Motor vehicle having a body support structure

• US 6,027,159 A
• Filed: 09/26/1997
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Baumann, Karl-Heinz
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoge, Gary C.
• Application Number:
  US08/939,115
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 296/189
• US Class Current: 296/187.03
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/152 Front or rear frames

Abstract

A passenger car has a vehicle body with a passenger compartment and support structure including a collision responsive deformable front zone in front of the passenger compartment, a deformable rear zone behind the passenger compartment and at least one deformable center zone aligned to the passenger compartment and integrated in the vehicle body support structure and also effective in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The deformable center zone includes corrugations in passenger compartment floor structure members.

Claims

1. Passenger car having a vehicle body support structure comprising:

a passenger compartment,

a deformable front zone arranged in front of the passenger compartment and effective in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

a deformable rear zone arranged behind the passenger compartment and effective in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and

at least one deformable center zone assigned to the passenger compartment and integrated into the vehicle body support structure and also effective in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

wherein the at least one deformable center zone is provided at least at the level of the floor structure of the passenger compartment in a transition area between seat positions of the passenger compartment arranged behind one another in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and

wherein the at least one deformable center zone has deformation resistance characteristically adapted such to the deformable front and rear zones that the deformable center zone will not become effective before at least the deformable front zone or the deformable rear zone have been used at least partially for the absorbing of energy.

4. Passenger car according to claim 1, wherein the at least one deformable center zone has weakenings at defined points of the floor structure.

8. Passenger car according to claim 1, wherein the deformable center zone includes several deformation corrugations provided as weakenings which are situated behind one another in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and which are integrated in the floor structure of the passenger compartment.

11. Passenger car according to claim 1, wherein the floor structure extends under the passenger compartment, the floor structure having deformation elements which are positioned in an area of front ends of lateral chassis members facing front wheels of the passenger car.

14. Passenger car according to claim 1, wherein in a case of a rear-wheel drive passenger car, a deformation element is arranged in a propeller shaft extending below floor structure of the passenger compartment, at the level of the deformable center zone, the deformation resistance of the deformation element being adapted to the deformable zone.

15. Passenger car according to claim 1, wherein lateral roof frames as well as a roof covering of a roof structure of the passenger compartment 4 have integrated deformation sections at a level of the at least one deformable center zone.

2. Passenger car having a vehicle body support structure comprising:

a passenger compartment,

a deformable front zone arranged in front of the passenger compartment and effective in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

a deformable rear zone arranged behind the passenger compartment and effective in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and

at least one deformable center zone assigned to the passenger compartment and integrated into the vehicle body support structure and also effective in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

wherein the at least one deformable center zone has weakenings at defined points of the floor structure.

3. Passenger car having a vehicle body support structure comprising:

a passenger compartment,

a deformable front zone arranged in front of the passenger compartment and effective in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

a deformable rear zone arranged behind the passenger compartment and effective in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and

at least one deformable center zone assigned to the passenger compartment and integrated into the vehicle body support structure and also effective in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

wherein the at least one deformable center zone is provided at least at the level of the floor structure of the passenger compartment in a transition area between seat positions of the passenger compartment arranged behind one another in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and

wherein the at least one deformable center zone has weakenings at defined points of the floor structure.

5. Passenger car having a vehicle body support structure comprising:

a passenger compartment,

a deformable front zone arranged in front of the passenger compartment and effective in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

a deformable rear zone arranged behind the passenger compartment and effective in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and

at least one deformable center zone assigned to the passenger compartment and integrated into the vehicle body support structure and also effective in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

wherein the deformable center zone includes several deformation corrugations provided as weakenings which are situated behind one another in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and which are integrated in the floor structure of the passenger compartment.

6. Passenger car according to claim 5, wherein the deformation corrugations of the floor structure are arranged in a transition area between lateral B-columns and a rear-seat cross member.

16. Passenger car according to claim 5, wherein lateral roof frames as well as a roof covering of a roof structure of the passenger compartment have integrated deformation sections at a level of the at least one deformable center zone.

17. Passenger car according to claim 16, wherein the floor structure extends under the passenger compartment, the floor structure having deformation elements 16 which are positioned in an area of front ends of lateral chassis members facing front wheels of the passenger car.

18. Passenger car according to claim 17, wherein in a case of a rear-wheel drive passenger car, a deformation element is arranged in a propeller shaft extending below floor structure of the passenger compartment, at the level of the deformable center zone, the deformation resistance of the deformation element being adapted to the deformable zone.

7. Passenger car having a vehicle body support structure comprising:

a passenger compartment,

a deformable front zone arranged in front of the passenger compartment and effective in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

a deformable rear zone arranged behind the passenger compartment and effective in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and

at least one deformable center zone assigned to the passenger compartment and integrated into the vehicle body support structure and also effective in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

wherein the at least one deformable center zone is provided at least at the level of the floor structure of the passenger compartment in a transition area between seat positions of the passenger compartment arranged behind one another in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and

wherein the deformable center zone includes several deformation corrugations provided as weakenings which are situated behind one another in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and which are integrated in the floor structure of the passenger compartment.

9. Passenger car having a vehicle body support structure comprising:

a passenger compartment,

a deformable front zone arranged in front of the passenger compartment and effective in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

a deformable rear zone arranged behind the passenger compartment and effective in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and

at least one deformable center zone assigned to the passenger compartment and integrated into the vehicle body support structure and also effective in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

wherein the floor structure extends under the passenger compartment, the floor structure having deformation elements which are positioned in an area of front ends of lateral chassis members facing front wheels of the passenger car.

12. Passenger car according to claim 9, wherein in a case of a rear-wheel drive passenger car, a deformation element is arranged in a propeller shaft extending below floor structure of the passenger compartment, at the level of the deformable center zone, the deformation resistance of the deformation element being adapted to the deformable zone.

10. Passenger car having a vehicle body support structure comprising:

a passenger compartment,

a deformable front zone arranged in front of the passenger compartment and effective in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

a deformable rear zone arranged behind the passenger compartment and effective in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and

at least one deformable center zone assigned to the passenger compartment and integrated into the vehicle body support structure and also effective in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

wherein the at least one deformable center zone is provided at least at the level of the floor structure of the passenger compartment in a transition area between seat positions of the passenger compartment arranged behind one another in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and

wherein the floor structure extends under the passenger compartment, the floor structure having deformation elements which are positioned in an area of front ends of lateral chassis members facing front wheels of the passenger car.

13. Passenger car having a vehicle body support structure comprising:

a passenger compartment,

a deformable front zone arranged in front of the passenger compartment and effective in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

a deformable rear zone arranged behind the passenger compartment and effective in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and

at least one deformable center zone assigned to the passenger compartment and integrated into the vehicle body support structure and also effective in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

wherein the at least one deformable center zone is provided at least at the level of the floor structure of the passenger compartment in a transition area between seat positions of the passenger compartment arranged behind one another in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and

wherein in a case of a rear-wheel drive passenger car, a deformation element is arranged in a propeller shaft extending below floor structure of the passenger compartment, at the level of the deformable center zone, the deformation resistance of the deformation element being adapted to the deformable zone.