Sheet metal bead

• US 8,985,632 B1
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Wagner, Darrin Neil, Heckman, William George, Sadakhom, Sone, Walters, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, DREW J
• Application Number:
  US14/096,622
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 280/801.2, 245/931, 245/721, 244/58, 296/193.06, 296/203.01, 296/146.6, 296/205, 296/146.1, 296/146.5, 296/187.12, 296/187.03, 296/202, 296/203.03
• US Class Current: 280/801.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/24 secured to the side, door, or roof of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/04 Door pillars ; windshield pillars

Abstract

A bracket has an elongate portion of a predetermined length. The elongate portion terminates in a clamp end that includes a downward sloping portion connected to a curved contact portion. The curved contact portion is configured to contact a tunable bead of a sheet metal portion of a vehicle body structure such as a pillar. The sheet metal portion comprises a generally planar mating surface, an opening in the depression, and a bead rising from the mating surface, wherein the height of the bead is configured for a top surface of the bead to contact a bottom portion of a clamp when the clamp is in a secured position.

Claims

1. A sheet metal portion for a vehicle, comprising:

a generally planar mating surface;

an opening in the mating surface; and

a bead rising from the mating surface, wherein the bead has a predetermined height configured for a top surface of the bead to contact a bottom portion of a standardized bracket that is convex with respect to the bead when the bracket is in a secured position;

wherein the bracket includes a T-shaped securing portion including upper edges configured to contact a bottom surface of one of the sheet metal portion and a reinforcement affixed to the sheet metal portion.

2. The sheet metal portion of claim 1, wherein the sheet metal portion is included in a piece of sheet metal configured to be affixed to a vehicle body structure.

3. The sheet metal portion of claim 2, wherein the vehicle body structure is a vehicle pillar.

4. The sheet metal portion of claim 1, wherein the bracket includes an adjustable seat-belt clamp.

5. The sheet metal portion of claim 1, wherein an axis defined by a line defined by points of a bottom-most portion of a curved contact portion is generally perpendicular to a length of the bead when the clamp is in the secured position.

6. The sheet metal portion of claim 1, wherein the top surface of the bead is one of generally rounded and generally flat.

7. A bracket system for a vehicle, comprising:

a clamp that includes an elongate portion terminating in an end that includes a downward sloping portion connected to a curved contact portion; and

a sheet metal portion that includes a generally planar mating surface, an opening in the bottom surface of a depression; and

a bead rising from the mating surface, wherein the height of the bead is configured for a top surface of the bead to contact a bottom of the curved contact portion when the clamp is in a secured position.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the sheet metal portion is included in a piece of sheet metal configured to be affixed to a vehicle body structure.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the clamp is an adjustable seat-belt clamp.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the clamp includes a T-shaped securing portion including upper edges configured to contact a bottom surface of one of the sheet metal portion and a reinforcement affixed to the sheet metal portion.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the height of the bead is determined according to a distance between the bottom of the curved contact portion and the upper edges.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein an axis defined by a line defined by points of a bottom-most portion of a curved contact portion is generally perpendicular to a length of the bead when the clamp is in the secured position.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the top surface of the bead is one of generally rounded and generally flat.

14. A seatbelt bracket for installation on a vehicle and for providing an adjustable shoulder anchor for a safety restraint belt, the bracket comprising:

a clamp having an elongate portion of a predetermined length,

the elongate portion terminating in a clamp end that includes a downward sloping portion connected to a curved contact portion, the curved contact portion configured to contact a tunable bead of a sheet metal portion of the vehicle,

the sheet metal including a generally planar mating surface, an opening in the mating surface, and a bead rising from the mating surface, wherein a height of the bead is configured for a top surface of the bead to contact a bottom of the curved contact portion when the clamp is in a secured position.

15. The bracket of claim 14, wherein the curved contact portion includes a generally T-shaped securing portion including upper edges configured to contact a bottom surface of one of the sheet metal portion and a reinforcement affixed to the sheet metal portion.

16. The bracket of claim 14, wherein the height of the bead is determined according to a distance between the bottom of the curved contact portion and the upper edges.

17. The bracket of claim 16, wherein an axis defined by a line defined by points of a bottom-most portion of a curved contact portion is generally perpendicular to a length of the bead when the clamp is in the secured position.

18. The bracket of claim 14, wherein the top surface of the bead is one of generally rounded and generally flat.

19. A sheet metal portion for a vehicle, comprising:

a generally planar mating surface;

an opening in the mating surface; and

a bead rising from the mating surface, wherein the bead has a predetermined height configured for a top surface of the bead to contact a bottom portion of a standardized bracket when the bracket is in a secured position, wherein the bracket includes an adjustable seat-belt clamp.

20. A sheet metal portion for a vehicle, comprising:

a generally planar mating surface;

an opening in the mating surface; and

a bead rising from the mating surface, wherein the bead has a predetermined height configured for a top surface of the bead to contact a bottom portion of a standardized bracket when the bracket is in a secured position, wherein an axis defined by a line defined by points of a bottom-most portion of a curved contact portion is generally perpendicular to a length of the bead when the clamp is in the secured position.

21. The sheet metal portion of claim 20, wherein the opening is one of generally T-shaped and generally rectangular.