This disclosure details overmolded vehicle sheet metal structures that included integrated attachments for achieving part integration. An exemplary sheet metal structure includes a sheet metal panel, a reinforcing structure molded on the sheet metal panel, and an integrally molded attachment structure formed within the reinforcing structure. In some embodiments, the integrally molded attachment structure may include a nut, a bracket, or both. An additional vehicle component may be attached to the sheet metal panel via the integrally molded attachment structure. The sheet metal structure may be formed in a single shot injection molding process.

Disclosed herein is an energy absorber having excellent impact resistance and excellent impact energy absorbability. The energy absorber includes an olefin-based resin composition obtained by mixing an olefin resin, a polyamide resin, and an elastomer having a reactive group that reacts with the polyamide resin, wherein the olefin-based resin composition has a continuous phase containing the olefin resin and a polyamide resin-based dispersed phase dispersed in the continuous phase, and the polyamide resin-based dispersed phase has a structure in which the elastomer is contained in a matrix phase containing the polyamide resin.

A vehicle body structure includes a pair of side members (4) extending in a fore and aft direction on either side of a vehicle body, each side member having a hollow structure defining a hollow interior (28), and provided with a vertical outboard wall (27), a bumper beam (3) extending laterally along fore and aft ends of the side members, and curved so as to be convex on a side thereof facing away from the vehicle body, and a pair of extension members (5) each connected to a corresponding end part of the bumper beam and partly received in the hollow interior of the corresponding side member, a pair of cushioning members (72, 91, 101, 111, 123, 131) are each interposed between the corresponding extension member and the vertical outboard wall of the corresponding side member, each cushioning member being deformable in a lateral direction of the vehicle body.

A vehicle reinforcement assembly includes a detector and a reinforcement member. The detector is configured to be housed in an interior compartment of a vehicle. The reinforcement member is configured to be housed in the interior compartment at a location adjacent to the detector. The reinforcement member has a vehicle forward facing end that extends closer to a vehicle front end than the detector extends to the vehicle front end.

An apparatus, according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a vehicle structural component that has a plurality of open cells surrounding an open center section. The open center section comprises a multi-corner open center. A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, extruding a vehicle structural component from a metallic material, wherein the vehicle structural component includes a plurality of open cells surrounding an open center section, and wherein the plurality of open cells each comprise a polygonal cross-section and the open center section comprises a multi-corner open center.

A vehicle includes: a bumper assembly defining opposite lateral ends and an overall width extending therebetween, the bumper assembly defining a recessed area located between the opposite lateral ends thereof; an electronic sensor supported by the bumper assembly in cantilevered relation; and an energy absorber positioned within the recessed area to protect the electronic sensor and reduce dislocation of the electronic sensor by absorbing energy resulting from an impact between the vehicle and an external object. The energy absorber defines opposite lateral ends and an overall width extending therebetween less than that the overall width of the bumper assembly such that the opposite lateral ends of the energy absorber are spaced inwardly from the opposite lateral ends of the bumper assembly.

A bumper cross beam connects to a body of a motor vehicle, in particular connects directly or indirectly to a left longitudinal beam and a right longitudinal beam. The bumper cross beam has a hollow profile base carrier which is reinforced on the front exterior in the travel direction by a front U-profile carrier element. A non-free limb of the front U-profile carrier element is spaced apart from a front side of the hollow profile base carrier.

A vehicle includes: a bumper beam; an electronic sensor that is fixed in relation to the bumper beam; and an energy absorber that is connected to the bumper beam in general alignment with the electronic sensor. The energy absorber is configured and positioned to protect the electronic sensor and reduce dislocation of the electronic sensor by absorbing energy resulting from a low-force impact between the vehicle and an external object (e.g., another vehicle). The energy absorber may be provided in the front and/or rear-ends of the vehicle, and, in certain embodiments, may be connected to an end face of the bumper beam (e.g., to a front face or a rear face of the bumper beam) such that the energy absorber is positioned outwardly (e.g., forwardly or rearwardly) of the electronic sensor along a length of the vehicle.

The present application provides a bumper assembly to be connected to a chassis bumper beam at a front of a vehicle. The bumper assembly comprises a plastic fascia; a metal reinforcement member; and a plastic reinforcement member disposed between the plastic fascia and the metal reinforcement member and connected with the plastic fascia and the metal reinforcement member. The plastic fascia, the plastic reinforcement member and the metal reinforcement member extend at a lateral direction of the vehicle.

A polymer spacer element for absorbing impact for an engine-powered vehicle includes an open front extremity and a rear extremity, and a honeycomb structure having channels made in a single piece and at least three channels each of which extends from the first open front extremity towards the second rear extremity. In addition, each channel of the channels is tapered from the first open front extremity towards the second rear extremity or vice-versa and presents an inner rake angle. In addition, each channel includes an elevation and a transversal section having a polygon shape that is regular or irregular, in which the transversal section has an equivalent lateral dimension equal to a diameter of a circumference having minimum diameter which circumscribes the transversal section of each corresponding channel. Each channel present a ratio between the elevation and the transversal dimension which is lower than or equal to three.