Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G15/00—Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or type of combined spring and vibration damper, e.g. telescopic type
  • B60G15/02—Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or type of combined spring and vibration damper, e.g. telescopic type having mechanical spring
  • B60G15/06—Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or type of combined spring and vibration damper, e.g. telescopic type having mechanical spring and fluid damper
  • B60G15/062—Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or type of combined spring and vibration damper, e.g. telescopic type having mechanical spring and fluid damper the spring being arranged around the damper
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G3/00—Resilient suspensions for a single wheel
  • B60G3/18—Resilient suspensions for a single wheel with two or more pivoted arms, e.g. parallelogram
  • B60G3/20—Resilient suspensions for a single wheel with two or more pivoted arms, e.g. parallelogram all arms being rigid
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
  • B62D21/00—Understructures, i.e. chassis frame on which a vehicle body may be mounted
  • B62D21/02—Understructures, i.e. chassis frame on which a vehicle body may be mounted comprising longitudinally or transversely arranged frame members
  • B62D21/04—Understructures, i.e. chassis frame on which a vehicle body may be mounted comprising longitudinally or transversely arranged frame members single longitudinal type
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G2200/00—Indexing codes relating to suspension types
  • B60G2200/10—Independent suspensions
  • B60G2200/14—Independent suspensions with lateral arms
  • B60G2200/144—Independent suspensions with lateral arms with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G2202/00—Indexing codes relating to the type of spring, damper or actuator
  • B60G2202/30—Spring/Damper and/or actuator Units
  • B60G2202/31—Spring/Damper and/or actuator Units with the spring arranged around the damper, e.g. MacPherson strut
  • B60G2202/312—The spring being a wound spring
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G2204/00—Indexing codes related to suspensions per se or to auxiliary parts
  • B60G2204/10—Mounting of suspension elements
  • B60G2204/12—Mounting of springs or dampers
  • B60G2204/129—Damper mount on wheel suspension or knuckle
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G2204/00—Indexing codes related to suspensions per se or to auxiliary parts
  • B60G2204/40—Auxiliary suspension parts; Adjustment of suspensions
  • B60G2204/422—Links for mounting suspension elements
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G2206/00—Indexing codes related to the manufacturing of suspensions: constructional features, the materials used, procedures or tools
  • B60G2206/01—Constructional features of suspension elements, e.g. arms, dampers, springs
  • B60G2206/011—Modular constructions
  • B60G2206/0114—Independent suspensions on subframes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G2206/00—Indexing codes related to the manufacturing of suspensions: constructional features, the materials used, procedures or tools
  • B60G2206/01—Constructional features of suspension elements, e.g. arms, dampers, springs
  • B60G2206/60—Subframe construction
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G2206/00—Indexing codes related to the manufacturing of suspensions: constructional features, the materials used, procedures or tools
  • B60G2206/01—Constructional features of suspension elements, e.g. arms, dampers, springs
  • B60G2206/60—Subframe construction
  • B60G2206/605—Flexible constructions
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G2300/00—Indexing codes relating to the type of vehicle
  • B60G2300/27—Racing vehicles, e.g. F1

