Joint for an underbody of a motor vehicle

• US 10,131,381 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faraday & Future Inc.
• Original Assignee: Faraday & Future Inc.
• Inventors: Ashraf, Umran, Colt, John Michael, Veltman, Rene Johan, Borghi, Cory Denis, Jin, Ye, Zinkel, Gregory Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Frick, Emma K
• Application Number:
  US15/240,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20170001667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/001 one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2306/01 Reducing damages in case of crash, e.g. by improving battery protection
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/03 transverse members providing body support
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/15 having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or temporarily change shape or dimension upon impact with another body bumpers B60R19/02; shock absorbers in general F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/157 for side impacts
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 63/025 Modular vehicles superstructures for busses having modular sections B62D31/025

Abstract

A joint for a vehicle can direct forces away from an interior of the vehicle and along a frame rail. The joint can pivot when subjected to a high force, and the pivoting action can redirect and redistribute the force away from a passenger compartment. The joint can comprise multiple pivot points.

Claims

1. A joint for a vehicle, the joint comprising:

a body member including a longitudinal axis in a first direction configured to;

be coupled to a vehicle underbody at a first mounting point and at a second mounting point, the first and second mounting points comprising first and second pivot points, respectively, for the body member, wherein each of the first and second mounting points comprise a hole through the body member, and wherein each hole is disposed on a common flange,

be coupled to a vehicle rail at one or more locations other than the first and second mounting points, the vehicle rail including a longitudinal axis oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body member, and

when a force in a second direction different than the first direction is applied to a first location of the body member, pivot at one of the first pivot point and the second pivot point depending on the second direction, the pivoting at least partially transferring the force to the vehicle rail, wherein the first and second mounting points are aligned along the longitudinal axis of the body member.

2. The joint of claim 1, wherein the pivoting of the body member transfers the force to the vehicle rail in the first direction.

3. The joint of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second mounting points comprises a hole through the body member, the holes configured to accept connecting devices that couple the body member to the vehicle underbody.

4. The joint of claim 3, wherein each of the connecting devices comprises a cylindrical shaft, the cylindrical shafts comprising the first and second pivot points of the body member.

5. The joint of claim 1, wherein the body member is configured to be coupled to a cross member of the vehicle underbody that is perpendicular to the vehicle rail, such that the pivoting of the body member transfers at least a portion of the force to the cross member.

6. The joint of claim 1, wherein the vehicle underbody comprises a center frame section that is parallel to the vehicle rail, and the pivoting of the body member transfers the force away from the center frame section.

7. The joint of claim 1, wherein the vehicle rail is part of a vehicle upper body.

8. A joint for a vehicle, the joint comprising:

a body member including a longitudinal axis in a first direction configured to;

be coupled to a vehicle underbody at a first mounting point and at a second mounting point, the first and second mounting points comprising first and second pivot points, respectively, for the body member, wherein each of the first and second mounting points comprise a hole through the body member, and wherein each hole is disposed on a common flange,

be coupled to a vehicle rail at one or more locations other than the first and second mounting points, the vehicle rail including a longitudinal axis oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body member, and

when a force in a second direction different than the first direction is applied to a first location of the body member, pivot at one of the first pivot point and the second pivot point depending on the second direction, the pivoting at least partially transferring the force to the vehicle rail, wherein the first and second mounting points are aligned along the longitudinal axis of the body member and the pivoting of the body member transfers the force to the vehicle rail in the first direction.

9. The joint of claim 8, wherein each of the first and second mounting points comprises a hole through the body member, the holes configured to accept connecting devices that couple the body member to the vehicle underbody.

10. The joint of claim 9, wherein each of the connecting devices comprises a cylindrical shaft, the cylindrical shafts comprising the first and second pivot points of the body member.

11. The joint of claim 8, wherein the body member is configured to be coupled to a cross member of the vehicle underbody that is perpendicular to the vehicle rail, such that the pivoting of the body member transfers at least a portion of the force to the cross member.

12. The joint of claim 8, wherein the vehicle underbody comprises a center frame section that is parallel to the vehicle rail, and the pivoting of the body member transfers the force away from the center frame section.

13. The joint of claim 8, wherein the vehicle rail is part of a vehicle upper body.

14. A joint for a vehicle, the joint comprising:

a body member including a longitudinal axis in a first direction configured to;

be coupled to a vehicle underbody at a first mounting point and at a second mounting point, the first and second mounting points comprising first and second pivot points, respectively, for the body member, wherein each of the first and second mounting points comprise a hole through the body member, and wherein each hole is disposed on a common flange,

be coupled to a vehicle rail at one or more locations other than the first and second mounting points, the vehicle rail including a longitudinal axis oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body member, and

when a force in a second direction different than the first direction is applied to a first location of the body member, pivot at one of the first pivot point and the second pivot point depending on the second direction, the pivoting at least partially transferring the force to the vehicle rail, wherein the body member is configured to be coupled to a cross member of the vehicle underbody that is perpendicular to the vehicle rail, such that the pivoting of the body member transfers at least a portion of the force to the cross member.

15. The joint of claim 14, wherein the first and second mounting points are aligned along the longitudinal axis of the body member.

16. The joint of claim 15, wherein the pivoting of the body member transfers the force to the vehicle rail in the first direction.

17. The joint of claim 14, wherein each of the first and second mounting points comprises a hole through the body member, the holes configured to accept connecting devices that couple the body member to the vehicle underbody.

18. The joint of claim 17, wherein each of the connecting devices comprises a cylindrical shaft, the cylindrical shafts comprising the first and second pivot points of the body member.

19. The joint of claim 14, wherein the vehicle underbody comprises a center frame section that is parallel to the vehicle rail, and the pivoting of the body member transfers the force away from the center frame section.

20. The joint of claim 14, wherein the vehicle rail is part of a vehicle upper body.