GB1531021A - Chassis for a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

1531021 Vehicle bodies J JOYE 20 Nov 1975 [20 Nov 1974] 47844/75 Heading B7B In a vehicle wherein a passenger compartment 2 is mounted between and for longitudinal movement relative to a front frame 5 and a rear frame 6, two elongate force transmitting members 101, 102 each disposed between a front wheel and an adjacent rear wheel, are connected between the front and rear frames to move independently of the passenger compartment under the action of shocks on the front or rear frames. As shown a vehicle body includes a central longitudinal beam 1 and a body shell 2 suspended therefrom by rods 3, 4. The front and rear frames 5, 6 are pivotally mounted on beam 1 at joints 7, 8. A closed framework 10 comprising transverse members 103, 104, 105, 106, longitudinal members 101, 102, and two cross members 90, 91 is operatively connected between the front and rear frames 5, 6. Members 101, 102, 90, 91 of the framework may comprise hollow tubes or solid cylinders, including a coil combined with a sheath or cylinder of plastics material, or assemblies of plastics discs or cylinders held by axial cables or cylindrical sheaths. On frontal impact a front fork 15 of front element 5 pivots about joint 7 and pulls on rods 34 which pull the ends of the front cross member 90 which bears at its centre against beam 1 and bends. Also, as the front frame is driven under body shell 2, rollers 21, Fig. 2, carried at the inner ends of longitudinal beams 17 of the front frame run on tracks 22 provided on beam 1. More violent impact causes the wheels 23 to move transverse member 103, 104 against longitudinal members 101, 102 which are deformed and may contact the rear wheels 32. Buffers 41, 42 are provided between the passenger compartment and the beam 1 and elastic support means 43, such as elastic bands, Fig. 3, are inserted between the longitudinal members 101, 102 and the floor 44 of the body shell. On impact from the rear, the rocking lever 39, Fig. 2, of the rear frame 6, pivots about axis 8 and pulls, via rod 36, on rear crossmember 91 which bends. Similar to the front frame, rollers are guided in tracks on the beam 1 as the rear frame is driven under the body shell. The rollers and tracks may be replaced by supports (28), Fig. 1, (not shown) having ajoint (29) which slides on a tube (30) fixed on a transverse member (1a) of the central beam. The joints 7, 16 of the fork 15 on frame 13 of the front frame 5 can be replaced by normally rigid joints capable of plastic deformation. In another embodiment, Fig. 8, the closed framework includes longitudinal members 571 connected by transverse members 573, 575. Rods 581, 591 suspend the members 571 from the body shell 460. The transverse members 573, 575 are connected to the central beam 461 by energy absorption devices 68 and are connected at their inner ends by a rod 69. Instead of rods 581, 591 the longitudinal members 571 can be supported in flanks 82 of the body shell for sliding movement therein. Energy absorption devices such as 52, connect the front and rear frames respectively to the central beam 1. A band 81 of elastomer makes contact between the longitudinal elements 571 and the bottom support 82 of the body shell.