Vehicle frame component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9566922-B2
Application number	US-201514926140-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2015
Priority date	Aug 14, 2013
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle frame component for limiting the movement of the wheel of the vehicle toward the cab of a cab on frame vehicle including a base member welded to openings in the frame side rail and extending outwardly and located proximal the wheel structure. In one embodiment the vehicle frame component is located forward of the wheel and includes a tire puncture device to deflate the tire during an offset front impact and in a second embodiment the vehicle frame component is located rearward of the wheel. The vehicle frame component has particular utility during an offset front impact where the offset is less than approximately twenty-five percent (25%) of the width of the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle frame for a vehicle, the vehicle frame comprising:
a frame rail and a second frame rail spaced from the frame rail;
a shock tower bracket coupled to the frame rail;
a cross-member extending in a cross-vehicle direction from the frame rail to the second frame rail, the cross-member being positioned in a vehicle-forward direction of the shock tower bracket;
a front blocker fixed to the frame rail and extending from the frame rail at a position along the frame rail longitudinally spaced from the shock tower bracket and the cross-member in the vehicle-forward direction; and
a cab mount bracket supported on the blocker for mounting a vehicle cab on the blocker.

2. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 1 wherein the blocker extends from the frame rail to a free end spaced from the frame rail, the blocker tapering toward the free end.

3. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 2 wherein the blocker is cantilevered from the frame rail.

4. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 1 wherein the blocker is welded to the frame rail.

5. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a resilient cab mounting support coupled to the cab mount bracket.

6. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 5 wherein the resilient cab mounting support and the cab mount bracket each define a hole aligned with each other for receiving a mounting post of the cab.

7. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cab mount bracket and the blocker each define a hole aligned with each other for receiving a mounting post of the cab.

8. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 1 further comprising another blocker extending from the frame rail spaced from the blocker for receiving the wheel between the blockers.

9. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a front bumper supported by the frame rail, the frame rail extending from the front blocker to the front bumper.

10. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 1 wherein the blocker is configured to transfer energy to the frame rail during the offset frontal impact.

11. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 1 wherein the blocker extends from the frame rail in a direction away from the second frame rail.

12. A vehicle frame comprising:
a frame rail and a second frame rail spaced from the frame rail;
a bumper coupled to the frame rail;
a cross-member extending from the frame rail to the second frame rail; and
a blocker fixed to the frame rail, the blocker extending from the frame rail at a position along the frame rail between the bumper and the cross-member, the blocker being spaced from the bumper; and
a cab mount bracket fixed to the blocker.

13. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 12 wherein the blocker tapers toward the free end between the cab mount bracket and the free end.

14. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 12 further comprising a resilient cab mounting support coupled to the cab mount bracket.

15. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 12 wherein the cab mount bracket and the blocker each define a hole aligned with each other for receiving a mounting post of the cab.

16. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 1 wherein the frame rail is deformable between the cross-member and the front blocker in response to a small offset frontal impact.

17. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a cab mounted to the cab mount bracket in a body-on-frame construction.

18. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 12 wherein the blocker extends from the frame rail at a position along the frame rail longitudinally spaced from the cross-member.

19. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 18 wherein the frame rail is deformable between the cross-member and the front blocker in response to a small offset frontal impact.

20. The vehicle frame as set forth in claim 12 further comprising a shock tower bracket coupled to the frame rail, the cross-member extending from the frame rail in a vehicle-forward direction of the shock tower bracket.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Gupta Ajay Kumar
• Venugopal Narayana
• Caris John Charles
• Wlotkowski Mark
• Ko Charles
• Shaner Leonard Anthony

Classifications

• B60Y2200/142

  Heavy duty trucks · CPC title

• B60R21/00

  Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks (safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19) · CPC title

• B60R19/00 Primary

  Wheel guards; Radiator guards, {e.g. grilles}; Obstruction removers; Fittings damping bouncing force in collisions ({reinforcement elements for side doors B60J5/0412; } mudguards B62D) · CPC title

• B62D25/08

  Front or rear portions {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11)} · CPC title

• B60R19/02

  Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects ({B60R19/56 takes precedence; initiating brake action by contact of bumper with an external object B60T7/22; for rail vehicles B61F19/04; safety equipment for cycles B62J27/00;} integral with waterborne vessels or specially adapted therefor B63B59/02) · CPC title