Patent ID: 7147273

Claim:
A vehicle hood structure, comprising: a hood outer panel having a first front portion, a first rear portion, said first front portion and first rear portion defining a longitudinal direction, and first right and left side portions; a hood inner panel, connected to said hood outer panel, having a second front portion, a second rear portion, and second right and left side portions, said second front portion, second rear portion, and second right and left side portions defining a central region; step portions formed in said hood outer panel extending between said first front portion and said first rear portion, proximate said first right and left side portions; a plurality of convex members defined in said central region of said hood inner panel extending in said longitudinal direction, extending alternately from said second front portion toward said second rear portion continuously and from said second rear portion toward said second front portion continuously, said plurality of convex members extending from an outer surface of said inner hood panel toward an inner surface of said outer hood panel with peak portions defined at selected locations in said convex members; first joining means for joining a first plurality of selected peak portions to a first plurality of selected points in said inner surface of said outer hood panel; and second joining means for joining a second plurality of selected peak portions to a second plurality of selected points in said hood inner panel along said step portions.