular body formed by a roll-formed high-strength metal and configured to undergo axial loading during a frontal vehicle impact. The high-strength metal steel defines a cross-sectional shape along a length of the tubular body. The tubular body includes a central wall extending from a first side wall to a second side wall defining at least a first longitudinal hollow channel and a second longitudinal hollow channel. A first crush initiator is disposed in the first side wall of the tubular body at a first crush area and is formed in the high-strength metal before roll-forming the tubular body. A second crush initiator is disposed in the corners of the tubular body at a second crush area and is formed in the high-strength metal after roll-forming the tubular body.

Abstract: A reinforcement beam for a vehicle has an outer beam profile and a reinforcing insert introduced during the roll-forming process. The outer beam profile defines an elongated hollow body and includes a front wall portion and a rear wall portion. The outer beam profile may include upper and lower flanges formed in planar extension of the font wall portion. The reinforcing insert may define an upper shear wall and a lower shear wall that each extend between the front wall portion and the rear wall portion. The reinforcing insert may be introduced to a partial profile in a roll-forming process through an automated operation. The reinforcing insert may be present over a central section of the elongated hollow body and have a length that is less than half the length of the elongated hollow body.

Abstract: A swept beam for a vehicle body structure includes a structural portion and a flange. The structural portion has at least a first wall and a second wall angled relative to each other along a longitudinal length of the structural portion. The structural portion also has a curved shape at least partially along the longitudinal length. A flange extends integrally from the structural portion along a compression side of the curved shape. The flange has a wave edge opposite the structural portion and exhibits a minimum of buckling.

Abstract: A rocker component for a vehicle having a reinforcement beam including 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 the reinforcement beam includes a beam portion and a flange portion integrally extending from the beam portion and includes an edge of the metal sheet. The rocker component also includes a sill panel having flanges extending longitudinally along upper and lower edges of the sill panel relative to the vehicle, the flange portion of the reinforcement beam joined to one of the flanges of the sill panel to secure the reinforcement beam to the sill panel in replacement of a separate second sill panel.

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.

Abstract: An interlocking beam assembly for a frame assembly of a vehicle that includes an upper beam and a lower beam. The upper beam includes an upper hollow section integrally formed with a lower hollow section and a common wall shared by the upper and lower hollow sections. A notch is disposed in the lower hollow section of the upper beam at a select portion along a length of the upper beam. The notch is defined at cut edges along a bottom wall and side walls of the lower hollow section. A lower beam is configured to extend substantially perpendicular to the upper beam and attach in the notch in the upper beam between the cut edges of the side walls in a manner that bridges load paths across the notch in the upper beam.

Abstract: A reinforcement beam for a vehicle has an outer beam and an inner beam. The outer beam spans laterally between crush cans of the vehicle. The outer beam forms an elongated hollow body that has a front wall and a rear wall extending along the length of the reinforcement beam. The inner beam is disposed along an intermediate section of the outer beam. The inner beam further includes an upper wall and a lower wall that each extend between the front wall and the rear wall of the outer beam. The front wall and the rear wall may include at least one rib that extends along the length of the outer beam.

Abstract: A side frame assembly for a vehicle includes a rocker structure and an inboard stiffening beam. The rocker structure includes a metal sheet that has longitudinal bends along a length of the rocker structure separating the upper wall, the lower wall, and the inner wall of the rocker structure. The inboard stiffening beam is disposed along an inboard-facing surface of the inner wall of the rocker structure. The inboard stiffening beam includes a second metal sheet that is formed to define a tubular shape along a length of the inboard stiffening beam. The tubular shape includes a planar upper wall and/or a planar lower wall, the planar extent of which intersects a portion of the rocker structure, such as the inner wall, to form a lateral load path from the rocker structure to the tubular shape of inboard stiffening beam.

Abstract: A vehicle rocker assembly includes a sill outer and a sill inner that together define an elongated hollow interior. The vehicle rocker assembly also includes a rocker insert disposed within the elongated hollow interior. The rocker insert includes a top wall, a bottom wall, a side wall coupled to and extending between the top wall and the bottom wall, with the top wall, the bottom wall, and the side wall at least partially defining a second hollow interior. The rocker insert also includes a stiffening member at least partially disposed within the second hollow interior and configured to be produced by extrusion, the stiffening member defining a plurality of enclosed sections extending along a length of the elongated hollow interior. Moreover, plurality of enclosed sections are configured to carry a load path laterally between the inboard and outboard wall portions.

Abstract: A front rail configured to be supported by a vehicle frame includes a tubular body formed by a roll-formed high-strength metal and configured to undergo axial loading during a front vehicle impact. The high-strength metal sheet defines a cross-sectional shape along a length of the tubular body. The tubular body includes a central wall extending from a first side wall to a second side wall defining at least a first longitudinal channel and a second longitudinal channel. A groove is disposed in first side wall of the tubular body and extends longitudinally along at least a portion of the length of the tubular body to stiffen the tubular body. A hole extends through the first side wall of the tubular body proximate the groove and is configured as a bend initiator.

