Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Foot rests
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-04
2001-05-01
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Foot rests
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224133
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to floors for vehicles and, more specifically, to a secondary floor assembly for a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to provide a structural floor assembly for a body of a motor vehicle. Typically, the structural floor assembly includes a floorpan extending generally horizontally and a toeboard extending upwardly at an angle from the floorpan. The structural floor assembly also includes a dash extending generally vertically upwardly from the toeboard. Commonly, one or more pedals, such as an accelerator and brake pedal, extend from the body and generally parallel to the toeboard. Generally, the structural floor assembly is covered by carpeting.
It is known to provide a structural floor assembly with an energy absorbing material that absorbs energy during a frontal impact of the motor vehicle. The energy absorbing material covers the entire toeboard laterally and is made to absorb energy.
Although the above structural floor assembly has worked well, it suffers from the disadvantage that the energy absorbing material only resists axial loads and offers limited benefits for bending moments for an ankle of an occupant during a frontal impact of the motor vehicle. As a result, the rearward movement of the structural floor assembly may push a ball of the foot which would rotate the foot relative to a tibia, resulting in potential injury to an ankle of the occupant. Another disadvantage of the structural floor assembly is that any local deformations of the toeboard and/or floorpan could potentially result in entrapment of a heel of the foot, thereby increasing forces and moments on the foot and ankle, resulting in potential injury.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is a secondary floor assembly for a motor vehicle including a floorpan extending generally horizontally and a toeboard extending generally upwardly at an angle from the floorpan. The secondary floor assembly includes a heel portion extending laterally and longitudinally along the floorpan and a toe portion connected to the heel portion and extending laterally and upwardly along the toeboard for pushing a heel of a foot of an occupant of the motor vehicle rearwardly during a frontal impact of the motor vehicle.
One advantage of the present invention is that a secondary floor assembly is provided for a motor vehicle. Another advantage of the present invention is that the secondary floor assembly is mounted on top of a structural floor assembly to reduce lower leg injury by reducing ankle rotation and inhibiting foot entrapment. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the secondary floor assembly reduces the likelihood of foot and ankle injury during a frontal impact of the motor vehicle.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood after reading the subsequent description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Abramoski Edward J.
Feustel James R.
Siebertz Karl M.
Spahn Brian R.
Dayoan D. Glenn
Ford Global Technologies Inc.
Kelley David B.
Morrow Jason
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