US20220194477A1 - Canopy windshield retention - Google Patents
Canopy windshield retention Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20220194477A1 US20220194477A1 US17/127,748 US202017127748A US2022194477A1 US 20220194477 A1 US20220194477 A1 US 20220194477A1 US 202017127748 A US202017127748 A US 202017127748A US 2022194477 A1 US2022194477 A1 US 2022194477A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- pillar
- windshield
- wall
- vehicle
- stiffness
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
- B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
- B62D23/00—Combined superstructure and frame, i.e. monocoque constructions
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
- B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
- B62D25/00—Superstructure or monocoque structure sub-units; Parts or details thereof not otherwise provided for
- B62D25/08—Front or rear portions
-
- 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
- B62D21/15—Understructures, i.e. chassis frame on which a vehicle body may be mounted having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or temporarily change shape or dimension upon impact with another body
- B62D21/152—Front or rear frames
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
- B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
- B62D25/00—Superstructure or monocoque structure sub-units; Parts or details thereof not otherwise provided for
- B62D25/02—Side panels
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
- B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
- B62D25/00—Superstructure or monocoque structure sub-units; Parts or details thereof not otherwise provided for
- B62D25/06—Fixed roofs
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
- B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
- B62D31/00—Superstructures for passenger vehicles
- B62D31/02—Superstructures for passenger vehicles for carrying large numbers of passengers, e.g. omnibus
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60J—WINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES FOR VEHICLES; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES
- B60J1/00—Windows; Windscreens; Accessories therefor
- B60J1/02—Windows; Windscreens; Accessories therefor arranged at the vehicle front, e.g. structure of the glazing, mounting of the glazing
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R13/00—Elements for body-finishing, identifying, or decorating; Arrangements or adaptations for advertising purposes
- B60R13/02—Internal Trim mouldings ; Internal Ledges; Wall liners for passenger compartments; Roof liners
- B60R13/0237—Side or rear panels
- B60R13/025—Pillars; Roof rails
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R11/00—Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
- B60R2011/0001—Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for characterised by position
- B60R2011/0003—Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for characterised by position inside the vehicle
- B60R2011/0019—Side or rear panels
- B60R2011/0022—Pillars
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
- B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
- B62D25/00—Superstructure or monocoque structure sub-units; Parts or details thereof not otherwise provided for
- B62D25/04—Door pillars ; windshield pillars
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a vehicle that includes a windshield and a frame. In addition, the vehicle includes a first pillar that extends from one side of the windshield. The first pillar includes a first wall and a second wall coupled to the first wall. The first pillar also includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a first interior support coupled to the first wall and a second interior support coupled to the second wall. Further, the first interior support includes a first end which is spaced from a second end in the second portion.
Description
- The present disclosure is directed to a canopy windshield retention structure.
- Mass transport vehicles, such as vans and buses, are designed to ferry a large number of people. Recently, new kinds of mass transport vehicles, such as electric pod taxis, provide a larger volume in a cabin compartment. The larger volume for the cabin compartment is achieved by pushing the upper body architecture boundary in both forward and rearward directions. Such configurations vehicles have smaller front end crumple zones or crash zones. For instance, the distance between a front fascia of the vehicle and the cabin compartment may be reduced.
- The present disclosure relates to a canopy style vehicle having a windshield bounded by vehicle pillars that are configured to crumple or crush in a controlled manner in the event of a crash. The vehicle includes a relatively small distance between a front bumper or fascia and an occupant chamber or cabin.
- The vehicle includes a frame with a first pillar and a second pillar that extends along the sides of the windshield. The first and second pillars include a portion that is configured to crumple or crush that rotates the windshield downward in a controlled manner. The pillars include a first interior wall opposite and coupled to a second exterior wall. The pillars also include a first interior support structure that is within the first and second walls. The interior support structure includes a third interior wall adjacent to the first interior wall and a fourth exterior wall that is adjacent to the second exterior wall. At the portions configured to crumple, the interior support only includes one of the third interior wall or the fourth exterior wall.
- The third interior wall is coupled to the first wall and the fourth exterior wall is coupled to the second wall. The first interior support includes a first end which is spaced from a second end in the second portion, i.e. there is a gap in the first interior support in the portion of the pillar that is configured to react in the event of a collision.
