US 10,479,408 B2Granted

Frame assembly for a vehicle and vehicle having same

AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.

InventorsLuke M. Upah, Daniel T. Sellars, Dakota D. Kirtland

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Abstract

A front frame assembly for mounting a front suspension and wheel assembly of a vehicle can include lower frame members, first frame members, second frame members, a cross frame member and a plate. The pair of first and second frame members can be connected to and can extend upwardly from a respective one of the lower frame members. The pair of second frame members can be connected to the respective one of the lower frame members and a respective one of the first frame members. The cross frame member can be connected to and extend from each of the first frame members. The plate can be connected to and can extend from the each of the first frame and second members and the cross frame member. The plate can include a ridge configured to cause the plate to buckle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle under predetermined conditions.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A front frame assembly of a vehicle, the front frame assembly configured to support a front suspension and wheel assembly and configured to be connected to a front portion of a main frame assembly of a vehicle, the main frame assembly configured to define a passenger compartment of the vehicle, the front frame assembly comprising:

a pair of lower frame members extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction of the vehicle, each of the lower frame members including a first end configured to be connected to the main frame assembly;
a pair of first frame members connected to and extending upwardly from a respective one of the lower frame members;
a pair of second frame members connected to and extending upwardly from a respective one of the lower frame members, each of the second frame members having a first end connected to the respective one of the lower frame members and a second end connected to a respective one of the first frame members, each of the first frame members and the second frame members configured to movably support a different respective portion of the front suspension and wheel assembly;
a cross frame member connected to and extending from each of the first frame members;
a plate connected to and extending from the each of the first frame members, the cross frame member, and the second frame members such that a load or kinetic energy applied to any one of first and second frame members by the front suspension and wheel assembly is transferred to each of the lower frame members when the front suspension and wheel assembly is connected to the first and second frame members, the plate includes a ridge extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle and configured to cause the plate to buckle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle if a load or kinetic energy applied to the plate in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the plate includes a bottom surface that faces the lower frame members.

2 more elements

A frame assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a main frame assembly defining a passenger compartment of the vehicle;
a rear frame assembly connected to and extending from a rear end of the main frame assembly, the rear frame assembly configured to mount at least a portion of a rear suspension and wheel assembly;
and
a front frame assembly connected to and extending from a front portion of the main frame assembly of the vehicle such that the main frame assembly extends between the front frame assembly and the rear frame assembly in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the front frame assembly configured to mount a front suspension and wheel assembly, the front frame assembly including:
a pair of lower frame members, each of the lower frame members including a first end connected to the main frame assembly;
a pair of first frame members connected to and extending upwardly from a respective one of the lower frame members;
a pair of second frame members connected to and extending upwardly from a respective one of the lower frame members, each of the second frame members having a first end connected to the respective one of the lower frame members and a second end connected to a respective one of the pair of first frame members, each of the first frame members and the second frame members configured to movably support a different respective portion of the front suspension and wheel assembly;
a cross frame member connected to and extending between each of the first frame members;
and
a plate attached to each of the first frame members, the cross frame member, and the second frame members, and the plate including a ridge extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle and configured to cause the plate to buckle in the longitudinal direction if an input load or an input energy is applied to the plate in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/871,349Filed 15 Jan 2018
Published: US 2019/0217894 A118 Jul 2019
Granted: 19 Nov 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification22 codes

B62D 21/155
Front or rear frames: sub-frames or underguards
B60G 3/20
With two or more pivoted arms, e.g. parallelogram: all arms being rigid
B60G 7/02
Pivoted suspension arms; Accessories thereof: attaching arms to sprung part of vehicle
B60K 17/24
Characterised by arrangement, location, or type of main drive shafting, e.g. cardan shaft: arrangement of mountings for shafting

Family

US 2019/0217894 A1Pre-grant publication · published 18 Jul 2019
US 10,479,408 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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