ENGINE MOUNTING AND ENERGY ABSORBING FRAME FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 3,869,017 A
• Filed: 10/05/1972
• Issued: 03/04/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James R. Feustel, John J. Corcoran, Jonas Valukonis, Kenneth L. Hoyt
• Original Assignee: James R. Feustel, John J. Corcoran, Jonas Valukonis, Kenneth L. Hoyt
• Inventors: Feustel, James R., