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US 11,148,730 B2Granted
Vehicle frame construction and method
AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsBenjamin J. Meaige, Derik Thomas Voigt, Eric J. Boettcher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle frame construction and method includes an elongated hollow frame member having a plurality of interior sides and a reinforcement member. The reinforcement member is formed from a thermoplastic polymer and is installed so as to be arranged within the elongated hollow frame member to reinforce each interior side of the elongated hollow frame member in a plane orthogonally oriented relative to a longitudinal axis of the elongated hollow frame member.
Claims21
A vehicle frame construction, comprising:
- an elongated hollow frame member having a plurality of interior sides;
- and
- a reinforcement member formed from a thermoplastic polymer and arranged within the elongated hollow frame member to reinforce each interior side of the elongated hollow frame member in a plane orthogonally oriented relative to a longitudinal axis of the elongated hollow frame member,
- wherein the reinforcement member has contact portions arranged adjacent each of the plurality of interior sides and structural foam is interposed between each contact surface and an adjacent interior side of the plurality of interior sides of the elongated hollow frame member,
- wherein the contact portions include:
- an upper contact portion complementarily arranged adjacent an upper side of the plurality of interior sides of the elongated hollow frame member;
- a lower contact portion complementarily arranged adjacent a lower side of the plurality of interior sides of the elongated hollow frame member and spaced apart from the upper contact portion;
- a first side contact portion complementarily arranged adjacent a first side of the plurality of interior sides of the elongated hollow frame member;
- and
- a second side contact portion complementarily arranged adjacent a second side of the plurality of interior sides of the elongated hollow frame member and spaced apart from the first side contact portion,
- wherein the reinforcement member further includes at least one support portion extending from the upper contact portion to the lower contact portion and also extending from the first side contact portion to the second side contact portion.
8 more elements
A vehicle frame member assembly, comprising:
- an elongated hollow frame member;
- and
- a plurality of identically shaped nylon reinforcement members arranged in a spaced apart pattern within the elongated hollow frame member to reinforce each interior side of the elongated hollow frame member in a plane orthogonally oriented relative to a longitudinal axis of the elongated hollow frame member, each of the reinforcement members having contact portions arranged adjacent each of the plurality of interior sides, the contact portions including upper and lower contact portions and first and second side contact portion, and each of the reinforcement members includes a support wall structure that is distinct from the contact portions and that interconnects at least two of the contact portions, wherein one of the at least two contact portions is defined by a flange extended from the support wall structure.
A vehicle frame construction method, comprising:
- providing an elongated hollow frame member having a plurality of interior sides;
- providing a reinforcement member formed from a thermoplastic polymer;
- and
- installing the reinforcement member within the elongated hollow frame member to reinforce each interior side of the elongated hollow frame member in a plane orthogonally oriented relative to a longitudinal axis of the elongated hollow frame member, the reinforcement member having contact portions arranged adjacent each of the plurality of interior sides and at least one support member distinct from the contact portions and interconnecting the contact portions.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.