Vehicle frame assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11117619-B2
Application number	US-201916563978-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2019
Priority date	Sep 9, 2019
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle includes a pair of frame rails elongated along a longitudinal axis, each of the frame rails having a downward deformation zone, the frame rails bendable at the downward deformation zones from a first position to a second position beneath the first position. The vehicle includes a tire supported between the pair of frame rails at the downward deformation zones. The vehicle includes a spare tire retention member supported between the pair of frame rails forward of the downward deformation zones.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a pair of frame rails elongated along a longitudinal axis, each of the frame rails having a downward deformation zone, the frame rails bendable at the downward deformation zones from a first position to a second position beneath the first position;
a tire supported between the pair of frame rails at the downward deformation zones;
a spare tire retention member supported between the pair of frame rails forward of the downward deformation zones;
an energy storage device supported forward of the tire; and
the tire beneath the energy storage device when the frame rails are in the second position.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein each of the frame rails includes a second downward deformation zone, and a center of the tire is between the downward deformation zones and the second deformation zones along the longitudinal axis.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of rear tires supported outboard of the frame rails, the downward deformation zones rearward of the pair of rear tires.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein each of the downward deformation zones includes a weakened feature at a bottom of the respective frame rail.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein each of the downward deformation zones includes a second weakened feature at the bottom of the respective frame rail and opposite the weakened feature along a lateral axis.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein each of the downward deformation zones includes a reinforcement at a top of the respective frame rail.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a crossmember elongated along a lateral axis and fixed to the frame rails, the spare tire retention member fixed to the crossmember.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the crossmember defines a chamber, and further comprising a diaphragm in the chamber, the spare tire retention member at the diaphragm.

9. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the crossmember includes a bottom surface and a rear surface, the spare tire retention member fixed to the bottom surface and the rear surface.

10. An assembly, comprising:
a pair of frame rails elongated along a longitudinal axis, each of the frame rails having a downward deformation zone, the frame rails bendable at the downward deformation zones from a first position to a second position beneath the first position, each of the downward deformation zones includes a weakened feature at a bottom of the respective frame rail; and
a spare tire retention member supported between the pair of frame rails forward of the downward deformation zones.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein each of the downward deformation zones includes a second weakened feature at the bottom of the respective frame rail and opposite the weakened feature along a lateral axis.

12. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein each of the downward deformation zones includes a reinforcement at a top of the respective frame rail.

13. The assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a crossmember elongated along the lateral axis and fixed to the frame rails, the spare tire retention member fixed to the crossmember.

14. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the crossmember defines a chamber, and further comprising a diaphragm in the chamber, the spare tire retention member at the diaphragm.

15. The assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a tire mount between the frame rails, the tire supported by the tire mount.

16. The assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a bumper beam elongated along a lateral axis and supported by the frame rails, the downward deformation zones between the spare tire retention member and the bumper beam.

17. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein each of the frame rails includes a second downward deformation zone rearward of the spare tire retention member and spaced from the downward deformation zones along the longitudinal axis.

18. A vehicle, comprising:
a pair of frame rails elongated along a longitudinal axis, each of the frame rails having a downward deformation zone, the frame rails bendable at the downward deformation zones from a first position to a second position beneath the first position, each of the downward deformation zones includes a reinforcement at a top of the respective frame rail;
a tire supported between the pair of frame rails at the downward deformation zones; and
a spare tire retention member supported between the pair of frame rails forward of the downward deformation zones.

19. The vehicle of claim 18 , wherein each of the downward deformation zones includes a weakened feature at a bottom of the respective frame rail.

20. The vehicle of claim 18 , further comprising an energy storage device supported forward of the tire, the tire beneath the energy storage device when the frame rails are in the second position.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Alwan Jamil M
• Midoun Djamal Eddine
• Ryan Sean Timothy
• Dubaisi Hassan Najib
• Dutt Harish Honnavalli
• Aghssa Peyman
• Hussain Zakareia H

Classifications

• B62D21/15 Primary

  having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or temporarily change shape or dimension upon impact with another body (bumpers B60R19/02; shock absorbers in general F16F) · CPC title

• B62D21/02 Primary

  comprising longitudinally or transversely arranged frame members · CPC title

• B60R19/24

  Arrangements for mounting bumpers on vehicles · CPC title

• B62D21/152

  Front or rear frames · CPC title

• B62D43/04 Primary

  attached beneath the vehicle body · CPC title