Dickinson Wright PLLC
Fuel tank protector shield
A shield (20) for an automotive vehicle (10) is provided to lessen the impact force to a foreign body by absorbing energy or converting energy from the foreign body with the shield (20). The shield (20) has a ramped surface (22), an inner surface (24), and a periphery (26) delineating the inner surface (24) from the ramped surface (22). The inner surface (24) is further refined into an upper area (28) and a lower area (30), where a ridge (32) extends from the inner surface (24) portioning the upper area (28) from the lower area (30). At least one rib (34) is connected to the ridge (32) and extends from the inner surface (24), whereby the ridge (32) or the rib (34) may absorb energy or divert direct contact into sliding contact when the ramped surface (22) is impacted by a foreign body reducing the impact force upon the foreign body. Also, a method of using a shield (20) in an automotive vehicle 10 is provided.
Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B B B
B62D B62D B62D
inventional inventional inventional
Kumar Wei Jiamaw Robert
Mahadevan Wang Doong Pellillo