Patent · US Expired

Passenger compartment side collision protection assembly

US6237991A · kind A · utility

36Cited by
19References
31Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 20, 1999
Grant dateMay 29, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 20, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB60R2021/0006
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A passenger compartment of a vehicle body has a protective device that protects the vehicle occupants in a side collision. The protective device being integrated into each vehicle door, each vehicle seat, and into the center console fastened to the body floor and including reinforcing elements extending transversely to the lengthwise axis of the compartment. Impact plates are located between the elements, all of which elements lie in a horizontal plane and abut one another by the impact plates in the event of a side collision. The protective device is configured so that as soon as the lateral deformation of the passenger compartment begins in a crash, the reinforcing elements form a continuous cross member for accepting the force. At least one of the reinforcing elements that abut one another transversely to the lengthwise axis of the compartment in a side collision is designed so that it can be increased to a maximum length, in such fashion that all the gaps that exist between the reinforcing elements and the impact plates in the pre-collision state of the passenger compartment disappear. An actuator that can be actuated in the event of a collision adjusts the at least one reinfor…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.