Patent ID: 7699346

Claim:
A force redistributing system operably attached to a vehicle, the system comprising: a first cross-car member; first and second side load distributors, parallel to and spaced apart front each other attached at respective first ends to opposing ends of the first cross-car member; a second cross-car member having opposing ends attached to second ends of the first and second side load distributors, a pair of longitudinally extending vehicle rails positioned in an underbody of the vehicle, each rail includes a rear rail section, a rail kick-up positioned forward of an axis of rotation of rear wheels of the vehicle and a mid-rail section disposed forwardly of the kick-up, wherein the first and the second side load distributors and the second cross-car member are operably attached to the rear rail sections, wherein an upper force distribution path is defined that includes the rear rail sections and a lower force distribution path is defined that includes the first and second side load distributors and a rear axle system carrying the rear vehicle wheels and that is connected to at least one of the pair of mid-rail sections and the pair of rail kick-ups, wherein the system establishes cross vehicle loading of force from a rear impact against the second cross-car member, and wherein the force front the rear impact on the vehicle is transferred via the second cross-car member along the upper force distribution path and the lower force distribution path to a body-point that is forward of the rail kick-up.