# US 2014/0191105 A1 · Engine cradle with deflector device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191105 A1 - Document ID: US20140191105A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/736,977 - Filed: 2013-01-09 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-09 - Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Inventors: Bhushan W. DANDEKAR; Mohammed N. SHAIK; Young DOE; Bradley W. ENYEART; Michael L. STOCKARD; Len V. PESCHANSKY; Yunjun LI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191105A1 ## CPC - B60K 5/12: Arrangement of engine supports - B62D 21/11: with resilient means for suspension {, e.g. of wheels or engine; sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions} - B62D 21/155: {Sub-frames or underguards} - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) ## Abstract A cradle for mounting an engine in a vehicle has left and right side members, and a rear cross member and front cross member extending between the left and right side members. The cradle has left and right front body mounts. Left and right deflector devices are mounted respectively on the cradle adjacent the left and right body mounts and forwardly of the vehicle wheels. Each of the left and right deflector devices including an impact receiving member that projects outwardly and rearwardly from the cradle to receive an impact load offset outboard from the body mounts. Each impact receiving member has an upper and lower sheet metal shell providing a top wall welded to a top wall of the cradle and a bottom wall welded to the bottom wall of the cradle, and a front impact receiving wall extending vertically between the top wall and the bottom wall. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cradle for mounting an engine in a vehicle having wheels located outboard of the cradle, said cradle comprising: left and right side members spaced laterally apart from one another on opposite sides of the engine and inboard of the wheels; a rear cross member having right and left ends attached respectively to the left and right side members; a front cross member having left and right ends attached respectively to the left and right side members; left and right front vehicle body mounts provided on the cradle for bolting together the vehicle body and the cradle; left and right deflector devices mounted respectively on the cradle adjacent the left and right body mounts and forwardly of the vehicle wheels, each of the left and right deflector devices including an impact receiving member that projects outwardly from the cradle to receive an impact load that is offset outboard from the body mounts, said impact receiving members each having an upper and a lower sheet metal shell providing a top wall welded to a top wall of the cradle and bottom wall welded to the bottom wall of the cradle, and a front impact receiving wall extending vertically between the top wall and the bottom wall and being angled outwardly and rearwardly from the cradle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cradle of claim 1 further comprising the front impact receiving wall being formed of overlapped portions of the upper and lower shell that are welded together. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cradle of claim 1 further comprising the upper shell having a downwardly depending flange and the lower shell having an upstanding flange, said depending flange and upstanding flange overlapping one another and being welded together to define the front impact receiving wall. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cradle of claim 1 further comprising the upper shell having a downwardly depending rear flange at a rear edge thereof and the lower shell having an upstanding rear flange at the rear edge thereof, said depending rear flange and upstanding rear flange overlapping one another and being welded together to define a rear reinforcing wall that reinforces the impact receiving wall. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The cradle of claim 1 further comprising the front impact receiving wall being in a straight line from the cradle to an outboard corner of the upper and lower shells. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cradle of claim 1 further comprising the front impact receiving wall being concave and extending from the cradle to an outboard corner of the upper and lower shells. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The cradle of claim 1 further comprising the front impact receiving wall being convex and extending from the cradle to an outboard corner of the upper and lower shells. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The cradle of claim 4 further comprising the rear impact receiving wall extending at an angle from the cradle to a rear outboard corner of the upper and lower shells. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The cradle of for claim 1 further comprising the upper and lower shells being separately stamped of heavy gauge sheet metal, the upper shell having a downwardly depending flange and the bottom shell having a upstanding flange overlapped with the downwardly depending flange and welded thereto to provide a double thickness impact receiving wall. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) Cradle of claim 1 further comprising the impact receiving member being formed of a single piece stamping folded to define the upper shell and lower shell including a top wall of the upper shell and bottom wall of the lower shell that are integrally connected to provide the front impact receiving wall. ### Claim 11 A cradle for mounting an engine in a vehicle having wheels located outboard of the cradle, said cradle comprising: left and right side members spaced laterally apart from one another on opposite sides of the engine and inboard of the wheels; a rear cross member having right and left ends attached respectively to the left and right side members; a front cross member having left and right ends attached respectively to the left and right side members; left and right front vehicle body mounts provided on the cradle for bolting together the vehicle body and the cradle; left and right deflector devices mounted respectively on the cradle adjacent the left and right body mounts and forwardly of the vehicle wheels, each of the left and right deflector devices including an impact receiving member that projects outwardly from the cradle to receive an impact load that is offset outboard from the body mounts, said impact receiving members each having an upper and a lower sheet metal shell providing a top wall welded to a top wall of the cradle and bottom wall welded to the bottom wall of the cradle, and a front impact receiving wall extending vertically between the top wall and the bottom wall, said front impact receiving wall being formed by welded together overlapped portions of the upper and lower shells, and a rear reinforcing wall extending vertically between the upper and lower shells rearward of the front impact receiving wall to reinforce the upper and lower sheet metal shells. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The cradle of claim 11 further comprising the upper shell having a downwardly depending rear flange at a rear edge thereof and the lower shell having an upstanding rear flange at the rear edge thereof, said depending rear flange and upstanding rear flange overlapping one another and being welded together to form the rear reinforcing wall. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The cradle of claim 12 further comprising the rear reinforcing wall extending perpendicularly from a outboard rear corner of the upper and lower shells to the cradle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The cradle of claim 12 further comprising the rear reinforcing wall extending at an angle rearwardly and inwardly from an outboard rear corner of the upper and lower shells to the cradle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The cradle of claim 11 further comprising the front impact receiving wall being in a straight line from the cradle to an outboard corner of the upper and lower shells. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The cradle of claim 11 further comprising the front impact receiving wall being concave and extending from the cradle to an outboard corner of the upper and lower shells. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The cradle of claim 11 further comprising the front impact receiving wall being convex and extending from the cradle to an outboard corner of the upper and lower shells. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The cradle of claim 11 further comprising the rear impact receiving wall extending at an angle from the cradle to a rear outboard corner of the upper and lower shells. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The cradle of for claim 11 further comprising the upper and lower shells being separately stamped of heavy gauge sheet metal, the upper shell having a downwardly depending flange and the bottom shell having a upstanding flange overlapped with the downwardly depending flange and welded thereto to provide a double thickness impact receiving face. ### Claim 20 A cradle for mounting an engine in a vehicle having wheels located outboard of the cradle, said cradle comprising: left and right side members spaced laterally apart from one another on opposite sides of the engine and inboard of the wheels; a rear cross member having right and left ends attached respectively to the left and right side members; a front cross member having left and right ends attached respectively to the left and right side members; left and right front vehicle body mounts provided on the cradle for bolting together the vehicle body and the cradle; left and right deflector devices mounted respectively on the cradle adjacent the left and right body mounts and forwardly of the vehicle wheels, each of the left and right deflector devices including an impact receiving member that projects outwardly from the cradle to receive an impact load that is offset outboard from the body mounts, said impact receiving members each having an upper and a lower sheet metal shell providing a top wall welded to a top wall of the cradle and bottom wall welded to the bottom wall of the cradle, and a front impact receiving wall extending vertically between the top wall and the bottom wall, said impact receiving member being formed of a single piece stamping folded to define the upper shell and lower shell including a top wall of the upper shell and bottom wall of the lower shell that are integrally connected to provide the front impact receiving wall.