Patent ID: 8567849

Claim:
A system for absorbing and distributing front impact forces in a vehicle, the system comprising: a left hand rocker panel; a right hand rocker panel; a battery pack enclosure mounted under a passenger cabin floor panel of said vehicle, said battery pack enclosure comprising an enclosure top panel, an enclosure bottom panel, and a plurality of enclosure side members, wherein said battery pack enclosure is mounted between and mechanically coupled to said left hand rocker panel and said right hand rocker panel; a primary impact system comprising: a primary vehicle bumper; a pair of front rails, wherein said pair of front rails are spaced apart in a widthwise direction relative to said vehicle, wherein each of said pair of front rails extend in a lengthwise direction relative to said vehicle, wherein said pair of front rails comprise a front left hand rail and a front right hand rail, wherein a first end portion of said front left hand rail is mechanically coupled to a left portion of said primary vehicle bumper and a first end portion of said front right hand rail is mechanically coupled to a right portion of said primary vehicle bumper; and a pair of torque boxes, wherein a second end portion of said front left hand rail distal from said first end portion of said front left hand rail is mechanically coupled to a left hand torque box of said pair of torque boxes, wherein a second end portion of said front right hand rail distal from said first end portion of said front right hand rail is mechanically coupled to a right hand torque box of said pair of torque boxes, wherein said left hand torque box is mechanically coupled to said left hand rocker panel, wherein said right hand torque box is mechanically coupled to said right hand rocker panel, and wherein said pair of front rails form a first load path interposed between and directly coupling said primary vehicle bumper to said pair of torque boxes which are directly coupled to said left hand and right hand rocker panels which are directly coupled to said battery pack enclosure; and a secondary impact system comprising: a secondary vehicle bumper; an assembly of sub-frame components separate from said pair of front rails, wherein said secondary vehicle bumper is mechanically coupled to said assembly of sub-frame components, and wherein said assembly of sub-frame components is mechanically coupled to said battery pack enclosure, wherein said assembly of sub-frame components form a second load path interposed between and directly coupling said secondary vehicle bumper to said battery pack enclosure, and wherein said second load path is parallel to said first load path.