Serpentine section stabilizer for vehicle pillar

• Main Authors: RIGGSBY JOSEPH M, PALESANO TIMOTHY J, ZUMMALLEN ROBERT G, FONSEKA W. SANJAYA A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 02.07.2013
• Subjects: GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS; MOTOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRAILERS; TRANSPORTING

A vehicle body structure includes a vehicle roof member, a first panel, a second panel, and a serpentine-shaped reinforcement structure. The first panel connects with and depends downwardly from the vehicle roof member. The second panel connects with the first panel. The first panel and the second panel form, when connected, a vehicle pillar. The serpentine-shaped reinforcement structure includes a plurality of peak sections and a plurality of valley sections and is disposed in the vehicle pillar between the first panel and the second panel. The reinforcement structure is fixed to the first panel via a weld at a peak section. The reinforcement structure is closest to the second panel at a valley section. A method for manufacturing a vehicle body structure is also disclosed.