How the Wright Brothers original 1903 airplane inspired my design for the "box beam" chassis brace.

First, I looked at the original BT Tech and all designs that followed. All they did was to make a thicker and heaver version of the OEM brace.

I looked at the "prior art" of the invention process.

Custom mid-chassis "stiffening box beam" vs "plate" for Prius "v" | PriusChat

For Sale - Custom "Tricked Out" Lightweight Prius"v" or gen III "box beam" mid-chassis brace | PriusChat

Toyota has and have supplied all Prius models manufactured on or about February 2012;

ALL Prius now shipping with "stiffer" center chassis brace | PriusChat

Cusco uses long "trailing arms" to manage lateral torque forces.

Toyota uses a round "torsion bar" to do the same thing.

I believe mine to be the most innovative of all. Mine uses the "wing warping" technique developed by the Wright Brothers. They developed it from the "slide off" cover for the boxes that bicycle inner tubes used to come in. The sleeve was basically as rectangular cardboard tube open on both ends. The "twist" motion in my brace is a "torsion member," just like the box cover that inspired the Wrights' wing. The box beam is very stiff when installed acrossed the bottom of the exhaust tunnel rails.

The Cusco is made of welded aluminum, which is almost NEVER used as structual members on aircraft. The weld weakens the "temper" in the aluminum and is prone to "brittle fracturs."

Toyota's is heavy steel (weighing 2-1/2 pounds) and made of several welded parts.

The solid ones that several Priuschat got from me weigh only five(5) ounces more than the 1 lb. 5 oz. of the thin and flexible OEM brace.

The custom one that I made with the "lightening holes" weigh within an ounce or two of the thin OEM brace.

Mine is simple, elegant, lightweight, one piece and efficient. You'd be surprised on how much thought and engineering went into mine.