Classifications

• • 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
• • 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
  • B62D29/00—Superstructures, understructures, or sub-units thereof, characterised by the material thereof
  • B62D29/008—Superstructures, understructures, or sub-units thereof, characterised by the material thereof predominantly of light alloys, e.g. extruded

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an improved automotive vehicle frame construction which includes the use of pairs of front and rear unitary cast supports to which other portions of the frame and other portions of the vehicle are secured.
• spaceframes as frames for automotive vehicles so as to provide the desired structural integrity, strength, impact resistance and appropriate securement of the vehicle components which must be supported thereby.
• the present invention has met the above-described need by providing an automotive vehicle frame assembly which includes a front frame portion, a rear frame portion and an intermediate frame portion disposed intermediate the same connected thereto.
• the front frame portion has a pair of relatively spaced front strut towers and the rear frame portion has a plurality of relatively spaced rear strut towers.
• a plurality of frame components is connected to the strut towers which are disposed on the sides of the frame.
• Each of the strut towers is a unitary metal casting.
• the strut towers are secured to the suspension means, but may be secured to and support the suspension means, the shock absorbers, steering components, structural cross members and other components of the system. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved substantially rigid automotive vehicle frame which will have frame portions which are unitary cast metal elements.
• a further object of the present invention is to provide such a system which facilitates use of spaceframe automotive vehicle frames.
• Figure 1 is an isometric view of a form of the automotive vehicle frame of the present invention.
• Figure 2 is an isometric view of the left side of a front frame portion of the frame of Figure 1.
• Figure 3 is an isometric view of the strut tower of Figure 2 showing the outside thereof.
• Figure 4 is an isometric view showing the reverse side of the front frame portion of Figure 2.
• Figure 5 is an isometric view showing the reverse side of the strut tower of Figure 3.
• Figure 6 is an isometric view of the left side of a rear frame portion of the frame of Figure 1.
• Figure 7 is an isometric view of the strut tower of Figure 6 showing the outside thereof.
• Figure 8 is an isometric view of the reverse side of the rear frame portion of Figure 6.
• Figure 9 is an isometric view showing the reverse side of a strut tower of Figure 7.
• unitary shall refer to a single metal casting which may or may not have been subjected to machining or other processing after casting and shall also include such a casting which is made from the assembly of two individual cast components.
• the frame has a front frame portion 2, a rear frame portion 4 and a connecting intermediate frame portion 6.
• the frame has the desired configuration, strength, impact resistance and other features required for it to cooperate with the numerous other components required to create a vehicle such as an automobile.
• the front frame portion 2 has a pair of substantially rigid strut towers 10,
• a plurality of beams such as 14, 16, 18 and 20 are secured to front strut tower 12 with beams 14, 16 being secured to the lower portion thereof and 18, 20 being secured to the upper portion thereof.
• beams 30, 32 and a pair of lower beams are secured to front strut tower 10.
• the front frame portion 2 also has a pair of front posts 34, 36 which are connected by transverse structural beams 40, 42.
• the beams 14, 16, 18, 20, 30, 32 may be hollow extrusions.
• the rear frame portion 4 has a pair of rear strut towers 50, 52 and a pair of rearwardly projecting beams 56, 58 which are connected by transverse beam 60. Beams 64, 58 and 66 are secured to rear strut tower 52 and beams 70, 56 and 72 are secured to rear strut tower 50. Beams 78 and 80 of the intermediate frame portion connect the front frame portion 2 with the rear frame portion 4 and serves to receive a suitable floor (not shown) in region 84.
• the frame in the form shown, is designed for use with a rear engine vehicle and is a spaceframe.
• the front strut towers 10, 12 will generally be the mirror image of each other and the rear strut towers 50, 52 will generally be the mirror image of each other.
• the beams 14, 16, which are secured to the lower portion of strut tower 12, and 18, 20 which are secured to the upper portion thereof, may be secured thereto by any suitable means such as welding, adhesive bonding, or mechanical fasteners, for example, so as to create a rigid assembly.
