Frame structure provided with independent suspension for commercial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11820195-B2
Application number	US-202017103453-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2020
Priority date	Jul 13, 2020
Publication date	Nov 21, 2023
Grant date	Nov 21, 2023

Abstract

A frame structure of a commercial vehicle having an independent suspension system may include: a front outrigger mounted at lower front ends of wheel housings along a wide direction of a vehicle; a rear outrigger mounted at lower rear ends of the wheel housings along the width direction, wherein the wheel housings are arranged between the front and rear outriggers in a vehicle body length direction; a center reinforce unit mounted on an inner lower side of the wheel housing and disposed between the wheel housings, the center reinforce unit configured to connect the front and rear outriggers along the vehicle body length direction; a side reinforce unit mounted on an inner side of the wheel housing and connected to the center reinforce unit; and a lower reinforce unit configured to be connected to the center reinforce unit and coupled to the first suspension mounting assembly through the rear outrigger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A frame structure of a commercial vehicle having an independent suspension system, the frame structure comprising:
a front cross beam mounted at lower front ends of wheel housings along a width direction of a vehicle;
a rear cross beam mounted at lower rear ends of the wheel housings along the width direction of the vehicle, wherein the wheel housings are arranged between the front cross beam and rear cross beam in a vehicle body length direction;
a center reinforce unit mounted on an inner lower side of the wheel housings and disposed between the wheel housings, the center reinforce unit configured to connect the front and rear cross beams along the vehicle body length direction;
a side reinforce unit mounted on an inner side of the wheel housings and connected to the center reinforce unit;
a lower reinforce unit configured to be connected to the center reinforce unit and coupled to a first suspension mounting assembly through the rear cross beam; and
an upper reinforce unit mounted on an inner upper surface of the wheel housings and connected to the side reinforce unit.

2. The frame structure of claim 1 , further comprising:
a front reinforce unit mounted on an inner front side of the wheel housings and connected to the front cross beam and the side reinforce unit; and
a rear reinforce unit mounted on an inner rear side of the wheel housings and connected to the rear cross beam and the side reinforce unit.

3. The frame structure of claim 2 , wherein the front and rear reinforce unit comprises:
a plurality of first pipe members having a rectangular cross-section and disposed along the vehicle width direction; and
a plurality of second pipe members having a rectangular cross-section, connected to the first pipe members, and disposed in up and down directions.

4. The frame structure of claim 1 , wherein the upper reinforce unit comprises:
at least one third pipe member having a rectangular cross-section and an arch form, and mounted on the inner upper surface of the wheel housings; and
a fourth pipe member having a square cross-section and connected to the third pipe member in the vehicle width direction.

5. The frame structure of claim 1 , further comprising a second suspension mounting assembly mounted on the front cross beam.

6. The frame structure of claim 1 , further comprising a third suspension mounting assembly mounted on the side reinforce unit.

7. The frame structure of claim 1 , wherein the front and rear cross beams are configured in form of a box with a rectangular cross-section in which channel members having a “U”-shaped cross-section are joined together.

8. The frame structure of claim 1 , wherein the center reinforce unit comprises:
a plurality of first reinforce members mounted on the side reinforce unit, each first reinforce member of the plurality of first reinforce members configured to include at least two channel members respectively having a U-shaped cross-section,
wherein the at least two channel members are joined to each other, forming a rectangular cross-section, and disposed along the vehicle body length direction; and
a plurality of second reinforce members mounted on the side reinforce unit, configured to have a square cross-section and disposed in up and down directions between the first reinforce members.

9. The frame structure of claim 8 , wherein the center reinforce unit further comprises:
a third reinforce member mounted on a lower surface of the plurality of first reinforce members, and configured to have a square cross-section;
a fourth reinforce member having a “U”-shaped cross-section that is open in a downward direction, and mounted on the lower surface of the plurality of first reinforce members; and
a fifth reinforce member having a “U”-shaped cross-section shape that is open in an upward direction, and mounted on the lower surface of the plurality of first reinforce members.

10. The frame structure of claim 1 , wherein the side reinforce unit comprises:
a side lower reinforce member configured to have a square cross-section, connected to the center reinforce unit, and mounted along the vehicle body length direction on a lower inner side of the wheel housings; and
a pair of side upper reinforce members configured to have the square cross-section, spaced apart from the side lower reinforce member, and mounted along the vehicle body length direction on a side of the wheel housings.

11. The frame structure of claim 10 , wherein the side reinforce unit further comprises:
a first connecting member configured to have the square cross-section, and connecting the side lower reinforce member and one of the pair of side upper reinforce members in up and down directions between the side lower reinforce member and the one of the pair of side upper reinforce members; and
a second connecting member configured to have the square cross-section, connecting the side upper reinforce member and an upper surface of the wheel housings, and disposed in the up and down directions.

12. The frame structure of claim 11 , further comprising:
a third suspension mounting assembly mounted on the side reinforce unit,
wherein the third suspension mounting assembly comprises:
a pair of first mounting brackets mounted on the side upper reinforce member; and
a second mounting bracket between the pair of first mounting brackets and configured to be installed to the first connecting member through a reinforce panel.

13. The frame structure of claim 1 , wherein the lower reinforce unit comprises:
a front upper channel plate connected with the center reinforce unit along the vehicle width direction;
a front lower channel plate coupled to a lower surface of the front upper channel plate;
a rear upper channel plate disposed apart from the front upper channel plate and connected to the center reinforce unit along the vehicle width direction; and
a rear lower channel plate connected to a bottom of the rear upper channel plate.

14. The frame structure of claim 13 , wherein the lower reinforce unit further comprises:
a center plate connecting the front upper channel plate and the rear upper channel plate between the front upper channel plate and the rear upper channel plate; and
a center lower channel member connected to a bottom of the center plate.

15. The frame structure of claim 1 , wherein the frame structure is configured in a vehicle body of a two-story electric bus.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Moon Yong Woo

Classifications

• B60G7/001 Primary

  Suspension arms, e.g. constructional features (B60G7/006 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60G3/20

  all arms being rigid · CPC title

• B62D21/02

  comprising longitudinally or transversely arranged frame members · CPC title

• B62D21/11

  with resilient means for suspension {, e.g. of wheels or engine; sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions} · CPC title

• B62D31/04

  with more than one deck · CPC title