Vehicle frame construction and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10597094-B2
Application number	US-201515302541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2015
Priority date	Apr 9, 2014
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

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.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. 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 recesses are defined in the reinforcement member such that the reinforcement member is spaced apart from each interior side along portions thereof, the recesses define contact portions, and structural foam is interposed between the contact portions and the interior sides to directly bond the contact portions to the interior sides,
wherein a plurality of spaced apart reinforcements is provided along the elongated length of the reinforcement member along one of the recesses.

2. The vehicle frame construction of claim 1 wherein the structural foam is overmolded onto each contact portion of the reinforcement member.

3. The vehicle frame construction of claim 1 wherein the structural foam is a heat activated epoxy foam.

4. The vehicle frame construction of claim 1 wherein the plurality of interior sides includes at least four sides arranged in two sets including a first set of spaced apart sides and a second set of spaced apart sides arranged approximately perpendicularly relative to the first set of spaced apart sides.

5. The vehicle frame construction of claim 1 wherein the plurality of interior sides includes a first set of spaced apart sides including a first set first interior side and a first set second interior side, and a second set of spaced apart sides including a second set first interior side and a second set second interior side, wherein the second set of spaced apart sides are arranged approximately perpendicularly relative to the first set of spaced apart sides.

6. The vehicle frame construction of claim 5 wherein the reinforcement member includes a first leg extending toward the first set first interior side, the first leg having a first set first interior side contact portion arranged to extend along at least a portion of the first set first interior side.

7. The vehicle frame construction of claim 6 wherein the reinforcement member includes a second leg extending toward an intersection between the first set second interior side and the second set first interior side, the second leg having a first set second interior side contact portion arranged to extend along at least a portion of the first set second interior side and a second set first interior side contact portion arranged to extend along at least a portion of the second set first interior side, a first recess of said recesses disposed between the first leg and the second leg and extending along a portion of the second set first interior side.

8. The vehicle frame construction of claim 7 wherein the reinforcement member includes a third leg extending toward an intersection between the first set second interior side and the second set second interior side, the third leg having a first set second interior side contact portion arranged to extend along at least a portion of the first set second interior side, a second recess of said recesses disposed between the second leg and the third leg and extending along a portion of the first set second interior side.

9. The vehicle frame construction of claim 8 wherein the third leg further has a second set second interior side contact portion arranged to extend along at least a portion of the second set second interior side.

10. The vehicle frame construction of claim 8 wherein the reinforcement member includes a fourth leg extending toward an intersection between the first set first interior side and the second set second interior side, the fourth leg having a first set first interior side contact portion arranged to extend along at least a portion of the first set first interior side and a second set second interior side contact portion arranged to extend along at least a portion of the second set second interior side, a third recess of said recesses disposed between the third leg and the fourth leg and extending along a portion of the second set second interior side, and a fourth recess of said recesses disposed between the fourth leg and the first leg and extending along a portion of the first set first interior side.

11. The vehicle frame construction of claim 5 wherein the reinforcement member includes a leg extending toward an intersection between the first set second interior side and the second set first interior side, the leg having a first set second interior side contact portion arranged to extend along at least a portion of the first set second interior side and a second set first interior side contact portion arranged to extend along at least a portion of the second set first interior side.

12. The vehicle frame construction of claim 5 wherein the reinforcement member includes a leg extending toward an intersection between the first set second interior side and the second set second interior side, the leg having a first set second interior side contact portion arranged to extend along at least a portion of the first set second interior side.

13. The vehicle frame construction of claim 5 wherein the reinforcement member includes a leg extending toward an intersection between the first set first interior side and the second set second interior side, the leg having a first set first interior side contact portion arranged to extend along at least a portion of the first set first interior side and a second set second interior side contact portion arranged to extend along at least a portion of the second set second interior side.

14. The vehicle frame construction of claim 1 wherein the reinforcement member is elongated and disposed along a substantial portion of a longitudinal extent of the elongated hollow frame member, and wherein the elongated hollow frame member is a vertical pillar member.

15. The vehicle frame construction of claim 1 wherein the reinforcement member is one of a plurality of like reinforcement members disposed at spaced apart locations along a longitudinal extent of the elongated hollow frame member, and wherein the elongated hollow frame member is a side sill member.

16. The vehicle frame construction of claim 1 wherein the contact portions of the reinforcement member 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 oriented approximately perpendicularly relative to the upper contact portion and the lower contact portion; 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 oriented approximately perpendicularly relative to the upper contact portion and the lower contact portion, the second side contact portion spaced apart from the first side contact portion.

17. The vehicle frame construction of claim 1 wherein the reinforcement member is one of a plurality of like reinforcement members disposed at spaced apart locations along a longitudinal extent of the el

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Meaige Benjamin J
• Voigt Derik Thomas
• Boettcher Eric J

Classifications

• B62D29/005

  preformed metal and synthetic material elements being joined together, e.g. by adhesives · CPC title

• B29C44/128

  Internally reinforcing constructional elements, e.g. beams · CPC title

• B62D25/025

  Side sills thereof · CPC title

• B62D29/002 Primary

  a foamable synthetic material or metal being added in situ (shaping of substances in a plastic state by foaming, in general B29C44/00) · CPC title

• B62D25/04

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title