Abstract: Vehicle structures for dissipating energy associated with a collision are described herein. In one embodiment, a vehicle includes a first side support extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, a second side support extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction and spaced apart from the first side support in a vehicle lateral direction that is transverse to the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a cross-vehicle stabilizing structure extending between the first side support and the second side support, the cross-vehicle stabilizing structure including a first joint portion coupled to the first side support, the first joint portion including a stiffness-reducing portion positioned within a perimeter of the first joint portion, a second joint portion coupled to the second side support, and a cross-vehicle stabilizer portion coupled to the first joint portion and the second joint portion.
Type:
Application
Filed:
October 15, 2014
Publication date:
April 21, 2016
Applicant:
Tolyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
Inventors:
Carlos M. Briceno, Maurice P. Silva, Jonathan R. Young, Adam D. Holmstrom, Naipaul D. Ramoutar