Patent ID: 8544589

Claim:
An apparatus for turning a front wheel inward during an offset frontal impact between an impacting object and a vehicle having a frame with a bumper beam and a frame rail, the bumper beam having a span extending transversely across the vehicle, and the frame rail extending longitudinally on the vehicle disposed transversely within the span of the bumper beam, and the front wheel is disposed on the vehicle longitudinally rearward of the bumper beam and transversely outboard of the frame rail, the apparatus comprising: a deflector connected to a frame longitudinally forward of a front wheel, the deflector having a normal position and a deflecting position; the deflector in the normal position having an impact force receiving segment with an inboard end connected to a point on the frame, the impact receiving segment extending from the frame transversely outboard and longitudinally rearward to an outboard end longitudinally forward of and offset from the front wheel, a reaction force segment having a reaction end spaced from and substantially vertically planar with a portion of the frame rearward of the point on the frame where the inboard end is connected, the reaction force segment extending transversely outboard from the frame rail to an engaging end longitudinally forward of and offset from the front wheel, and an elbow segment disposed between the impact receiving segment and the reaction force segment connecting the outboard end of the impact force receiving segment to the engaging end of the reaction force segment, wherein at least a portion of the elbow segment extends transversely outboard of an inner edge of the front wheel; and the deflector deforms into the deflecting position when an object impacts a vehicle during an offset frontal impact of the object with the vehicle, wherein the engagement end of the reaction force segment and the elbow cooperate to engage a portion of the front wheel turning the front wheel inward toward the frame.