- In some embodiments, the vehicle includes a canopy windshield and a roof coupled to the canopy windshield. The pillar along the windshield includes a first stiffness zone and a second stiffness zone, such that the second stiffness zone is closer to the roof than the first stiffness zone.
- In some embodiments, the vehicle includes a windshield retention beam that is coupled to a body or the frame by a first side beam and a second side beam. The first side beam includes a first portion coupled to the windshield retention beam. The first side beam also includes a second portion and a third portion, such that the third portion is attached to the body and the second portion is between the first portion and the third portion. The third portion, which is positioned between a side window and the ground, includes openings to provide a controlled crush to allow the bottom of the windshield to rotate downward and toward a steering column.
- The first portion and the second portion provide different a stiffness as compared to the third portion. The differences in stiffness mitigate an impact received during a crash.
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FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 1B is a front perspective view of the vehicle ofFIG. 1A with crumpled zones illustrated. -
FIG. 1C is a side view of the vehicle ofFIG. 1A . -
FIG. 2A is a side view of a pillar according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 2B is a side view of a pillar according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken alongline 3A-3A inFIG. 1A . -
FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken alongline 3B-3B inFIG. 1A . -
FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3C-3C inFIG. 1A . -
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 inFIG. 1A . -
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a pillar according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a portion of a pillar. -
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 7-7 inFIG. 1A . -
FIG. 8 is a side view of a vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 9 is an enhanced view of a third portion of the first side beam ofFIG. 8 having a plurality of holes. - In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosed embodiments. However, one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures or methods associated with vehicles have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments.
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FIGS. 1A and 1B are afront portion 102 of avehicle 100.FIG. 1C is a side view of thefront portion 102 of thevehicle 100. Thevehicle 100 can be a mass transporter, such as a van or a bus, which includes a large passenger orcabin compartment 106 with a drivetrain and other components underneath afloor 104. As a result, thecabin compartment 106 abuts a driver's area and a distance between thecabin compartment 106 and afront bumper 124 is relatively small. Thevehicle 100 includes aframe 108 that forms a body of thevehicle 100, such that theframe 108 and thefloor 104 define the boundaries of thecabin compartment 106. - The
vehicle 100 includes afirst pillar 110 that extends from oneend 108 a of theframe 108 toward awindshield 114. Asecond pillar 112 extends from anotherend 108 b of theframe 108 toward thewindshield 114. Thefirst pillar 110 and thesecond pillar 112 are the A-pillars of thevehicle 100. Thefirst pillar 110 and thesecond pillar 112 are configured to deform, bend, or otherwise crumple in the event of a frontal crash. Details of how thefirst pillar 110 and thesecond pillar 112 deform are explained later with respect toFIGS. 2A and 2B . - The
first pillar 110 and thesecond pillar 112 are spaced along a width of theframe 108 on each side of thewindshield 114. Thewindshield 114 maybe a canopy style, where thewindshield 114 is supported by the first andsecond pillars first side 116 a and asecond side 116 b of thewindshield 114. Thewindshield 114 includes atop portion 116 c that is attached to aroof 134 which is supported by theframe 108. In addition, thewindshield 114 includes abottom portion 116 d opposite to thetop portion 116 c. Thevehicle 100 also includes awindshield retention beam 118 that supports thebottom portion 116 d of thewindshield 114. A manner by which thewindshield retention beam 118 supports thebottom portion 116 d is explained later with respect toFIG. 7 . - The
vehicle 100 includes afirst side beam 120 a, which is coupled to and positioned below thefirst pillar 110. Thefirst side beam 120 a extends from awindshield end 110 a of thefirst pillar 110 at a joint 103 on a structural or B-pillar 105 of theframe 108. Thefirst side beam 120 a has a first orfront portion 122 a that is coupled to thefirst pillar 110 by the windshield. A second orrear portion 122 b is coupled to the B-pillar 105. Thefirst portion 122 a has a first stiffness while thesecond portion 122 b has a second stiffness, such that the second stiffness is less than the first stiffness. Additional details of thefirst side beam 120 a and the difference in the first stiffness and the second stiffness are explained with respect toFIG. 1C . Thevehicle 100 also includes asecond side beam 120 b (shown inFIG. 1A ) that is coupled to thesecond pillar 112 and may have a similar structure to thefirst side beam 120 a. - Referring now to
