Exoskeleton vehicle upper body structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9988093-B2
Application number	US-201615278722-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2016
Priority date	Sep 28, 2016
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle body exoskeleton includes a plurality of nodes each defining a receptacle. A plurality of tubes have first and second end portions smaller than and tapering inwardly from a main portion. Each end portion is received in one of the receptacles. An adhesive is applied to the end portions filling a gap defined between the receptacles and the end portions to bond the tubes to the receptacles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle body structure comprising:
a floor pan;
left and right inner side-sill plates connected to opposing sides of the floor pan;
left and right outer side-sill plates including an inboard side connected to the left and right inner side-sill plates, respectively; and
left and right exoskeletons each including tubular members assembled to cast nodes, wherein the exoskeletons are assembled to an outboard side of the left and right outer side-sill plates, respectively.

2. The vehicle body structure of claim 1 , wherein each of the tubular members further includes a main portion and a tapered portion, and the tubular members are disposed within the nodes with the main portion abutting an inner wall of the node and with the tapered portion spaced apart from the inner wall to define a gap, and wherein adhesive is disposed in the gap to bond the node and the tubular member.

3. The vehicle body structure of claim 2 further comprising a one-sided fastener extending through one of the tapered portions and one of the nodes.

4. The vehicle body structure of claim 3 , wherein the one-sided fastener is a flow-drill screw.

5. The vehicle body structure of claim 1 further comprising a roof assembly including a longitudinally extending spine and a lateral support connected to the spine and extending transversely between the exoskeletons, wherein the lateral support has a first end portion disposed in one of the cast nodes of the left exoskeleton and has a second end disposed in one of the cast nodes of the right exoskeleton.

6. The vehicle body structure of claim 4 further comprising a windshield header including a first end portion connected to one of the cast nodes of the exoskeleton and a second end portion connected to one of the cast nodes of the second exoskeleton.

7. The vehicle body structure of claim 6 , wherein the first and second end portions of the windshield header each define a receptacle that receives a portion of corresponding one of the nodes.

8. The vehicle body structure of claim 1 further comprising an outer body panel connected to the exoskeleton.

9. The vehicle body structure of claim 1 further comprising a pillar inner panel connected to the outer side-sill panel and to the exoskeleton.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Pastrick Richard Daniel
• Gallagher Stephen William

Classifications

• B62D25/025

  Side sills thereof · CPC title

• B62D23/005 Primary

  with integrated chassis in the whole shell, e.g. meshwork, tubes, or the like (B62D33/044 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D25/06

  Fixed roofs (non-fixed roofs or like shelters B60J7/00; roof liners B60R13/02; insulating elements B60R13/08) · CPC title

• B62D21/04

  single longitudinal type · CPC title

• B62D27/023

  Assembly of structural joints · CPC title