A composite compression limiter (44) includes a cylindrical body (46) extending axially with an aperture (48) extending axially therethrough to receive a fastener (18), the body (46) being made of a continuous fiber polymeric tape reinforced by a plurality of fibers ranging from approximately 20% to approximately 65% by weight.

A reinforcing structure of a vehicle frame member includes: ribs that integrally connect standing wall portions, that are formed at a planar portion of a vehicle frame member, to one another, and that reinforce the planar portion; portions of gradually changing thickness that are formed at connected portions of the ribs with the standing wall portions; portions of gradually changing height that are formed at the connected portions of the ribs with the standing wall portions; first curved portions that are formed at the portions of gradually changing thickness; second curved portions that are formed at the portions of gradually changing thickness; third curved portions that are formed at the portions of gradually changing height; and fourth curved portions that are formed at the portions of gradually changing height.

A load bearing panel member having a first portion, a second portion, and an appearance surface portion is formed by injection molding such that the first portion includes a plurality of ribs forming a grid pattern on the first portion and another plurality of ribs extending toward the periphery of the first portion which may be non-orthogonal to each other and to the ribs forming the grid pattern. An internal channel may be formed within each of the non-orthogonal ribs by injecting a gas into the rib during the molding process forming the panel. An appearance surface portion attached to the first portion and second portion of the panel member forms an integral hinge between the first and second portions of the panel member. The panel member may be configured as a floor panel of a 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.

A method for producing a node structure includes providing at least two pre-manufactured profile components having respective profile ends provided with corresponding abutment surfaces; positioning the profile ends in a pressing tool so that a homogenous gap is formed between the abutment surfaces; performing a pressing process in the presence of a fiber-containing plastic mass in the pressing tool for generating a connecting node that form fittingly connects the profile ends, wherein the fiber containing plastic mass also enters into the gap.

An axle support for a motor vehicle is provided. The axle support includes an at least approximately planar fiber composite reinforcing element which is secured to individual supports of the axle support. The reinforcing element is multi-layered, with a lower and an upper cover layer and at least one intermediate layer extending analogously to the cover layers over the entire surface. Continuous fiber strips having directionally oriented fibers which are narrow relative to the cover layers are introduced above and below the intermediate layer.

A vehicle BIW sub-assembly comprising two or more structural members each having at least one engaging portion. The engaging portions of at least two of the structural members being connected to each other by a node unit formed of two or more shell members assembled with each other. The node unit having at least two designated sockets, each snugly receiving one engaging portion of one of the structural members, wherein at least one of said designated sockets is an interior socket formed between the two or more shell members.

A frame structure for a motor vehicle body includes at least two profile components and a connecting node, which connects the profile components with each other. At least one of the profile components has at least one console which is made of fiber reinforced plastic and on which other components can be fastened or supported.

A vehicle has a body, a flat component arranged under the body, and at least one axle carrier arrangement for two front or two rear wheel suspensions. The axle carrier arrangement includes a left-hand suspension arm bracket for connecting at least one suspension arm of the left-hand wheel suspension, a right-hand suspension arm bracket for connecting at least one suspension arm of the right-hand wheel suspension, and a center suspension arm bracket for connecting at least one suspension arm of the lefthand wheel suspension and at least one suspension arm of the right-hand wheel suspension. The three suspension arm brackets are each mounted on the body and the flat component, wherein the three suspension arm brackets are three separate components that are not directly connected, and wherein at least one of the suspension arm brackets has a bearing for an electric machine that drives the vehicle.

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.