US 12,448,049 B2
Hybrid rocker reinforcement for small overlap impact
Dinesh Munjurulimana, South Lyon, MI (US); and Dhanendra Kumar Nagwanshi, Novi, MI (US)
Assigned to SABIC GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES B.V., Bergen op Zoom (NL)
Appl. No. 18/011,981
Filed by SABIC Global Technologies B.V., Bergen op Zoom (NL)
PCT Filed Jun. 23, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/067082
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 21, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/259971, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 30, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/043,782, filed on Jun. 25, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0278636 A1, Sep. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. B62D 25/02 (2006.01); B62D 21/15 (2006.01); B62D 29/00 (2006.01); B62D 27/02 (2006.01)
CPC B62D 25/025 (2013.01) [B62D 21/152 (2013.01); B62D 29/004 (2013.01); B62D 27/02 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for providing structural support for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a rocker panel component defining a channel extending along an axis;
a partition disposed in the channel to define a first channel portion and a second channel portion;
a first plastic reinforcement disposed in the first channel portion and coupled to the rocker panel component,
the first plastic reinforcement defining a plurality of alveolar voids such that the first plastic reinforcement plastically deforms under a load at a first rate of deformation along the axis;
a second plastic reinforcement disposed in the second channel portion and coupled to the rocker panel component,
the second plastic reinforcement defining a plurality of alveolar voids such that the second plastic reinforcement plastically deforms under the load at a second rate of deformation along the axis;
wherein the pitch of the plurality of alveolar voids in each of the first plastic reinforcement and the second plastic reinforcement is selected such that the first rate of deformation is different than the second rate of deformation.