Definitions

• This invention relates to a modular chassis useful for motor vehicles having a forward mounted engine, rear mounted transmission and rear wheel drive.
• the typical chassis for a motor vehicle with the front engine-rear transmission-rear wheel drive arrangement is a separate structure, designed to support the torsional, lateral and vertical stresses generated between the front and rear suspension attachment points.
• the engine, transmission and other mechanical components of the vehicle are not part of such a chassis but instead are attached to it.
• the modular chassis comprises as structural components a front structural member attached rigidly and detachably to a tubular structural member which is attached rigidly and detachably to a rear structural member
• the front structural member comprises a structural member providing attachment points for front suspension members and an engine and which supports the torsional, lateral and longitudinal loads created between the front suspension members and the tubular structural member
• the tubular structural member is longitudinally disposed on the center line of the vehicle between the front structural member and the rear structural member and supports the majority of the torsional, lateral and longitudinal loads created between the front and rear structural members
• the rear structural member comprises a structural member providing attachment points for rear suspension members and a transmission and supports the torsional, lateral and longitudinal loads created between the rear suspension members and the tubular structural member.
• the tubular structural member is hollow in order to maximize its strength to weight ratio, thus helping to minimize the weight of the chassis. It may have any convenient cross section shape including, without limitation, round, oval, regular or irregular polygonal or the like. As will be shown beyond, the interior volume of the tubular structural member may also be used for additional purposes.
• the engine and the transmission are used as structural parts of the modular chassis.
• the complete modular chassis is formed from a front structural member which carries front suspension attachment points which is rigidly and detachably attached to an engine which is rigidly and detachably attached to a tubular structural member which is rigidly and detachably attached to a transmission which carries rear suspension attachment points.
• the engine supports the torsional, lateral and longitudinal loads created between the front member carrying the front suspension attachment points and the tubular structural member connecting the engine and the transmission.
• the tubular structural member supports the majority of the torsional, lateral and longitudinal loads created between the engine and the transmission.
• the transmission supports the torsional, lateral and longitudinal loads created between the tubular structural member and the rear suspension attachment points.
• the fuel tank of the vehicle is located near the center of gravity of the vehicle by placing it inside the tubular structural member connecting the engine and the transmission.
• the passenger compartment in order to simplify construction as with race cars, is attached directly to the tubular structural member without any vibration dampers.
• the passenger compartment may support a minor part of the torsional, lateral and longitudinal loads created between the front and rear structural members.
• the passenger compartment when noise and vibration are important to the driver and any passengers, the passenger compartment is isolated from chassis vibrations by connecting it to the connecting tubular structure of the chassis with vibration damper means well understood in the art.
• the attachment points of the suspension as well as the engine and the transmission can be rigidly connected to the chassis for good road feed back and predictable car behavior without compromising comfort.
• the passenger compartment may support a minor part of the torsional, lateral and longitudinal loads created between the front and rear structural members.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an assembled modular chassis of the invention.
• FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a preferred assembled modular chassis of the invention.
• FIG. 3 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the invention showing in cross section a passenger compartment attached to the structural tubular member of the invention and showing an optional fuel tank placed in the interior of the structural tubular member with a hollow coaxial chamber inside of the fuel tank for passage of the transmission shaft.
• FIG. 4 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the invention showing in cross section a passenger compartment attached to the tubular structural member of the invention with gap and vibration dampers between them and showing an optional fuel tank placed in the interior of the tubular structural member with a hollow coaxial chamber inside of the fuel tank for passage of the transmission shaft.
• the modular chassis 10 comprises a front structural member A which may be subdivided into an element A2 which provides front suspension attachment points 30 for vertical load support and 8 for lateral load support of the chassis 10 by the front wheels 31 and an element Al which provides an engine (not shown) attached to the chassis 10; a rear structural member C which provides a transmission (not shown) and rear suspension attachment points 9 for lateral load support and 20 for vertical load support of the chassis 10 by the rear wheels 21; and a tubular structural member B which is rigidly and detachably connected at one end to the rear 15 of the front structural member A and rigidly and detachably connected at the other end to the front 25 of the rear structural member C, the tubular structural member thus functioning as a structural beam.
• FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention in which the modular chassis 11 comprises a front structural member 1 having front suspension attachment points 30 for vertical load support and 8 for lateral load support of the chassis 11 by the front wheels 31, rigidly and detachably connected to the front 5 of the engine 2.
• An engine useful as a structural component of the chassis 11 of this embodiment of the present invention must be designed taking this into account. The requirements for designing the body of an engine to have the strength needed to act as a structural member are well understood by those skilled in the art.
• Tubular structural member 3 is connected to the rear 6 of the engine 2 and is also rigidly connected to the front 7 of the transmission 4, thus functioning as a structural beam.
• the connecting structure 3 between the engine 2 and the transmission 4 may have any convenient cross section shape including, without limitation, round, oval, regular or irregular polygonal or the like.
• the requirements for designing the connecting member 3 to have the strength needed to act as a structural member are well understood by those skilled in the art.
• Transmission 4 carries rear suspension attachment points 9 for lateral load support and 20 for vertical load support of the chassis 11 by the rear wheels
• FIG. 3. represents an embodiment of the invention in which the body of the vehicle 32, represented in cross section, is rigidly attached to the tubular structural member 3.
• Number 34 indicates the interior volume of the passenger compartment 32.
• the passenger compartment 34 is not isolated from the vibrations of the tubular structural member 3.
• the passenger compartment may support a minor part of the torsional, lateral and longitudinal loads created between the front and rear structural members.
• An optional fuel tank 22 is shown in cross section inside of the tubular structural member 3.
• a typical fuel level 24 is shown inside the fuel tank 22.
• the fuel tank 22 may have a hollow passage 26 coaxial to its longitudinal dimension allowing the transmission shaft 28, represented in cross section, passing through it.
• FIG. 4 represents another embodiment of the invention.
• the body of the vehicle 32 represented in cross section is isolated from vibrations from the tubular structural member 3 shown in cross section.
• Number 34 indicates the interior volume of the passenger compartment 32.
• a bottom plate 36 may be detachable from the rest of the body 32.
• the passenger compartment may support a minor part of the torsional, lateral and longitudinal loads created between the front and rear structural members.
• An optional fuel tank 22 is shown in cross section inside of the tubular structural member 3.
• a typical fuel level 24 is shown inside the fuel tank 22.
• the fuel tank 22 may have a hollow passage 26 coaxial to its longitudinal dimension allowing the transmission shaft 28, represented in cross section, passing through it .
• means for forming rigid, detachable connections between the elements of the modular chassis of the invention are well understood by those skilled in the art.
• Such means include, without limitation, means such as screws or nuts and bolts connecting a flange or the like on one component to a flange or other mating surface on the other.
• means such as struts, braces, frames and the like may be employed to provide minor additional structural support to the tubular structural member of the invention or other component(s) used as structural elements of the chassis without departing from the invention so long as the elements so supported member itself provides the majority of structural resistance to torsional, lateral and vertical stress placed upon the supported member.

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=21775592

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Families Citing this family (5)

Citations (6)

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• 1997
  • 1997-04-23 WO PCT/US1997/006738 patent/WO1997039936A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1997-04-23 EP EP97918777A patent/EP0891277A4/de not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (6)

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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