Mounting assembly for a suspension and wheel assembly of a vehicle, and vehicle including same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10532772-B2
Application number	US-201815876419-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2018
Priority date	Jan 22, 2018
Publication date	Jan 14, 2020
Grant date	Jan 14, 2020

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, a plate, and a steering rack assembly. 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. The steering rack housing can be mounted to the bottom surface of the plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mounting assembly for a suspension and wheel assembly of a vehicle, the suspension and wheel assembly including a pair of wheels and a pair of suspension members, each of the suspension members connected to a respective one of the wheels, the mounting assembly comprising:
a pair of front frame members spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction of the vehicle;
a front final drive assembly extending between the front frame members, the final drive assembly including a final drive housing containing an input structure and an output structure, the input structure is configured to receive torque from a power source, and the output structure is configured to transfer at least a portion of the torque to at least one of the wheels; and
a pair of suspension brackets, each of the suspension brackets is connected to and bridges a respective one of the front frame members and is connected to the final drive assembly such that a load input to one of the suspension brackets is transferred to a different one of the suspension brackets through the final drive housing, and then to the respective one of the front frame members.

2. The mounting assembly for a suspension and wheel assembly of a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the front final drive assembly further includes a housing extension that extends away from the final drive housing in the transverse direction of the vehicle, extends to each of the suspension brackets, and is connected to each of the suspension brackets.

3. The mounting assembly for a suspension and wheel assembly of a vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the housing extension abuts each of the suspension brackets.

4. The mounting assembly for a suspension and wheel assembly of a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein each of the suspension brackets includes a top wall, a pair of side walls that extend downwardly from the top wall at spaced apart locations along the top wall, and an end wall that extends downwardly from the top wall and that is connected to each of the side walls.

5. The mounting assembly for a suspension and wheel assembly of a vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein each of the side walls includes a mounting hole that is configured to connect a respective one of the suspension members to the suspension brackets.

6. The mounting assembly for a suspension and wheel assembly of a vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the end wall includes a mounting hole, and a housing extension is connected to the suspension brackets using the mounting holes.

7. The mounting assembly for a suspension and wheel assembly of a vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the one of the side walls is welded to a respective one of the front frame members.

8. The mounting assembly for a suspension and wheel assembly of a vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein one of the side walls is directly connected to a respective one of the front frame members.

9. The mounting assembly for a suspension and wheel assembly of a vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the front frame members are front lower frame members that extend along a bottom portion of the vehicle in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the mounting assembly further comprises:
a pair of first front frame members connected to and extending upwardly from a respective one of the front lower frame members, and each of the first front frame members abuts one of the side walls of a respective one of the suspension brackets.

10. The mounting assembly for a suspension and wheel assembly of a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the front frame members are front lower frame members that extend along a bottom portion of the vehicle in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the mounting assembly further comprises:
a skid plate extending in a transverse direction from one of the front lower frame members to another one of the front lower frame members, extending in the longitudinal direction along each of the front lower frame members, and connected to each of the front lower frame members and to each of the suspension brackets.

11. The mounting assembly for a suspension and wheel assembly of a vehicle according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a pair of first front frame members connected to and extending upwardly from a respective one of the front lower frame members, and each of the first front frame members abuts a respective one of the suspension brackets.

12. The mounting assembly for a suspension and wheel assembly of a vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein each of the suspension members includes a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion, the first mounting portion is connected to a respective one of the suspension brackets, and the second mounting portion is connected to the front frame member at a position spaced away from the respective one of the suspension brackets.

13. 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 in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the rear frame assembly configured to mount a rear suspension and wheel assembly;
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 front lower frame members, each of the front lower frame members including a first end connected to the main frame assembly and a second end spaced away from the main frame assembly in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle;
a front final drive assembly extending between the front lower frame members, the final drive assembly including a final drive housing and at least one connector configured to connect with a driveshaft; and
a pair of suspension brackets, each of the suspension brackets connected to a respective one of the front lower frame members and to the final drive assembly such that a load input to one of the suspension brackets is transferred through the final drive housing to one of the front lower frame members connected with a different one of the suspension brackets.

14. The vehicle according to claim 13 , wherein each of the suspension brackets is connected to a respective one of the front lower frame members adjacent the second end of the respective one of the front lower frame members.

15. The vehicle according to claim 13 , further comprising a pair of first front frame members connected to and extending upwardly from a respective one of the lower frame members, each of the first front frame members abutting a respective one of the suspension brackets.

16. The vehicle according to claim 15 , further comprising a pair of second front frame members connected to and extending upwardly from a respective one of the lower frame members, each of the second front frame members having a first end connected to the respective one of the front lower frame members and a second end connected to a respective one of the pair of first front frame members, each of the first front frame members and the second front frame members configured to movably support a different respective portion of the front suspension and wheel assembly.

17. The vehicle according to claim 13 , further comprising a front bumper assembly connected to each of the front lower frame members at a location adjacent to a respectiv

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Upah Luke M
• Sellars Daniel T
• Kirtland Dakota D

Classifications

• B60G2300/07

  Off-road vehicles · CPC title

• B60Y2200/124

  Buggies, Quads · CPC title

• B62D21/183 Primary

  specially adapted for sports vehicles, e.g. race, dune buggies, go-karts (tubular skeleton B62D23/005) · CPC title

• B60G2200/144

  with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram · CPC title

• B60K17/30

  the ultimate propulsive elements, e.g. ground wheels, being steerable · CPC title