Researchers Submit Patent Application, "Vehicles Having Side Support Reinforcement Gussets", for Approval (USPTO 20160068198)
By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Politics & Government Week -- From
Washington, D.C.
, VerticalNews journalists report that a patent application by the inventors Kim, John P. (
Ann Arbor, MI
); Young, Jonathan R. (
Saline, MI
);
Tsunoda, Yuuichi (
Toyota, JP), filed on September 10, 2014, was made available online on March 17, 2016.
The patent's assignee is Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: "Vehicles may be equipped with bumper systems and crash protection structures that plastically deform to absorb energy in the event of a crash. When a vehicle impacts or is impacted by an object that is offset from the centerline of the vehicle such that the object overlaps a portion of the bumper, the ability of the energy absorbing structure of the vehicle to absorb energy associated with the impact may be reduced. In some impact configurations, the energy absorbing structure of the vehicle may not be activated or may only be partially activated because the object does not come into contact with or only partially comes into contact with associated bumper or vehicle structure. Therefore, the bumper and the energy absorbing structure of the vehicle may have a reduced effect on the dissipation of the energy of the impact. Instead, the energy from the impact may be directed into various vehicle structures, including units of the vehicle.
"In one example, a substantial portion of energy from an impact with a small front bumper overlap may be directed into a front wheel assembly, which causes the front wheel assembly to be directed in a generally rearward direction. The energy may be transferred rearwardly along the vehicle towards the vehicle structure as the front wheel assembly contacts vehicle structures proximate to a passenger cabin of the vehicle.
"Accordingly, a need exists for alternative structures for transferring energy and absorbing energy from a small front bumper overlap collision."
As a supplement to the background information on this patent application, VerticalNews correspondents also obtained the inventors' summary information for this patent application: "In one embodiment, a vehicle includes a side support extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, a cross member extending transverse to the side support, and a reinforcement gusset coupled to the side support and the cross member. The cross member and the reinforcement gusset define an interrupted interface in which one of the cross member or the reinforcement gusset comprises a recessed portion and the opposite of the cross member or the reinforcement gusset comprises an extended portion, and the recessed portion and the extended portion have complementary shapes and are detached from one another.
"In another embodiment, a vehicle includes a side support extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, a cross member extending transverse to the side support and positioned proximate to the side support at an interface joint, and a reinforcement gusset coupled to the side support and the cross member. The reinforcement gusset is coupled to the side support at an outboard securement position in a vehicle lateral direction from the interface joint, and the reinforcement gusset is coupled to the cross member at an inboard securement position in the vehicle lateral direction from the interface joint.
"In yet another embodiment, a method of resisting separation of a cross member and a side support during a vehicle collision includes striking a front of a vehicle against an object, translating a front suspension unit of the vehicle in a rearward vehicle longitudinal direction, and striking the front suspension unit against a side support of the vehicle. The method also includes translating the side support of the vehicle in the rearward vehicle longitudinal direction and resisting separation of the cross member from the side support with a reinforcement gusset coupled to the side support and the cross member. The cross member and the reinforcement gusset define an interrupted interface in which one of the cross member or the reinforcement gusset comprises a recessed portion and the opposite of the cross member or the reinforcement gusset comprises an extended portion, and the recessed portion and the extended portion have complementary shapes and are detached from one another.
"These and additional features provided by the embodiments described herein will be more fully understood in view of the following detailed description, in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
"The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplary in nature and not intended to limit the subject matter defined by the claims. The following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments can be understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which:
"FIG. 1 schematically depicts a perspective view of vehicle structural members according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein;
"FIG. 2A schematically depicts a perspective view of vehicle structural members having a reinforcement gusset that couples a side support to a cross member according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein;
"FIG. 2B schematically depicts a sectional view of vehicle structural members having a reinforcement gusset that couples a side support to a cross member along section 2B-2B depicted in FIG. 2A according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein;
"FIG. 2C schematically depicts a sectional view of vehicle structural members having a reinforcement gusset that couples a side support to a cross member along section 2C-2C depicted in FIG. 2A according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein;
"FIG. 2D schematically depicts a perspective view of vehicle structural members having a reinforcement gusset that couples a side support to a cross member with the vehicle structural members under deformation according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein;
"FIG. 2E schematically depicts a sectional view of vehicle structural members having a reinforcement gusset that couples a side support to a cross member with the vehicle structural members under deformation along section 2E-2E depicted in FIG. 2D according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein;
"FIG. 3A schematically depicts a perspective view of vehicle structural members having a reinforcement gusset that couples a side support to a cross member according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein;
"FIG. 3B schematically depicts a sectional view of vehicle structural members having a reinforcement gusset that couples a side support to a cross member along section 3B-3B depicted in FIG. 3A according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein;
"FIG. 3C schematically depicts a sectional view of vehicle structural members having a reinforcement gusset that couples a side support to a cross member along section 3C-3C depicted in FIG. 3A according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein;
"FIG. 3D schematically depicts a perspective view of vehicle structural members having a reinforcement gusset that couples a side support to a cross member with the vehicle structural members under deformation according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein;
"FIG. 3E schematically depicts a sectional view of vehicle structural members having a reinforcement gusset that couples a side support to a cross member with the vehicle structural members under deformation along section 3E-3E depicted in FIG. 3D according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein;
"FIG. 4A schematically depicts a perspective view of vehicle structural members having a reinforcement gusset that couples a side support to a cross member according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein;
"FIG. 4B schematically depicts a sectional view of vehicle structural members having a reinforcement gusset that couples a side support to a cross member along section 4B-4B depicted in FIG. 4A according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein;
"FIG. 4C schematically depicts a sectional view of vehicle structural members having a reinforcement gusset that couples a side support to a cross member along section 4C-4C depicted in FIG. 4A according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein;
"FIG. 4D schematically depicts a perspective view of vehicle structural members having a reinforcement gusset that couples a side support to a cross member with the vehicle structural members under deformation according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein; and
"FIG. 4E schematically depicts a sectional view of vehicle structural members having a reinforcement gusset that couples a side support to a cross member with the vehicle structural members under deformation along section 4E-4E depicted in FIG. 4D according to one or more of the embodiments shown or described herein."
For additional information on this patent application, see: Kim, John P.; Young, Jonathan R.; Tsunoda, Yuuichi. Vehicles Having Side Support Reinforcement Gussets. Filed September 10, 2014 and posted March 17, 2016. Patent URL: http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.html&r=5371&p=108&f=G&l=50&d=PG01&S1=20160310.PD.&OS=PD/20160310&RS=PD/20160310
Keywords for this news article include: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc.
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