FIG. 1C , thefirst side beam 120 a is formed of thefirst portion 122 a that has afront end 123 and asecond end 125, such that thefront end 123 is coupled to the windshield end 110 a. Thefront end 123 and the windshield end 110 a are attached, for instance, by welding or other fastener. In addition, thefirst side beam 120 a includes thesecond portion 122 b that has afirst end 129 and arear end 131. As shown inFIG. 1C , thesecond end 125 is integrally formed with thefirst end 129 while therear end 131 is coupled to the B-pillar 105 at the joint orattachment location 103. Thefirst side beam 120 a is a single beam having these different portions of different dimensions, stiffness, and other properties to achieve a controlled crush. - The
first end 123 of the first side beam is closer to theroof 134 than the second end 125 (the intersection of thesecond end 125 of thefirst portion 122 a and thefirst end 129 of thesecond portion 122 b). Anupper edge 155 of thesecond portion 122 b is closer to theroof 134 than thefirst end 129 of the second portion, such that the second portion has a curvature. - The
rear end 131 is wider than thefirst end 129 of the second portion. In particular, therear end 131 has afirst dimension 133, which is in contact with the B-pillar 105. Therear end 131 may be welded to the B-pillar 105 to form the joint 103. Thefirst end 129 has a second dimension 135, which is less than thefirst dimension 133. - Referring back to
FIG. 1A , thefirst side beam 120 a, thesecond side beam 120 b, thefirst pillar 110, thesecond pillar 112, and the B-pillar 105 together define a driver'scompartment 107 adjacent to thecabin compartment 106. Thevehicle 100 also includes asteering wheel 109 inside the driver'scompartment 107 proximate to thewindshield 114 and thefirst side beam 120 a. Thefirst pillar 110, the B-pillar 105, and thefirst side beam 120 a form an opening to support a window (not shown inFIG. 1A ). Similarly, thesecond pillar 112, thesecond side beam 120 b, and another B-pillar (not shown inFIG. 1A ) form another opening to support a passenger side window (not shown inFIG. 1A ). - The
vehicle 100 also includes a cross member orfront bumper 124 that is positioned below the windshield and the first andsecond pillars cross member 124 is a component of thevehicle 100 on which a front fascia of thevehicle 100 can be mounted. Additionally, thevehicle 100 includes a pair offront rails cross member 124 to theframe 108. Each of thefront rails coupling arm front rails first pillar 110 and thesecond pillar 112. During a frontal crash, the received impact at thecross member 124 is transferred to thefirst pillar 110, thesecond pillar 112, thefirst side beam 120 a, and thesecond side beam 120 b via the front rails 126 a, 126 b. In the illustrated example, thevehicle 100 includes different provisions to mount a wheel. For instance, thefront rails - The
first pillar 110 and thesecond pillar 112 are designed to crumple, as shown inFIG. 1B , such that thefirst pillar 110 and thesecond pillar 112 undergo a deformation or a controlled crush atlocations - The
first pillar 110 and thesecond pillar 112 may yield at these locations to absorb the impact to move thefront end 123 of the second beam towards the B-pillar 105. Thefirst side beam 122 a may also have a controlled deform to collaboratively move thefront end 123 and thebottom portion 116 b of the windshield toward the B-pillar. For example, thesecond portion 122 b may be configured to crumple in a controlled manner to further dissipate the energy from a crash. Alternatively, thefirst pillar 110 and thesecond pillar 112 can yield both at the bent portion and at the portion proximate to theframe 108. The controlled deformation is related to thefirst pillar 110 and thesecond pillar 112 having different stiffness zones. - Structural details of the
first pillar 110 are now explained with respect toFIGS. 2A through 3C in conjunction withFIG. 1C .FIG. 2A illustrates thefirst pillar 110 with deformation at a bent or crushedsection 161, which is a different location than illustrated inFIG. 1C .FIG. 2B illustrates thefirst pillar 110 with deformation at asection 157 a. - As shown in
FIG. 1C , thefirst pillar 110 has afirst wall 130 and asecond wall 132 that extends along a complete length of thefirst pillar 110. Thefirst wall 130 is adjacent to theroof 134 of thevehicle 100 while thesecond wall 132 is spaced from theroof 134 by thefirst wall 130. Thefirst pillar 110 also includes afirst portion 136 that is coupled to and extends from thefirst portion 122 a of thefirst side beam 120 a and runs along the windshield. In one example, thefirst portion 136 forms a first stiffness zone of thefirst pillar 110. - The
