Armored underbody for road vehicle

An armored underbody for a road vehicle, the underbody comprising:

• a pair of longitudinal frame members spaced laterally from each other;
• a plurality of armor protection plates mounted below vehicle underbody components to provide radiator, engine, transmission, and transfer case protection from upwardly directed projectiles;
• each armor protection plate having front and rear ends for mounting thereof;
• a floor including separate front and rear floor sections of armor plate for protecting the vehicle occupant compartment from intrusion by upwardly directed projectiles;
• a floor support member extending laterally between the longitudinal frame members so as to be supported thereby;
• said floor support member including a pair of flanges respectively secured to the front and rear floor sections;
• and a fuel tank fabricated from armor plate to prevent puncturing thereof by projectiles and including a pair of vertical side walls respectively mounted on the longitudinal frame members, a unitary wall member extending between the side walls to provide front, bottom, and rear walls of the tank, and a top wall extending between the side, front, and rear walls to enclose the tank.

An armored underbody for a road vehicle, the underbody comprising:

• a pair of longitudinal frame members spaced laterally from each other;
• fore and aft front cross frame members and fore and aft intermediate cross frame members extending laterally between the longitudinal frame members;
• four armor protection plates for respectively providing radiator, engine, transmission, and transfer case protection from upwardly directed projectiles;
• each armor protection plate having front and rear ends for mounting thereof;
• the front and rear ends of the radiator protection plate being respectively mounted on the fore and aft front cross frame members;
• the front end of the engine protection plate being mounted on the aft front cross frame member;
• the rear end of the engine protection plate being secured to the front end of the transmission protection plate;
• the rear end of the transmission protection plate and the front end of the transfer case protection plate each being secured to the fore intermediate cross frame member;
• the rear end of the transfer case protection plate being secured to the aft intermediate cross frame member;
• a floor including separate front and rear floor sections of armor plate for protecting the occupant compartment from intrusion by upwardly directed projectiles;
• a floor support member extending laterally between the longitudinal frame members so as to be supported thereby;
• said floor support member having a U-shaped cross section including a lower flange supported on the longitudinal frame members, a vertical wall extending upwardly from the lower flange, and an upper flange extending from the vertical wall and secured to the rear floor section;
• a flange mounted on the vertical wall of the floor support member and secured to the front floor section;
• and a fuel tank fabricated from armor plate to prevent puncturing thereof by projectiles and including a pair of vertical side walls respectively mounted on the longitudinal frame members, a unitary wall member extending between the side walls to provide front, bottom, and rear walls of the tank, and a top wall extending between the side, front, and rear walls to enclose the tank.

An armored underbody for a road vehicle, the underbody comprising:

• a pair of longitudinal frame members spaced laterally from each other;
• fore and aft front cross frame members and fore and aft intermediate cross frame members extending laterally between the longitudinal frame members;
• four armor protection plates for providing radiator, engine, transmission, and transfer case protection from upwardly directed projectiles;
• each armor protection plate having front and rear ends for mounting thereof;
• the front end of the radiator protection plate being mounted on the fore front cross frame member and the rear end thereof including a pair of upwardly extending guards as well as a downwardly extending flange mounted on the aft front cross frame member;
• the engine protection plate including a pair of armor side flanges and the front end thereof having a downwardly extending flange mounted on the aft front cross frame member;
• the front end of the transmission protection plate having a downwardly extending flange secured to the rear end of the engine protection plate;
• the rear end of the transmission protection plate having a downwardly extending flange secured to the fore intermediate cross frame member;
• the transfer case protection plate including armor side flanges extending upwardly and outwardly in oppositely inclined orientations and the front and rear ends thereof being respectively secured to the fore and aft intermediate cross frame members;
• a floor including separate front and rear floor sections of armor plate for protecting the vehicle occupant compartment from intrusion by upwardly directed projectiles;
• a floor support member extending laterally between the longitudinal frame members so as to be supported thereby;
• said floor support having a U-shaped cross-section that opens to the rear and includes a lower flange supported on the longitudinal frame members, a vertical wall extending upwardly from the lower flange, and an upper flange extending from the vertical wall and secured to the rear floor section;
• a front flange mounted on the vertical wall of the floor support member and secured to said front floor section;
• and a fuel tank fabricated from armor plate to prevent puncturing thereof by projectiles and including a pair of vertical side walls respectively mounted on the longitudinal frame members, a unitary wall member extending between the side walls to provide front, bottom, and rear walls of the tank, the unitary wall member also including an inclined wall connecting the bottom and rear walls defined thereby so that projectiles directed toward the tank from the rear are deflected downwardly, and a top wall extending between the side, front, and rear walls to enclose the tank.