ASSEMBLY OF A MOTOR VEHICLE BODY AND A POWER TRAIN AND CHASSIS MODULE

• US 20070137919A1
• Filed: 02/20/2007
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aston Martin Lagonda Limited (Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Aston Martin Lagonda Limited (Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Jolley, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,900,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/312
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/22 characterised by arrangement, location, or type of main drive shafting, e.g. cardan shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 5/02 with the engine main axis, e.g. crankshaft axis, substantially in or parallel to the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/04 single longitudinal type
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/11 with resilient means for suspension , e.g. of wheels or engine; sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/082 Engine compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/088 Details of structures as upper supports for springs or dampers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 27/026 Connections by glue bonding in general F16B11/00; processes C09J5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 65/04 Joining preassembled modular units composed of sub-units performing diverse functions, e.g. engine and bonnet B62D65/06 - B62D65/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 27/093 of the "banjo" type, i.e. pivoting right-angle couplings

Abstract

A motor vehicle front subframe includes a pair of main longitudinal beams each formed from an extrusion with a flange casting at the rear end and a suspension tower at the other end. Two lower longitudinal beams extend parallel to the main longitudinal beams and are connected by a cross member. Each lower longitudinal beam has a vertical rear flange and a generally horizontal front flange where it is attached to a corresponding flange face at the lower end of the adjacent suspension tower. Two intermediate longitudinal beams are attached to the suspension towers and to a main cross-member and forward of this are two crush cans to which is attached a bumper armature. The front subframe is part of a power train and chassis module which includes an engine, a longitudinally extending torque tube attached to the rear of the engine by a bell housing, a rear transmission and final drive assembly attached to a rearward end of the torque tube and a rear subframe mounted on the rear transmission and final drive assembly. The vehicle has a body with a passenger compartment and vertical pillars just forward of the passenger compartment. The body is assembled to the power train and chassis module by lowering the body with the of the vertical pillars just clear of the rear faces of the flanges and until various fixing holes in the flanges and align with those in the pillars. The body is then moved forward to close the gap between the flanges and the pillars. Suitable bolts or set screws are then inserted to secure the front subframe to the body and the rear subframe is attached to the body.

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. In a series of motor vehicles, each motor vehicle having a body defining a passenger compartment a front pair of wheels, a rear pair of wheels, a front suspension supporting tie weight of the body on the front wheels and a rear suspension supporting the weight of the body on the rear wheels, a front subframe for supporting the front suspension, the front subframe comprising a front cross member, a pair of suspension towers each for supporting the weight of the vehicle on a respective one the front wheels, a pair of main longitudinal beams each having at its rear end a flange member defining a rear vertical mounting face and at its front end a respective one of the suspension towers and a pair of front longitudinal beams of a uniform hollow cross-section each connected at its rear end to a respective one of the suspension towers and at its front end to the front cross member, and two vertical members, each supported on the body and having a forward-facing attachment face by which the respective vertical member is attached to the front subframe through the rear vertical mounting face;

a series of front subframes comprising one said subframe for one type of motor vehicle in which the or each pair of said longitudinal beams is of one respective length and another said subframe for another type of motor vehicle in which at least one of the corresponding pairs of longitudinal beams is of another length.

10. The series of claim 9 wherein the difference in length between the or each pair of longitudinal beams in one type and the or each corresponding pair of longitudinal beams in the other type is used to vary, as between the one type and the other, the distance between the forward-facing attachment face and the front cross member.

11. The series of claim 9 wherein the front subframe of each assembly further comprises a main cross-member interposed between the intermediate longitudinal beams and the front longitudinal beams and wherein in said one type of motor vehicle the intermediate longitudinal beams are of one respective length and in said other type of motor vehicle the intermediate longitudinal beams are of another respective length so as to vary, as between the one type and the other, the distance between the forward-facing attachment face and the main cross member.

12. The series of claim 11 wherein the difference in length between the or each pair of longitudinal beams in one type and the or each corresponding pair of longitudinal beams in the other type is used to vary, as between the one type and the other, the distance between the forward-facing attachment face and the main cross member without substantially varying the distance between the forward-facing attachment face and the front cross member.

13-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A front subframe of a motor vehicle, the subframe comprising a pair of main longitudinal beams each having at its rear end means for mounting to a vehicle body and at its other end a respective suspension tower for supporting the weight of the vehicle on a front wheel, a pair of front longitudinal beams of a uniform hollow cross-section each connected at its rear end to a respective one of the suspension towers and at its front end to a front cross member, and a pair of intermediate longitudinal beams, each intermediate longitudinal beam being interposed between a respective one of the suspension lowers and a respective one of the front longitudinal beams.

19. The front subframe of claim 18 and further comprising a main cross-member interposed between the suspension towers and the front longitudinal beams.

20. The front subframe of claim 19 wherein the main cross-member is interposed between the intermediate longitudinal beams and the front longitudinal beam.

21. The front subframe of claim 18 and further comprising a pair of lower longitudinal beams which extend below and parallel to the main longitudinal beams, each lower longitudinal beam having at its rear end means for mounting to the vehicle body and being attached at its front end to the respective suspension tower.