	US 7,600,807 B2
	Transverse bridge for reinforcing the tunnel region of a floor structure of motor vehicle
Mike Bachmann, Stuttgart (Germany)
Assigned to Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft, Weissach (Germany)
Filed on Jul. 09, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/825,804.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2006 031 452 (DE), filed on Jul. 07, 2006.
Prior Publication US 2008/0007089 A1, Jan. 10, 2008
Int. Cl. B60J 9/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 296—187.08 [296/193.07; 296/204]

12 Claims

1. A transverse bridge for reinforcing a tunnel region of a floor structure for a motor vehicle, in an event of a side impact and during dynamic drive operations, the transverse bridge releaseably fastened to the floor structure and disposed between two transverse seat struts disposed spaced apart from one another in a transverse direction of the motor vehicle, the transverse bridge fastened to an underside of the two transverse seat struts, the transverse bridge comprising:

two obliquely extending lateral supporting arms; and

an upper bridge element connecting said two obliquely extending lateral supporting arms, said upper bridge element having an upper edge extending approximately level with an upper edge of the two transverse seat struts, said upper bridge element having two longitudinal sides defining vertically oriented walls connected to said two obliquely extending lateral supporting arms, said vertically oriented walls each extending at a small distance from parallel wall portions of tunnel side walls of the tunnel region, and in the event of the side impact, the parallel wall portions of the tunnel side walls initially come into direct contact with said vertically oriented walls of said upper bridge element, as a result of blocking by the parallel wall portions, a greatest portion of forces occurring in the event of the side impact being transmitted beyond the tunnel region as pure compressive forces onto a side of the floor structure opposing an impact side.