First and second metallic parts are joined by first providing a face of the first part with a formation projecting from and forming only a limited portion of the face and then connecting the first part with the second part by fixing the formation to a face of the second part such that the formation holds the first and second parts in a preassambled position with the faces of the first and second parts confronting and out of contact with each other at a predetermined spacing. Then the two spaced and confronting faces of the first and second parts are coated, after which the first and second parts are pushed together with deformation of the formation of the first part into a final-assembly position with the coated faces pressing directly against each other. Then the first and second parts are permanently joined together.

A liquid-cooled electric drive component for a powertrain of a vehicle includes a first housing part and a second housing part. The first and second housing parts are joined to one another by a fluid-tight welded joint and configured such as to form at least a segment of a cooling duct. The vehicle can be a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle.

A vehicle body rear structure is provided with a battery pack disposed in a floor recess of a rear floor panel. The battery pack includes battery modules, a pair of front suspended frame and rear suspended frame that hold the battery modules at the front and rear ends in such a manner that the battery modules are suspended from a vehicle body, and load path members through which the front suspended frame and the rear suspended frame are coupled to each other. The front suspended frame and the rear suspended frame have flanged collars and through-holes that are fastened to rear frames and fragile portions that are provided in the vicinity of the flanged collars and the through-holes and at which the front suspended frame and the rear suspended frame are bent forward when the vehicle body is subjected to an impact load in a rear-end collision.

A subframe for a vehicle for supporting at least one wheel-controlling component, wherein the subframe has at least one shell element, wherein the subframe has or forms at least one mount section for the mounting of a transverse link element, wherein a first subsection of the mount section has or forms at least one first passage opening for receiving a fastening mechanism for the transverse link element, wherein a further subsection of the mount section is a section which is bent relative to the first subsection. Also disclosed is a method for producing a subframe.

A roof arrangement for a motor vehicle, and which includes a roof module and a bodywork structure for receiving the roof module. The roof module has a roof outer skin and at least one load-bearing roof bow. The roof bow, on at least one lateral end thereof, includes a tongue extending vertically downward in an installed position. The bodywork structure includes an upwardly open channel in the installed position, the tongue being received in the channel.

The invention concerns a rear body module, comprising: a floor panel (1) with at least one mounting (3) for a rear seat and also an upwardly extending rear termination (13), depressions (9) and elevations (11) being formed in the floor panel (1) for strengthening, and a left-hand and a right-hand support (19, 21), which in each case form a C pillar of the vehicle body and fork at their upper end into at least two rails (25, 27), the rails (25, 27) being respectively connected to a rear roof rail (23), and the roof rails (23) being connected to one another by a cross member (29), a reinforcing strut (31) respectively emerging from the cross member (29) and being coupled to the roof rail (23).

A deformed part in a case in which the application of a collision load causes bending deformation in a structural member for an automobile body having a hardness distribution (strength distribution) composed of a quenched part, a base metal hardness part, and a transition part in a longitudinal direction is used as the base metal hardness part to avoid plastic strain concentration in the quenched part.

This structural member for an automobile body has a hollow steel main body having a rectangular cross section. The main body includes a quenched part, a base metal hardness part, and a transition part in this order, in at least a part thereof in an axial direction. The length (L) of the transition part as related to the axial direction satisfies the relationship of 0.006 (mm.sup.1)<LA/I0.2 (mm.sup.1) in a case in which the cross-sectional area of the main body is (A) and the moment of inertia of area is (I).

The invention relates to an airbag module comprising a housing (14) for an airbag (16) and a cover (12), the housing including a fabric part (14) which at least partly encloses the airbag (16), characterized in that means (20; 30; 60) for fastening the housing (14) which are formed integrally with the cover (12) are provided and in that the fabric part (14) is arranged directly on the fastening means (20; 30; 60).

A main body (2) has door attaching portions respectively formed on both end sides of a long longitudinal direction thereof and a bending deformation generation portion (3) disposed between the door attaching portions, and the bending deformation generation portion (3) has a groove bottom portion (4), two edge line portions (5a, 5b), two vertical wall portions (6a, 6b), two curved portions (7a, 7b), and two flanges (8a, 8b). There is provided a bead (13) which is formed toward the longitudinal direction of the main body (2) in a part of the groove bottom portion (4) in a manner to project in a shape having a curved surface toward the outside of a cross-sectional shape of the bending deformation generation portion (3) so as to oppose an impact load acting on a door impact beam (1).

To obtain a front axle frame having a high degree of strength appropriate to heavy load tasks, without resulting in a decrease in productivity or a drastic rise in costs. In a tractor that includes a front axle frame supporting a front axle case, the front axle frame is configured by a cast metal member having a support portion on a bottom of the front axle frame, the support portion supporting the front axle case.