US 12,428,066 B2
Vehicle rocker assembly
Brian Oxley, Ada, MI (US); and Matthew Kuipers, Holland, MI (US)
Assigned to Shape Corp., Grand Haven, MI (US)
Filed by Shape Corp., Grand Haven, MI (US)
Filed on Oct. 13, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/046,340.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/255,053, filed on Oct. 13, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0111879 A1, Apr. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. B62D 25/02 (2006.01); B62D 21/15 (2006.01)
CPC B62D 25/025 (2013.01) [B62D 21/157 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle rocker assembly comprising:
a sill inner comprising a sill wall portion, an upper wall portion, a lower wall portion, an upper flange portion, and a lower flange portion;
a sill outer comprising a sill wall portion, an upper wall portion, a lower wall portion, an upper flange portion, and a lower flange portion;
wherein the upper flange portion of the sill inner coupled with the upper flange portion of the sill outer, and the lower flange portion of the sill inner coupled with the lower flange portion of the sill outer to enclose a hollow interior of the vehicle rocker assembly;
wherein one of the sill inner or the sill outer is formed of a metal sheet and comprises a reinforcement structure formed of the metal sheet and integrated in the sill wall of the respective sill inner or sill outer;
wherein the reinforcement structure comprises an outer wall, an upper wall, and a lower wall, the upper and lower walls each spanning the hollow interior and configured to carry a side impact load path from the sill outer to the sill inner, and outboard ends of the upper and lower walls integrally connected with the outer wall; and
wherein the upper wall and the lower wall are substantially planar thin-walled structures and disposed at an oblique angle relative to the outer wall.