Reinforcing apparatus

Claim 1

Impact absorbing apparatus for reinforcing a portion of body shell which encloses a luggage compartment located forwardly of the front door posts of an automobile comprising: Upper reinforcing means for installation within said luggage compartment, said upper reinforcing means including parallel support struts joined to both ends of a curved end strut, said support struts including anchor means bracing said struts against a front door post and said end strut being configured to make contact along a substantial part of its length with said portion of body shell when said parallel support struts are braced against said front door posts, and Lower reinforcing means for exterior installation beneath said motor vehicle adjacent to and beneath said luggage compartment, said lower reinforcing means including a pair of pan braces, attaching means for affixing said pan braces on the exterior of said motor vehicle adjacent to the undercarriage in parallel and approximate registration with said support struts, a pair of intersecting cross braces extending from one pan brace to the other and a pair of arm braces, each of said arm braces including means for attaching one end to a pan brace, a mid-section angling away from said pan brace and cap means for attaching the other end beneath said body shell at a point adjacent to the location occupied by said end strut when installed in said luggage compartment whereby said upper and lower reinforcing means, when installed in said motor vehicle, will cooperatively resist compressive forces imposed upon said portion of body shell when said motor vehicle sustains a front end collision.