Vehicle

• US 10,077,080 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2014
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Inventors: Matsuda, Hiroshi, Watanabe, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Gutman, Hilary L
• Application Number:
  US14/514,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20150042126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 29618703, 29618712, 29619305, 29619306, 296205, 29620303, 296209, 296 29, 296 103
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 23/005 with integrated chassis in the whole shell, e.g. meshwork, tubes, or the like B62D33/044 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/02 Side panels B62D33/046 takes precedence; sideboards for open load compartments B62D33/023
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/025 Side sills thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/04 Door pillars ; windshield pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 27/023 Assembly of structural joints
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 29/005 preformed metal and synthetic material elements being joined together, e.g. by adhesives

Abstract

A vehicle includes: a main frame having a plurality of members; and a reinforcing member that is made of a reinforced resin and that is disposed at a junction where three members out of the plurality of members intersect a point from three directions, or at a junction where one or two members intersect a point from any of three directions.

Claims

1. A vehicle body main frame comprising:

one or more outer members made of metallic material, each of said outer members having a concave sectional shape arranged to have an inner concave surface facing toward an interior of the vehicle body main frame, the one or more outer members comprising

a front pillar outer element,

a roof pillar outer element coupled to the front pillar outer element and extending longitudinally along an upper section of a side of the vehicle body main frame,

a door sill outer element coupled to the front pillar outer element and extending longitudinally along a lower section of the side of the vehicle body main frame, and

a center pillar outer element extending between the roof pillar outer element and the door sill outer element; and

one or more inner members made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, each of said inner members being coupled to a corresponding outer member, and each of said inner members having a concave sectional shape that overlaps the concave sectional shape of the corresponding outer member, with the inner member being arranged to have an inner concave surface thereof facing toward the interior of the vehicle body main frame, the one or more inner members comprising

a front pillar inner element coupled to the front pillar outer element,

a roof pillar inner element coupled to the roof pillar outer element,

a door sill inner element coupled to the door sill outer element, and

a center pillar inner element coupled to the center pillar outer element,

wherein at least a portion of a first pair of corresponding inner and outer elements overlaps at least a portion of a second pair of corresponding inner and outer elements, and

wherein at least one of said inner members made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic extends to overlap at least respective portions of two of said outer members made of steel, said two outer members made of steel being positioned laterally of one another in a vehicle length direction of the vehicle body main frame, and said at least one inner member made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic extending to span a clearance between said two outer members made of steel.

2. The vehicle body main frame according to claim 1, wherein

the one or more inner members further comprises a front pillar inner front element coupled to the front pillar outer element and located between the front pillar inner element and the roof pillar inner element.

3. The vehicle body main frame according to claim 1, wherein

in a corresponding pair of inner and outer members, the outer member and the inner member are coupled to one another by at least one of an adhesive and a resin.

4. The vehicle body main frame according to claim 1, wherein

in a corresponding pairs of inner and outer members, the outer member and the inner member are coupled to one another by at least one of screws and rivets.

5. The vehicle body main frame according to claim 1, wherein

in a corresponding pair of inner and outer members, an inner member concave portion and an outer member concave portion are in a nested arrangement.

6. The vehicle body main frame according to claim 1, wherein

at least a portion of the door sill inner and outer corresponding elements overlaps at least a portion of the center pillar inner and outer corresponding elements.

7. The vehicle body main frame according to claim 6, wherein

the door sill inner element is positioned outwardly of the center pillar outer element.

8. The vehicle body main frame according to claim 1, wherein

the roof pillar inner element extends to overlap at least respective portions of the roof pillar outer element and the center pillar outer element, and to span a clearance between the roof pillar outer element and the center pillar outer element.

9. The vehicle body main frame according to claim 1, wherein

the front pillar inner element extends to overlap at least respective portions of the front pillar outer element and the center pillar outer element, and to span a clearance between the front pillar outer element and the center pillar outer element.

10. The vehicle body main frame according to claim 1, wherein

the door sill inner element extends to overlap at least respective portions of the center pillar outer element and a rear-end outer element that is adjacent to a rear end of the center pillar outer element in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle body main frame, and to span a clearance between the center pillar outer element and the rear-end outer element.

11. The vehicle body main frame according to claim 10, wherein

the rear-end outer element is a pillar element.

12. The vehicle body main frame according to claim 10, wherein

the rear-end outer element is the roof pillar element.

13. The vehicle body main frame according to claim 1, wherein

the door sill inner element extends to overlap at least respective portions of the center pillar outer element and a front-end outer element that is adjacent to a front end of the center pillar outer element in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle body main frame, and to span a clearance between the center pillar outer element and the front-end outer element.

14. The vehicle body main frame according to claim 13, wherein

the front-end outer element is a pillar element.

15. The vehicle body main frame according to claim 13, wherein

the front-end outer element is the front pillar element.

16. The vehicle body main frame according to claim 10, wherein

the door sill inner element is positioned outwardly of the center pillar outer element.