Vehicle bed frame assembly, system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9422010-B2
Application number	US-201514618485-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2015
Priority date	Apr 20, 2007
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle frame assembly, system and method includes a vehicle frame assembly having a variable length longitudinal frame component. The longitudinal frame component is formed at a first length when used on a first vehicle type and formed at a second length when used on a second vehicle type.

First claim

The invention claims is:

1. A vehicle frame assembly comprising:
a rear frame assembly comprised of at least one rear frame cross brace and rear frame side members extending forwardly from the at least one rear frame cross brace;
a floor frame assembly comprised of side sill members connected at rearward end portions to said rear frame side members and a plurality of cross members extending between the side sill members; and
a frame joint between a first rear frame side member of the rear frame side members and a first side sill member of the side sill members comprising:
an upper wall of said first rear frame side member overlapping an upper wall of said first side sill member along a region where said first rear frame side member mates with said first side sill member;
a lower wall of said first rear frame side member underlapping a lower wall of said first side sill member along said region,
a separate upper reinforcing member overlapping said upper wall of said first rear frame side member and said upper wall of said first side sill member; and
a separate underside reinforcing member underlapping said lower wall of said first side sill member and secured to said first rear frame side member.

2. The frame assembly of claim 1 wherein said first rear frame side member is angularly oriented relative to said first side sill member, said first rear frame side member includes a side wall integrally formed with said upper wall and said lower wall of said first rear frame side member, said side wall of said first rear frame side member angularly oriented relative to said first side sill member and including a flange lapping a side wall of said first side sill member formed integrally with said upper and lower walls of said first side sill member, said side wall of said first rear frame side member extending continuously beyond a rearward terminal end of the first side sill member.

3. The frame assembly of claim 2 wherein the first side sill member includes a bulkhead orthogonally oriented relative to a longitudinal length of the first side sill member that is located forwardly adjacent about a location where said flange laps said side wall of the first side sill member.

4. The frame assembly of claim 1 wherein said underside reinforcing member includes a first section underlapping said lower wall of said first side sill member and a second section oriented approximately orthogonally relative to said first section and relative to a longitudinal length of said first side sill member, said second section closing an open end of said first side sill member.

5. The frame assembly of claim 4 further including a side member reinforcing member forming a second side wall of said first rear frame side member spaced apart from the other side wall of said first rear frame side member, said side reinforcing member including an orthogonally extending flange to which said second section of said underside reinforcing member is attached.

6. A vehicle frame joint, comprising:
a side sill member of a floor frame assembly;
a rearward frame side member angularly oriented relative to said side sill member and connected to said side sill member to transfer load forces thereto, said frame side member having an upper wall overlapping an upper wall of said side sill member along a region where said frame side member mates with said side sill member and a lower wall underlapping a lower wall of said side sill member along said region,
an upper reinforcing member overlapping said upper wall of said frame side member and said upper wall of said side sill member;
an underside reinforcing member underlapping said lower wall of said side sill member and secured to said frame side member,
said underside reinforcing member includes a first section underlapping said lower wall of said side sill member and a second section oriented approximately orthogonally relative to said first section and relative to a longitudinal length of said side sill member, said second section closing an open end of said side sill member.

7. A floor frame system for use on a plurality of vehicle types having varying longitudinal floor lengths, comprising:
at least a first vehicle type having a first floor frame assembly with a first longitudinal length, said first floor frame assembly including a center frame member, a pair of side sill members flanking said center frame member and a plurality of cross members extending between said side sill members and interconnected to said center frame member; and
at least a second vehicle type having a second floor frame assembly with a second longitudinal length that is longer than said first longitudinal length, said second floor frame assembly including a center frame member, a pair of side sill members flanking said center frame member and a plurality of cross members extending between said side sill members and interconnected to said center frame member,
wherein each said center frame members of said first and second floor frame assemblies and said side sill members of said first and second floor frame assemblies has a cross-sectional profile that remains constant along at least a longitudinal portion thereof allowing each to be cut at a first location along said longitudinal portion corresponding to said first longitudinal length when included in said first floor frame assembly and at a second location along said longitudinal portion corresponding to said second longitudinal length when included in said second floor frame assembly, wherein the center frame members and the side sill members of the first and second floor frame assemblies are roll-formed, and further wherein a first rear frame assembly having a first longitudinal length is secured to said first floor frame assembly and a second rear frame assembly having a second longitudinal length that varies relative to said first longitudinal length is secured to said second floor frame assembly,
wherein one of a plurality of rear frame assemblies is secured to each of said first floor frame assembly of said at least a first vehicle type by connecting rear frame side members to rearward ends of said side sill members of said first floor frame assembly and said second floor frame assembly of said at least a second vehicle type by connecting said rear frame side members to rearward ends of said side sill members of said second floor frame assembly,
wherein a frame joint between said rear frame side members and said side sill members of each of said first and second floor frame assemblies includes upper walls of said rear frame side members overlapping upper walls of said side sill member and lower walls of said rear frame side members underlapping lower walls of said side sill members,
wherein the upper walls of said rear frame side members and the corresponding upper walls of said side sill members of each of said first and second floor frame assemblies are overlapped with upper reinforcing members,
wherein lower walls of said rear frame side members and the corresponding lower walls of said side sill members of each of said first and second floor frame assemblies are lapped with underside reinforcing members, each of said underside reinforcing members includes a first section lapping each of said lower walls of said side sill members and a second section oriented approximately orthogonally relative to said first section and relative to a longitudinal length of each of said side sill members, said second section closing an open end of each of said side sill members.

8. The floor frame system of claim 7 wherein said longitudinal portion is an entire longitudinal extent of each of said members.

9. The floor frame system of claim 7 wherein a common front frame assembly is secured to each of said f

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Boettcher Eric J
• Philip Ceby

Classifications

• B62D33/08

  comprising adjustable means (B62D33/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D33/023

  Sideboard or tailgate structures {(vehicle side panels in general B62D25/02)} · CPC title

• Y10T29/49622

  Vehicular structural member making · CPC title

• B62D25/20 Primary

  Floors or bottom sub-units {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11; drip trays F16N31/006)} · CPC title

• B62D33/0273 Primary

  Movable tailboards for vehicles comprising non-movable sideboards, e.g. pick-up trucks (B62D33/037 takes precedence) · CPC title