• Figures 2 and 3 show the outer face of front strut tower 12 which is a unitary casting.
• the upper suspension arm may be secured to threaded bores 90, 92, 94, 96 by any suitable mechanical fasteners and the lower suspension arms may be secured to threaded bores 100, 102, 104, 106 by suitable mechanical fasteners.
• the shock absorbers may be secured to both the front and rear strut towers 10, 12, 50, 52 and may be attached by suitable mechanical fasteners to apertured plates 110, 112. It will be appreciated that in this manner components of the vehicle may be effectively secured to the unitary cast strut towers in an efficient manner which preserves the structural integrity and efficiency of performance.
• the steering rack may be secured to threaded apertures 120, 122.
• the base 130 and the top 132 will have an average depth of about 50 to 80 mm.
• the top 132 will generally have a smaller width than the base 130.
• the overall height H and overall width of the strut tower 12, which may be reduced from that of prior art systems wherein a plurality of components need to be assembled, may be about 300 to 600 mm.
• the towers preferably having a plurality of openings, such as 127, 129 in base 130, which serve as assembly master points and can also serve subsequently as assembly line clamping holes.
• Such principal location points will generally be provided on both front and rear strut towers 10, 12, 50, 52 at locations desired for the particular vehicle.
• a structural cross member (not shown) may be secured within passageway 136 by welding, adhesive bonding, or mechanical fasteners, for example.
• Secondary bracket items such as threaded apertures 140, 142, 144, 146 may be employed to secure other items such as a horn or a braking system component, for example.
• Flange 150 is adapted to be secured to the firewall.
• the structural beam 66 is secured within generally square joining element 120.
• Beam 64 (not shown) is received within recess 122 and beam 58 is secured at support recess 128. These beams may be connected to the strut towers by welding, for example.
• Threaded bores 140, 142, 144, 146 may be employed to secure the upper suspension arm and threaded bores 160, 162, 164 may be employed to secure the lower suspension arm as by mechanical fasteners, for examples.
• Wheelhouse attachment may be effected by suitable mechanical fasteners secured to threaded bores 150, 152, 154.
• the tie-rod attachment may be effected at threaded bores 170, 172, 174.
• An anti-roll bar may be secured to passageway 180.
• other items may be secured to the strut towers.
• the hood hinges, hand brake bracket, and steering rack support may be secured to the front strut towers 10, 12.
• the back door, trunk lid or window hinges may be secured to the rear struts 50, 52.
• Electric motors may also be secured to the strut towers.
• the cross member which may be secured to bore 180 may have its other end secured at 182.
• a structural frame cross-over member may be secured within threaded bores 190, 192, 194, 196, if desired.
• the strut towers 10, 12, 50, 52 out of an aluminum casting which may, for example, be a sand casting or a die casting.
• a suitable alloy for sandcastings would be A356 or B356 with such an approach being beneficial for low volume production of high strength parts.
• an alloy such as C448 may be employed.
• aluminum it will be appreciated that any suitable casting alloys having the properties desired for the end use application may be employed.
• magnesium and magnesium alloy castings may be employed to make the strut towers, if desired.
• the present invention provides an effective means of simply and economically employing strut towers which are unitary castings and may be employed beneficially in a vehicular frame, which may be a spaceframe, while preserving the desired functional aspects of the frame. All of this is accomplished while eliminating the need to manufacture a large number of separate parts and invest in the labor required to assemble such parts.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (8)

Families Citing this family (54)

Citations (3)

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• 1998
  • 1998-08-03 US US09/128,296 patent/US6193273B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1999
  • 1999-08-02 EP EP99937702A patent/EP1100714B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-08-02 JP JP2000563514A patent/JP4203227B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-08-02 DE DE69912795T patent/DE69912795T3/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-08-02 WO PCT/US1999/017382 patent/WO2000007867A1/en not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (3)

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