Abstract: A vehicle battery tray includes a floor assembly that has elongated tray sections that attach together at lateral edge portions of adjacent tray sections to form a floor structure that supports vehicle batteries contained in the vehicle battery tray. The elongated tray sections each have a substantially consistent cross-sectional shape that extends longitudinally along a length of the respective tray section. A first tray section includes a first attachment feature at the lateral edge portion thereof and a second tray section includes a second attachment feature at the lateral edge portion thereof that corresponds with the first attachment feature. The first and second attachment features engage together at a longitudinal seam between the lateral edge portions of the first and second tray sections, such as to align upper surfaces of the first and second tray sections.

Abstract: A vehicle floor assembly having a floor panel and a pair of elongated members disposed along opposing sides of the floor panel. A central tunnel extends longitudinally between the pair of elongated members and has an upper surface elevated vertically from a planar extent of the floor panel. A crossmember beam is coupled to and spans between the pair of longitudinal members. The crossmember beam has a cross-sectional shape extending continuously along a length of the crossmember beam. The crossmember beam includes a curved shape along at least a section of the length of the crossmember beam that positions a lower surface of the crossmember beam above the upper surface of the central tunnel.

Abstract: A hybrid bumper assembly for a vehicle includes a steel reinforcement beam and aluminum crush cans attached to end portions of the steel reinforcement beam. The reinforcement beam has a multi-tubular shape that is formed by a high-strength steel sheet that is roll formed to provide at least two tubular portions. A crush can has an interfacing portion that is coupled to an end portion of the reinforcement beam. The end portions of the reinforcement beam and the interfacing portion of the crush cans may be configured to attach together using a select joining technology in a manner that minimizes or eliminates bimetallic or galvanic corrosion between the reinforcement beam and the crush cans.

Abstract: A vehicle bumper assembly includes a bumper beam and a crush can attached to an end portion of the bumper beam. An impact dispersion plate is attached to a front face of the bumper beam at the end portion of the bumper beam. A front surface of the impact dispersion plate extends downward from the front face of the bumper beam. A lower reinforcement member attached to a rear surface of the impact dispersion plate and extends along a lower section of the impact dispersion plate. An upright reinforcement member has an upper portion attached to the bumper beam and a lower portion attached to the lower reinforcement member. The upright and lower reinforcement members are configured, upon impact with a barrier, to disperse deformation of the barrier over the impact dispersion plate below the bumper beam.

Abstract: A battery tray for an electric vehicle includes a tub component that has a floor portion and a perimeter wall portion that integrally extends upward around a peripheral edge of the floor portion to border a battery containment area of the tub component. The tub component may include a plurality of cross member portions that integrally interconnect with the floor portion and the perimeter wall portion so as to span laterally across the battery containment area to divide the battery containment area into separate compartments. A support structure of the battery tray may have an elongated member coupled at an exterior side of each of opposing longitudinal sections of the perimeter wall portion of the tub component.

Abstract: A battery tray for an electric vehicle includes a tub component that has a floor portion and a perimeter wall portion that integrally extends upward around a peripheral edge of the floor portion to border a battery containment area of the tub component. The tub component may include a plurality of cross member portions that integrally interconnect with the floor portion and the perimeter wall portion so as to span laterally across the battery containment area to divide the battery containment area into separate compartments. A support structure of the battery tray may have an elongated member coupled at an exterior side of each of opposing longitudinal sections of the perimeter wall portion of the tub component.

Abstract: A vehicle rocker assembly includes an outer sill member and an inner sill member attached longitudinally along the outer sill member to define a hollow space along and between the inner and outer sill members. A tubular insert is disposed in the hollow space so as to extend longitudinally along the hollow space. The tubular insert has a crush control feature extending longitudinally along a wall of the tubular insert, such as upper and lower walls at opposing sides of the interior volume. The tubular insert is configured for side impact forces at the outer sill member to laterally deform the tubular insert at the crush control feature to provide an accordion-style lateral crush to absorb the side impact forces.

Abstract: A multi-tubular beam for a vehicle, such as a vehicle structure or a bumper reinforcement, includes an elongated beam formed with a metal sheet. The metal sheet has a central section and outer sections extending along a length of the metal sheet. The outer sections are disposed in opposing directions from the outer edges of the central section to provide adjacent first and second tubular portions. The central section forms a common center wall between the adjacent first and second tubular portions. A first edge portion of the metal sheet is disposed along and in parallel alignment with the center wall. The first edge portion is attached to the center wall at a first weld joint to form the first tubular portion. The first weld joint includes a weld material that extends through a thickness of the center wall and into a thickness of the first edge portion.

Abstract: A battery support structure for a vehicle includes a first peripheral member configured to be supported by a longitudinal section of a vehicle frame. A second peripheral member has an end surface that selectively attaches at an inside surface of the first peripheral member to enclose a corner section of a battery containment area. Prior to fixed attachment of the first and second peripheral members, a slip plane is defined between the end surface and the inside surface to adjust the second peripheral member along the first peripheral member to a predefined dimension of the battery containment area.