[0001] The present subject matter described herein, relates to a panel for reinforcement at the interface of a shock absorber mounting with a wheel house or housing. More particularly, to a panel integrally formed at the interface of a shock absorber mounting with a wheel house.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
[0003] Generally, a shock absorber mounting is coupled to a wheel house. The wheel house can be formed in a single section or multiple sections depending on the design requirement to withstand dynamic loads from the shock absorber.
[0004] Technical Problem: As shown in the fig 1, a shock absorber mounting 200 coupled to a wheel house 400 is provided. The wheel house 400 includes a wheel house front panel 402, a wheel house rear panel 404 and a wheel house center panel 406. The wheel house center panel 406 on its one side is overlapped with the edge of the wheel house front panel 402 and joined together by the application of an adhesive therein. The wheel house center panel 406 on its other side is overlapped with the edge of the wheel house rear panel 404 and joined together by the application of an adhesive therein. A sealant 408 is applied at the joining portion of the wheel house center panel 406 with the wheel house front panel 402 and the wheel house rear panel 404 to make the joining portion airtight and water tight. The shock absorber mounting 200 is placed on the wheel house center panel 406 and welded thereon. However, this kind of mounting arrangement of the shock absorber mounting 200 on the wheel house center panel 406 doesn't provide sufficient structural stiffness, especially, at rear wheels of the

vehicle. The lack of structural stiffness at the interface of the shock absorber mounting 200 with the wheel house center panel 406 results in the transfer of noise and vibration to the passenger compartment of the vehicle which ultimately results in the poor noise and vibration performance of the vehicle.
[0005] One solution for the above mentioned technical problem disclosed in the figure 2 is to increase curvature of the panels at the wheel house 400 indicated by a reference symbol 400(a) instead of wheel house design indicated by a reference symbol 400(b). But, this modification of the shape of the panels of wheel house may cramp the luggage space and may hinder the packaging of gaseous fuel cylinder in the vehicle. This modification of the shape of the panels at the wheel house 400 may also changes the design specification of the internal luggage space of the vehicle.
[0006] Another solution for the above mentioned technical problem is to provide additional panels at the wheel house which in turn results in increase of weight of the vehicle and its cost.
[0007] Existing solutions of modifying the shape of the panels or addition of panels provide information on currently available solutions for providing structural strength at the interface of the shock absorber mounting with the wheel house, but each has its own drawbacks and limitations. These known systems do not provide solution to lack of structural rigidity at the interface of the shock absorber mounting with the wheel house, without cramping the internal space of the vehicle or without increase in weight and cost of the vehicle.
[0008] Therefore, a simple and in-expensive solution is required which provides structural stiffness at the interface of the shock absorber mounting with the wheel house and which in turn improves NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) performance of the vehicle.
OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0009] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfy, are listed herein below.
[0010] The principal object of the present invention is to provide structural stiffness at the interface of the shock absorber mounting with the wheel house.
[0011] Another object of the present invention is to improve NVH performance of the vehicle.
[0012] One more object of the present invention is to increase strength at the mating section of the panels of the wheel house.
[0013] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a wheel house to withstand high impact loads from the shock absorber.
[0014] Further one more object of the present invention is to improve comfort level of the customer inside the vehicle.
[0015] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide wheel house region as per the design specification.
[0016] These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent when reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawings.
SUMMARY
[0017] This summary is provided to introduce concepts related to strengthening of the region of the interface of the shock absorber mounting with the wheel house or wheel housing. The concepts are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0018] In an embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a reinforcement panel seamlessly formed on the backside of a shock absorber mounting for coupling to a wheel house. The wheel house includes a wheel house front panel, a wheel house rear panel and a wheel house center panel. The reinforcement panel

is placed on a wheel house center panel in such a way that a flange of the reinforcement panel on one side rests over an overlapped portion of the wheel house front panel and the wheel house center panel to perform a three ply spot welding thereon and a flange of the reinforcement panel on the other side rests over an overlapped portion of the wheel house rear panel and the wheel house center panel to perform the three ply spot welding thereon.
[0019] Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The illustrated embodiments of the subject matter will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. The following description is intended only by way of example, and simply illustrates certain selected embodiments of devices, systems, and methods that are consistent with the subject matter as claimed herein, wherein:
[0021] Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a shock absorber mounting coupled to a wheel house according to the prior art;
[0022] Figure 2 illustrates a schematic view of a wheel house with conventional design and a wheel house provided with modification of shape of panels therein according to the prior art; and
[0023] Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of a shock absorber mounting coupled to a wheel house, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0024] The figures depict embodiments of the present subject matter for the purposes of illustration only. A person skilled in the art will easily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and

methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] The detailed description of various exemplary embodiments of the
5 disclosure is described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. It
should be noted that the embodiments are described herein in such details as to
clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of details provided
herein is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the
contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives
10 falling within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended
claims.
[0026] It is also to be understood that various arrangements may be devised
that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of
the present disclosure. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects,
15 and embodiments of the present disclosure, as well as specific examples, are
intended to encompass equivalents thereof.
[0027] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular
embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a",” “an” and “the” are intended to include the
20 plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be
further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes” and/or “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,
25 components and/or groups thereof.
[0028] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the
functions/acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may, in fact, be executed concurrently or may
6

sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
[0029] In addition, the descriptions of "first", "second", and the like in the
present invention are used for the purpose of description only, and are not to be
5 construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly
indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defining "first" and "second" may include at least one of the features, either explicitly or implicitly.
[0030] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific
10 terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of
ordinary skill in the art to which example embodiments belong. It will be further
understood that terms, e.g., those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should
be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the
context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly
15 formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
[0031] These and other advantages of the present subject matter would be
described in greater detail with reference to the following figures. It should be
noted that the description merely illustrates the principles of the present subject
matter. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise
20 various arrangements that, although not explicitly described herein, embody the
principles of the present subject matter and are included within its scope.
[0032] As shown in figure 3, there is provided a shock absorber mounting 600
at a wheel house 800 comprising a reinforcement panel 602 integrally formed on
the back side of the shock absorber mounting 600. The reinforcement panel 602 of
25 the shock absorber mounting 600 includes a trough 602(a) defining therein with
flanges (602(b) and 602(c)) on its either sides.
[0033] The wheel house 800 includes a wheel house front panel 802, a wheel
house rear panel 804 and a wheel house center panel 806. The wheel house center
7

panel 806 is overlapped with the wheel house front panel 802 on its one side and overlapped with the wheel house rear panel 804 on its other side.
[0034] The reinforcement panel 602 is placed at a predefined position on a
concave surface 806(a) of the wheel house center panel 806 in such a way that the
5 flange 602(b) of the reinforcement panel 602 on its one side mates with the
overlapping portion of the wheel house front panel 802 and the wheel house center panel 806 and the flange 602(c) of the reinforcement panel 602 on its other side mates with the overlapping portion of the wheel house rear panel 804 and the wheel house center panel 806. A 3 ply spot welding indicated by a reference
10 numeral 650(a) is done, at the mating portion of the reinforcement panel 602, the
wheel house front panel 802 and the wheel house center panel 806 and at the mating portion of the reinforcement panel 602, the wheel house rear panel 804 and the wheel house center panel 806. A 2 ply spot welding indicated by a reference numeral 650(b) is done, at the mating portion of the reinforcement panel
15 602 with the wheel house center panel 806, at the mating portion of the wheel
house front panel 802 with the wheel house center panel 806 and at the mating portion of the wheel house rear panel 804 with the wheel house center panel 806.
[0035] In an aspect, the reinforcement panel 602 of the shock absorber
mounting 600 is formed to adapt to contoured surfaces of the wheel house center
20 panel 806.
[0036] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used
herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended
claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should
be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be
25 interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as
“includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the
8

following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least
one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such
phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation
by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such
5 introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even
when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition,
10 even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited,
those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention
15 analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a
construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.).
20 In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C,
etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A,
25 B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that
virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the
30 possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
9

[0037] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the invention is determined by the claims that follow. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, versions or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.

We claim:

A shock absorber mounting (600) at a wheel house (800), comprising:
a reinforcement panel (602) seamlessly formed on the backside of said shock absorber mounting (600) defining a trough (602(a)) therein with a plurality of flanges (602(b) and 602(c)) extending on its either sides, said reinforcement panel (602) placed at a predefined position on a wheel house center panel (806) of said wheel house (800) in such a way that said flange (602(b)) rests over an overlapping portion of a wheel house front panel (802) of said wheel house (800) and said wheel house center panel (806) to perform a three ply spot welding (650(a)) thereon and said flange (602(c)) rests over an overlapping portion of a wheel house rear panel (804) of said wheel house (800) and said wheel house center panel (806) to perform the three ply spot welding (650(a)) thereon.
2) The shock absorber mounting (600) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a two ply spot welding (650(b)) is done at an overlapping portion of said reinforcement panel (602) with said wheel house center panel (806).
3) The shock absorber mounting (600) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reinforcement panel (602) conforms to the contoured surfaces of said wheel house center panel (806).
4) The shock absorber mounting (600) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reinforcement panel (602) is placed on a concave surface (806(a)) of said wheel house center panel (806).