A supporting structure for a motor vehicle front end module is disclosed. The supporting structure includes a lower crossmember, a first lateral upright, a second lateral upright, an upper crossmember, and a support wing fixed to one end of the upper crossmember with connection means. The first lateral upright, the second lateral upright, and the upper crossmember define a frame that is formed of a hybrid material comprising a plastics material and a metallic material.

An automobile structural member being a hollow automobile structural member having: a top wall part; a bottom wall part facing the top wall part; and a first heightwise wall part and a second heightwise wall part being a pair of heightwise wall parts that connect to the top wall part and the bottom wall part, the automobile structural member including: a first reinforcing part having one end portion joined to the top wall part and the other end portion joined to the bottom wall part; and a second reinforcing part having one end portion joined to either the first heightwise wall part or the second heightwise wall part, and the other end portion joined to the first reinforcing part, in which a plurality of the second reinforcing parts are provided along a height direction of the heightwise wall part.

The invention relates to a hybrid structure comprising a first component having a base and an upstanding wall extending from the base, the first component having an interior enclosed between the upstanding wall and the base, and a thermoplastic second component moulded to the first component, the second component comprising a reinforcing portion for structurally reinforcing the first component, the reinforcing portion extending in a longitudinal direction of the first component and located in the interior of the first component, the thermoplastic second component further comprising a locking portion that extends adjacently over at least part of an exterior of the first component, wherein the reinforcing portion and the locking portion are integrally formed, thus interlocking the first component in the thermoplastic second component. The invention relates as well to a method for manufacturing such a hybrid structure, and to a vehicle comprising such a hybrid structure.

A component comprising a sheet-like reinforcing component having a first stiffness and a sheet-like attachment made of an attachment material having a second stiffness, wherein the first stiffness is higher than the second stiffness, wherein the planar reinforcing component has an upper and lower side and the attachment is connected at least to the upper or lower side of the planar reinforcing component in a first partial area of the planar reinforcing component.

A roof panel for the passenger cabin of a motor vehicle includes a composite or plastic panel-like body and a metal frame that runs continuously along a periphery of the plastic body. The metal frame prevents the thermal expansion of the plastic body at high temperatures, so the expansion of the entire roof panel approximates that of an equivalent metal roof panel. Specifically, the uninterrupted encircling structure of the frame absorbs forces resulting from thermal expansion of the plastic body.

A method may be used to produce a component that includes at least two different materials. The method may involve providing a hardenable planar or preformed steel sheet or steel profile, completely or partially heating the steel sheet or steel profile to the austenitic temperature, inserting the heated steel sheet or steel profile into a first tool for hot forming and/or press hardening the steel sheet or steel profile to give a completely or partially hardened steel workpiece. In the course of the hot forming and/or press hardening at least one jog is made in the steel sheet or the steel profile. The jog may serve for fastening at least one second material thereto.”

In order to improve a body unit comprising a body component that comprises an elongate carrier element and at least one injection molded part, it is proposed that at least one injection molded part that is molded onto the carrier element should hold at least one functional element at a holding part of the functional element.

The invention concerns a method for producing a hybrid-structure part of a motor vehicle, comprising shaping of a sheet of metallic material, the provision of a sheet of composite material, application of a layer of connecting material on a face of said metallic material sheet or on a face of said composite material sheet, the shaping of a hybrid element by shaping said composite material sheet to the shape of said metallic material sheet and joining the composite material sheet to the metallic material sheet by means of said connecting material layer, and the production of ngidification elements by overmoulding using a polymer material.

A composite material with an insert-molded attachment steel is provided. The composite material includes a plurality of burring apertures, each of which has a flange in one direction on the attachment steel and is inserted between fibers. A resin is then introduced between the fibers in each burring aperture and external to the flange.

A lightweight vehicle pan assembly and for attachment to a vehicle frame via welding includes at least one metal flange and a molded pan body. The at least one metal flange has a weld portion adapted for welded attachment to the vehicle frame and an interface portion extending from the weld portion. The molded pan body has a base wall and at least one side wall extending upward from the base wall. The interface portion of the at least one metal flange is embedded in the at least one side wall of the molded pan body. The interface portion includes at least two rows of apertures defined therein for increasing a bond strength between the at least one metal flange and the molded pan body.