first pillar 110 also includes asecond portion 138 that extends from thefirst portion 136 and defines a bent portion of thefirst pillar 110. Further, thesecond portion 138 defines a second stiffness zone of thefirst pillar 110. In the illustrated example, the first stiffness zone has a first internal reinforcement and a second internal reinforcement, whereas the second stiffness zone has only the first reinforcement. Accordingly, the first stiffness zone has a greater stiffness than the stiffness of the second stiffness zone. The structural details that could be implemented to form the first reinforcement and the second reinforcement are explained with respect toFIG. 3A through 4 . The difference in the stiffnesses allows thesecond portion 138 to deform in a controlled manner during the frontal crash. - The
first pillar 110 also includes athird portion 140 that extends from thesecond portion 138 to theframe 108. Thethird portion 140 is a substantially horizontal section of thefirst pillar 110 and has a third stiffness zone having a stiffness that can be different from the stiffness of the first stiffness zone and the second stiffness zone. The stiffness of the third stiffness zone may be less than the stiffness of the second stiffness zone. As a result, thethird portion 140 may deform before thesecond portion 138 in the event of a frontal crash, as shown inFIG. 2B . Alternatively, the third portion may have the same stiffness as the first portion, including both of the internal reinforcements like the first portion of the beam. - As mentioned before, a difference in the stiffness of different portions of the
first pillar 110 allows a controlled deformation of thefirst pillar 110 to absorb the impact. Since thefirst pillar 110 undergoes the controlled deformation, the impact of the frontal crash from reaching thecabin compartment 106 is mitigated. - Referring again to
FIG. 1C , a distance 51 between thecross member 124 and thewindshield retention beam 118 is relatively small in this style of vehicle. The different portions and different stiffness zones of the first pillar provide an increase in this dimension in the event of a crash. As thefirst pillar 110 deforms, a size of the front crumple zone increases from the distance 51 to a larger distance S2 that extends from thecross member 124 to a point where thefirst pillar 110 deforms. Providing the larger distance allowing absorption of impact to mitigate an impact to theframe 108. -
FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of thefirst portion 136 of thefirst pillar 110 taken alonglines 3A-3A inFIG. 1A whileFIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of thesecond portion 138 taken alonglines 3B-3B inFIG. 1A .FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view of thethird portion 140 taken along lines 3C-3C inFIG. 1A according to an embodiment. As shown inFIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C , thefirst wall 130 and thesecond wall 132 are coupled together at an upper and lower location. Thefirst wall 130 and thesecond wall 132 include afirst surface 137 and asecond surface 139 that are coupled to each other by welding or other fastening technique. Referring toFIG. 3A , thefirst portion 136 has a rectangular cross-section and includes a first interior support orfirst reinforcement 142 that is attached or otherwise coupled to a firstinner surface 144 of thefirst wall 130. In addition, thefirst portion 136 includes a second interior support orsecond reinforcement 146 that is attached to a secondinner surface 148 of thesecond wall 132. The firstinterior support 142 includes afirst end surface 141 and the secondinterior support 146 includes asecond end surface 143 that are coupled to each other. The firstinterior support 142 and the secondinterior support 146 are attached to the firstinner wall 144 and the secondinner wall 148, respectively, by different techniques, such as welding or stamping. The firstinterior support 142 and the secondinterior support 146, provide a first stiffness for thefirst portion 136. -
FIG. 3B includes thesecond portion 138 having only the firstinterior support 142 attached to the firstinner surface 144. The secondinterior support 146 is not included in thissecond portion 138, which creates a second stiffness in thefirst pillar 110. Further, thefirst end surface 141 in thesecond portion 138 is exposed. As a result, second stiffness of thesecond portion 138 is less than the first stiffness of thefirst portion 136. -
FIG. 3C is thethird portion 140 of thefirst pillar 110 which does not include either of the first and second internal supports. This creates a third stiffness in thefirst pillar 100. The third stiffness is less stiff than the second stiffness. The first pillar may have one or more of the different stiffness zones as the design of the end vehicle may benefit. In other embodiments, the first pillar may include only the first stiffness and the third stiffness. -
