Car body for a motor vehicle

• US 8,317,227 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2010
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Klimek, Stanislaw, Schwarz, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Rocca, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US12/960,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20110148089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.5, 180/69.4, 180/69.5, 180/69.6, 180/311, 180/312, 280/781, 280/783, 280/797, 280/798, 280/799, 280/800, 280/830, 280/834, 296/193.07, 296/203.01, 296/203.04, 296/204, 296/193.08
• US Class Current: 280/781
• 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 15/067 Mounting of tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0472 from below
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/087 Luggage compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 63/025 Modular vehicles superstructures for busses having modular sections B62D31/025

Abstract

A car body is provided for a motor vehicle that includes, but is not limited to a structural unit including a rear frame structure with a rear axle and mountings for a fuel tank or an electric accumulator. The structural unit is fixed on a bottom plate of the car body. A correspondingly designed rear frame structure makes it possible to selectively equip the motor vehicle for drives with an internal combustion or purely electric drives or hybrid drives.

Claims

1. A car body for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a bottom plate that forms a lower end of a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle;

a rear frame structure extending over the bottom plate and fixed on the bottom plate, the rear frame structure including longitudinal beams that divide into an outer longitudinal beam and an inner longitudinal beam at the bottom plate;

a rear axle supported by the rear frame structure; and

at least one mounting coupled to the longitudinal beams of the rear frame structure that receives a fuel tank to couple the fuel tank to the rear frame structure.

2. The car body according to claim 1, wherein the rear frame structure supports a rear bumper of the motor vehicle.

3. The car body according to claim 1, wherein the rear frame structure carries a damping unit configured to support rear wheels of the motor vehicle.

4. The car body according to claim 3, wherein the damping unit includes a spring.

5. The car body according to claim 1, wherein the rear frame structure, the rear axle and the fuel tank form a pre-assembled structural unit.

6. The car body according to claim 1, wherein the rear frame structure comprises a crossbeam arranged transversely to a driving direction between the rear axle and the mounting for the fuel tank.

7. The car body according to claim 1, wherein the bottom plate comprises a first material and the rear frame structure comprises a second material that is different from the first material.

8. The car body according to claim 1, wherein the rear frame structure comprises a light metal.

9. The car body according to claim 1, wherein the rear frame structure comprises a composite material.

10. The car body according to claim 1, wherein the rear frame structure is bonded to the bottom plate.

11. A car body for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a bottom plate that forms a lower end of a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle;

a rear frame structure extending over the bottom plate and fixed on the bottom plate, the rear frame structure including longitudinal beams that divide into an outer longitudinal beam and an inner longitudinal beam at the bottom plate;

a rear axle supported by the rear frame structure; and

at least one mounting coupled to the longitudinal beams of the rear frame structure that receives an electric accumulator to couple the electric accumulator to the rear frame structure.

12. The car body according to claim 11, wherein the rear frame structure supports a rear bumper of the motor vehicle.

13. The car body according to claim 11, wherein the rear frame structure carries a damping unit configured to support rear wheels of the motor vehicle.

14. The car body according to claim 13, wherein the damping unit includes a spring.

15. The car body according to claim 11, wherein the rear frame structure, the rear axle and the electric accumulator form a pre-assembled structural unit.

16. The car body according to claim 11, wherein the rear frame structure comprises a crossbeam arranged transversely to a driving direction between the rear axle and the mounting for the electric accumulator.

17. The car body according to claim 11, wherein the bottom plate comprises a first material and the rear frame structure comprises a second material that is different from the first material.

18. The car body according to claim 11, wherein the rear frame structure comprises a light metal.

19. The car body according to claim 11, wherein the rear frame structure comprises a composite material.

20. The car body according to claim 11, wherein the rear frame structure is bonded to the bottom plate.