An apparatus for a vehicle body including a rocker insert is provided. The apparatus includes a vehicle body including a plurality of metallic structure members and a lower portion operable to provide support to a floor surface within a passenger compartment of a vehicle and a rocker insert mounted to an in-vehicle side portion of the lower portion. The rocker insert includes an elongated bar portion including a hollow center portion including internal reinforcing web features. The rocker insert is oriented with respect to the vehicle body such that a longitudinal axis of the elongated bar portion of the rocker insert is parallel to an in-vehicle forward direction of the vehicle body.

A chassis assembly having mixed material for reduced mass is provided. The assembly comprises an upper structure comprised of metal. The upper structure has a plurality of first bond surfaces, each of which is parallel with each other at varying elevations relative to a z-axis of a 3-dimensional coordinate thereof. The assembly further comprises a lower structure made of a polymer composite. The lower structure has a plurality of second bond surfaces, each of which is parallel with each other at varying elevations relative to the z-axis thereof. The second bond surfaces are arranged to align with the first bond surfaces in complementing relation such that the lower structure is joined with the upper structure at the first and second bond surfaces. The assembly further comprises an adhesive disposed between the first and second bond surfaces to join the lower and upper structures at the first and second bond surfaces, defining a bond gap between the first and second bond surfaces.

A panel joint structure suppresses stress concentration on a flange corner section-side end-portion of an adhesive during application of a peeling load. A first panel member includes a panel body section, a corner section, and a first flange section. A second panel member is arranged to oppose the first flange section. A joint section joins the first flange section and the second panel member in a contact state thereof, and an adhesive continuously provided in a longitudinal direction of the corner section adheres the first flange section to the second panel member. The first panel member includes a load transmission section near a joint section, and the load transmission section is provided between the panel body section and the first flange section, and an angle θ2 thereof that is defined with the panel body section is larger than an angle θ1 defined by the panel body section and a portion in a short direction of the first flange section. A flange distal end-side end-portion of the load transmission section in the short direction of the flange section is disposed in a region between a corner section-side end-portion and a distal end-side end-portion of the joint section in the short direction of the first flange section.

An embodiment plastic composite material panel includes an outer plate portion bent in a predetermined shape and configured to be bonded to a vehicle body frame through an adhesive, and a material filling portion integrally formed with the outer plate portion, the material filling portion being thicker than the outer plate portion.

A device and method for the protection of a first member and second member from corrosion by utilizing a connector that bonds the members without allowing direct contact of the members.

A system of connected body elements for a motor vehicle includes a first body element and a second body element. The first body element has at least one duct on a surface, wherein a shoulder is formed next to the duct. The system furthermore includes an adhesive which is arranged at least partially in the duct and at least partially on the shoulder and adhesively bonds the first body element to the second body element. A connection region, directly adjoining the shoulder, of the surface of the first body element is free here from adhesive. A first space between shoulder and second body element and a second space between connection region and second body element are open towards each other.

A vehicle structural support is disclosed having first and second metallic members. A first metallic member has first and second sides, where the second side has a reduced thickness section. A second metallic member is coupled to a first side of the first metallic member. A third member is coupled to the first metallic member and positioned in the reduced thickness section. The second metallic member extends beyond the reduced thickness section to at least partially overlap the third member. The third member may be a fender for a vehicle.

A connecting element for producing a structural connection between a first structural part and a second structural part by a foamable material, the connecting element includes a plug-in part and at least two chambers separated from one another in a fluid-tight manner by a partition, the at least two chambers each accommodating a reactant; a plug-in delimiting part mechanically connected to the plug-in part and configured to delimit displacement of the plug-in part in the plug-in direction; and a break-open mechanism configured to damage the partition, as a result of a break-open force supplied to the break-open mechanism, such that the fluid-tight manner between the at least two chambers is canceled, wherein reactants are selected such that mixing thereof causes a foaming reaction, which extends radially outward beyond the circumferential surface of the plug-in part.

The present teachings generally provide for a reinforcing patch for stiffening vehicle panels. The reinforcing patch may be fabric free (e.g., free of any reinforcing layer). The reinforcing patch may be cut into small shapes, complex shapes, or both. The stiffening material may be free of a mesh or a fabric, which may allow the reinforcing patch material to be easily produced and easily reprocessed. The reinforcing patch may include one or more reinforcing particulates in combination with one or more discontinuous fiber components to obtain stiffness comparable to traditional patches which include a mesh/fabric layer.

A chassis platform module for an electric vehicle may include: a main frame having a battery mounted thereon; and a front wheel-side support frame unit connected to a front of the main frame. The front wheel-side support frame unit may include: a pair of first support frames disposed in a width direction of a vehicle, and each having a first connection groove formed at a front end thereof; a pair of second support frames disposed at a front of the pair of first support frames, respectively, and each having a second connection groove formed at a rear end thereof; a connection frame having connection protrusions inserted into the first and second connection grooves, respectively; an adhesive part adhered to the inner circumferential surfaces of the first and second connection grooves; and a fastening member coupled to each of the connection protrusions through each of the first and second support frames.