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of thesecond pillar 112 ofFIG. 1A along line 4-4. This view shows anexterior wall 163 of the second pillar that does not include the second internal reinforcement. This embodiment could include the first internal reinforcement or may not include either reinforcement. The firstinterior support 142 inside thesecond portion 138 has a portion removed that exposes has afirst end 154 that is spaced from asecond end 156. Thesurface 141 is coupled to the other interior support as thesurface 137 is coupled to the other wall of thepillar 112. The stiffness of thesecond portion 138 is lesser than the stiffness of thefirst portion 136. Thethird portion 140 does not include any interior support inside thethird portion 140. Absence of the interior support in thethird portion 140 results in lesser stiffness of thethird portion 140 than thesecond portion 138. Therefore, during the impact, thethird portion 140 deforms prior to thesecond portion 138, which results in the controlled deformation. - The
second portion 138 can have a different profile or structural shape, in addition to the interior supports 144, 148, to achieve controlled deformation.FIG. 5 illustrates anotherportion 500 of a first or second pillar of thevehicle 100 with an accordion-shaped profile. Afirst wall 502 a and asecond wall 502 b of theportion 500 has the accordion shape which is made up of a plurality ofpeaks 504 andvalleys 506. As the pillar is a substantially rectangular cross-section, the other walls (not shown) will also include the plurality of peaks and valleys. Further, thepeaks 504 and thevalleys 506 are also present along the edges of thewalls walls peaks 504 are reduced. The impact may cause theportion 500 to bend, for instance, downwards towards the ground such that gaps in-between thepeaks 504 present on the top side of thewalls peaks 506 present on the bottom side of thewalls - In addition to the accordion-shaped profile along the length of the second portion, the second portion can have an accordion-shaped internal features.
FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of anotherportion 600 of a first or second pillar thevehicle 100. Theportion 600 has a firstouter wall 602 a and a secondouter wall 602 b that each include an exterior surface with a plurality ofpeaks 606 andvalleys 608. Interior surfaces also include a plurality ofpeaks 604 andvalleys 605. Gaps in-between peaks change to absorb an impact. Alternately, in case the impact causes theportion 600 to bend sideways, then gaps in-between thepeaks 606 on a top and bottom part of theportion 600 would change. In either case, the change in the gap absorbs and mitigates the impact. - During a frontal crash, the
windshield 114 is susceptible to damage and may dislodge from thefirst pillar 110 and thesecond pillar 112. In order to retain thewindshield 114, thewindshield retention beam 118 holds or otherwise restrains thewindshield 114.FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of thewindshield retention beam 118 taken along line 7-7 inFIG. 1A . Thewindshield retention beam 118 includes afirst retention extension 158 and asecond retention extension 160 that defines asurface 162 of thewindshield retention beam 118. Thebottom portion 116 d of thewindshield 114 is coupled or otherwise attached to thissurface 162. Thefirst retention extension 158 extends over a portion of thewindshield 114 and overlaps anexterior side 164 a of thewindshield 114. Moreover, thefirst retention extension 158 extends transverse from thewindshield retention beam 118. On the other hand, thesecond retention extension 160 extends over thewindshield 114 and overlaps aninterior side 164 b of thewindshield 114. The first retention extension extends further from thesurface 162 than the second retention extension. Since thefirst retention extension 158 and thesecond retention extension 160 overlap thewindshield 114, thewindshield 114 is secured and can rotate with the deformation of the first and second pillars while retaining the end 166 d with thewindshield retention beam 118. - According to the present disclosure, other components of the vehicle can also undergo controlled deformation to absorb the impact.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of anothervehicle 800 that includes aframe 801. Theframe 801 includes afirst side beam 802 having afirst portion 804, asecond portion 806, and athird portion 808.FIG. 9 is an enhanced view of thethird portion 808. Many of the frame components of thevehicle 800 are the same as that of thevehicle 100 shown inFIG. 1A . For instance, thevehicle 800 includes abody 810 that is structurally similar to theframe 108 of thevehicle 100. Thevehicle 800 also includes afirst pillar 812 and a second pillar (not shown), acanopy windshield 814, and awindshield retention beam 816. Thevehicle 800 also includes afront bumper 803 that extend from theframe 801. - The
