An airflow straightening structure of an automotive vehicle, in which slits for traveling-air peeling off (separation) and connection portions for cover reinforcing are adjacently provided at a rear-end edge portion of a cover having a substantially-flat airflow straightening face extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, wherein protrusions are provided to extend in a direction crossing the vehicle longitudinal direction along a cover surface of the cover which are positioned in front of the connection portions.

An assembly for utility truck bodies having metal and/or composite reinforcement(s) and/or foam reinforcements and/or honeycomb reinforcement/and/or wood reinforcements encapsulated within a thermoformed thermoplastic, or thermoset or fiber-reinforced thermoset walking surface floor structure of the truck bed assembly or other composite floor structure with attachable components and junctions, e.g., sidepack(s), and methods of making the same are provided.

A vehicle lower portion structure includes a resinous floor panel constituting a vehicle cabin floor surface, and a metallic reinforcing member. The reinforcing member is disposed to be bridged between vehicle skeleton members on a lower side of the floor panel and is configured to support a vehicle-mounted object disposed on the lower side of the floor panel.

A longitudinal member arrangement of a body of a motor vehicle is designed such that, in the event of a collision of the motor vehicle, the longitudinal member arrangement progressively fails, absorbing collision energy, with a first longitudinal member element which is formed from a fiber composite, and with a second longitudinal member element which is formed from a fiber composite and is arranged behind the first longitudinal member element. The first longitudinal member element and the second longitudinal member element are connected to each other by a connecting element. The longitudinal member arrangement is designed such that, in the event of the collision of the motor vehicle, the second longitudinal member element begins to fail after the first longitudinal member element has failed.

A structural reinforcement comprising a base reinforcing structure including a plurality of ribs and having a first surface and a second surface, an expandable adhesive material located onto a first portion of the first surface, and a sealant material located around an edge of the second surface, the second surface being substantially free of any of the plurality of ribs.

An assembly for utility truck bodies having metal and/or composite reinforcement(s) and/or foam reinforcements and/or honeycomb reinforcement/and/or wood reinforcements encapsulated within a thermoformed thermoplastic, or thermoset or fiber-reinforced thermoset walking surface floor structure of the truck bed assembly or other composite floor structure with attachable components and junctions, e.g., sidepack(s), and methods of making the same are provided.

A vehicle energy absorbing system for a high-speed, small-overlap impact, comprising: lobes (12) spaced intermittently along a vehicle rail (1), wherein the lobes (12) include an impact arm (14), a reactionary arm (16), and a base (22), wherein a shape of the base (22) is complimentary to a shape of the vehicle rail (1) and wherein the impact arm (14) and the reactionary arm (16) protrude outwardly from the base (22) and the vehicle rail (1), wherein a channel (20) is formed in the space between the base (22), the impact arm (14), and the reactionary arm (16), wherein the channel (20) extends through the lobe (12) from end to end.

Disclosed are body panel strakes for improved vehicle aerodynamics, methods for making and methods for using such aerodynamic strakes, and motor vehicles employing aerodynamic strakes for reducing turbulent flow and developing higher static pressure at the rear of the vehicle. An underbody panel for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The motor vehicle includes a vehicle body with an undercarriage spanning between front and rear vehicle ends. The underbody panel includes a panel body that attaches to the vehicle body and covers a portion of the undercarriage. One or more elongated air strakes are attached to and project from the panel body. Each air strake includes an elongated body that extends longitudinally with respect to the vehicle and has an inboard-facing curvature. The air strake guides airflow traveling fore-to-aft along the undercarriage in an inboard direction to thereby increase static pressure on the rear end of the vehicle.

A system for supporting the bed of a utility vehicle, the system adapted to be mounted on the underbody frame of the utility vehicle, the system comprising: a generally planar unitary support formed from a composite material, the support having a first surface and a second vertically offset surface; a plurality of connecting members extending from the first surface to the offset surface, the members providing strength to said support; a generally rectangular panel fabricated from a composite material, the panel adhesively attached to said offset surface, the panel adapted to serve as a loading surface for the bed of the utility vehicle; a bracket secured to the support for mounting the support to the frame of the utility vehicle; and a backing plate secured to the support, wherein the plate and the bracket sandwich the support to secure it to the frame of the vehicle.

An assembly for utility truck bodies having metal and/or composite reinforcement(s) and/or foam reinforcements and/or honeycomb reinforcement/ and/or wood reinforcements encapsulated within a thermoformed thermoplastic, or thermoset or fiber-reinforced thermoset walking surface floor structure of the truck bed assembly or other composite floor structure with attachable components and junctions, e.g., sidepack(s), and methods of making the same are provided.