first portion 804 of thefirst side beam 802 is coupled to thefirst pillar 812 while thethird portion 808 is coupled to thebody 810. Thefirst portion 804 has a curvature along an X-axis (shown inFIG. 8 ) that extends between thewindshield retention beam 816 and thesecond portion 806. Thesecond portion 806 extends between thefirst portion 804 and thethird portion 808, such that thesecond portion 806 can transfer the impact from thefirst portion 804 to thethird portion 808. As with the first side beam inFIG. 1A , a location where thefirst side beam 802 couples to thewindshield retention beam 816 is closer to a roof than an entirety of thethird portion 808. - Referring now to
FIG. 9 , thethird portion 808 has afirst end 818 that is coupled to thebody 810 and asecond end 820 that is coupled to thesecond portion 806. Further, thefirst end 818 is attached thebody 810, for instance, by welding. As shown inFIG. 9 , thefirst end 818 has awidth 830 from a top edge to a bottom edge and thesecond end 820 has awidth 832 from a top edge to a bottom edge, such that thewidth 832 is smaller than thewidth 830. - The
third portion 808 has a rectangular cross-section towards thesecond end 820. In addition, thethird portion 808 has a taper shaped profile towards thefirst end 818. Thethird portion 808 includes a plurality ofedges edges 822 include a plurality ofopenings 824 that are present along a length of theedges 822 and at corners of bends of the third portion. The plurality ofopenings 824 allows thethird portion 808 to deform in an impact mitigating the impact to theframe 801. These openings allow thethird portion 808 to undergo the controlled deformation. - The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents, applications, and publications to provide yet further embodiments.
- These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.
Claims (15)
1. A vehicle, comprising:
a windshield;
a frame;
a first pillar that extends from the frame along a first side of the windshield, the first pillar includes:
a first wall coupled to a second wall;
a first portion of the first pillar includes:
a first interior support coupled to the first wall; and
a second interior support coupled to the second wall; and
a second portion of the first pillar, the first interior support includes a first end spaced from a second end in the second portion.
2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the first wall of the first pillar is adjacent to the roof and the second wall of the first pillar being spaced from the roof by the first wall.
3. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a second pillar that extends from the frame along a second side of the windshield, the windshield being between the first and second pillar, the second pillar including:
a first wall coupled to a second wall;
a first portion of the second pillar includes:
a first interior support coupled to the first wall; and
a second interior support coupled to the second wall; and
a second portion of the second pillar, the first interior support includes a first end spaced from a second end in the second portion.
4. The vehicle of claim 3 , further comprising a windshield retention beam that extends between the first pillar and the second pillar, the windshield retention beam includes a first retention extension that extends transverse from the windshield retention beam.
5. The vehicle of claim 4 wherein the windshield retention beam includes a surface, an end of the windshield is coupled to the surface, and an end of the first retention extension overlaps with an exterior side of the windshield.
6. The vehicle of claim 5 wherein the windshield retention beam includes a second retention extension that overlaps an interior side of the windshield.
7. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the first and second walls include a plurality of peaks and valleys in the second portion.
8. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second pillar that extends from the frame along a second side of the windshield, the windshield being between the first and second pillar; and
a beam that extends from the first pillar to the frame, the beam including:
a first stiffness in a first portion; and
a second stiffness in a second portion, the second portion being closer to the frame than the first portion.
9. A vehicle, comprising:
a canopy windshield;
a roof coupled to the canopy windshield;
a pillar coupled to a side of the canopy windshield and to the roof, the pillar including:
a first stiffness zone;
a second stiffness zone that is closer to the roof than the first stiffness zone,
a first wall coupled to a second wall; and
a first reinforcement and a second reinforcement that are between the first wall and the second wall, wherein the second stiffness zone includes a first end of the second reinforcement space from a second end of the second reinforcement.
10. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the first stiffness zone includes a first internal reinforcement and a second internal reinforcement and the second stiffness zone includes only the first internal reinforcement.
11. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the pillar includes a third stiffness zone that is closer to the roof than the second stiffness zone.
12. (canceled)
13. (canceled)
14. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein walls of the second stiffness zone include a plurality of peaks and valleys.
15.-18. (canceled)
Priority Applications (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US17/127,748 US11345409B1 (en) | 2020-12-18 | 2020-12-18 | Canopy windshield retention |
CN202111535071.8A CN114644052A (en) | 2020-12-18 | 2021-12-15 | Roof windshield retaining device |
DE102021133552.3A DE102021133552A1 (en) | 2020-12-18 | 2021-12-16 | WINDSHIELD MOUNT FOR AN CANOPY |
US17/731,751 US11505259B2 (en) | 2020-12-18 | 2022-04-28 | Canopy windshield retention |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US17/127,748 US11345409B1 (en) | 2020-12-18 | 2020-12-18 | Canopy windshield retention |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US17/731,751 Division US11505259B2 (en) | 2020-12-18 | 2022-04-28 | Canopy windshield retention |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US11345409B1 US11345409B1 (en) | 2022-05-31 |
US20220194477A1 true US20220194477A1 (en) | 2022-06-23 |
Family
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Family Applications (2)
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US17/127,748 Active US11345409B1 (en) | 2020-12-18 | 2020-12-18 | Canopy windshield retention |
US17/731,751 Active US11505259B2 (en) | 2020-12-18 | 2022-04-28 | Canopy windshield retention |
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US20050218698A1 (en) * | 2002-12-13 | 2005-10-06 | Volvo Lastvagnar Ab | Vehicle cab |
JP3789191B2 (en) * | 1997-03-06 | 2006-06-21 | トヨタ自動車株式会社 | Front pillar lower structure |
US20200086924A1 (en) * | 2018-09-18 | 2020-03-19 | Paul R. Stibich | Vehicle having reinforcement assemblies |
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US4274190A (en) * | 1979-05-11 | 1981-06-23 | Charles J. Monahan | Transit bus modernization method |
US6779835B2 (en) | 2001-12-06 | 2004-08-24 | Lear Corporation | Energy absorbing structure for automobile interior |
JP2004009965A (en) | 2002-06-10 | 2004-01-15 | Honda Motor Co Ltd | Windshield mounting structure of vehicle |
DE102007025632A1 (en) * | 2007-06-01 | 2008-12-04 | Audi Ag | Fiber composite profile and vehicle window frame |
DE102008022427A1 (en) * | 2008-05-07 | 2009-11-12 | GM Global Technology Operations, Inc., Detroit | Motor vehicle with A-pillar and in this stored airbag |
US7887122B2 (en) | 2008-06-12 | 2011-02-15 | Ford Global Technologies, Llc | One-piece shotgun with impact energy absorber |
EP2138382A1 (en) * | 2008-06-25 | 2009-12-30 | Ford Global Technologies, LLC | Column as part of the car body of a motor vehicle |
CN105189259B (en) | 2013-04-09 | 2017-07-04 | 丰田自动车株式会社 | Body structure |
CN204726347U (en) | 2015-05-28 | 2015-10-28 | 上海通用汽车有限公司 | For shield glass guiding gutter device and comprise its automobile |
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2020
- 2020-12-18 US US17/127,748 patent/US11345409B1/en active Active
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Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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JP3789191B2 (en) * | 1997-03-06 | 2006-06-21 | トヨタ自動車株式会社 | Front pillar lower structure |
US20050218698A1 (en) * | 2002-12-13 | 2005-10-06 | Volvo Lastvagnar Ab | Vehicle cab |
US20200086924A1 (en) * | 2018-09-18 | 2020-03-19 | Paul R. Stibich | Vehicle having reinforcement assemblies |
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CN114644052A (en) | 2022-06-21 |
US11345409B1 (en) | 2022-05-31 |
US20220250688A1 (en) | 2022-08-11 |
DE102021133552A1 (en) | 2022-06-23 |
US11505259B2 (en) | 2022-11-22 |
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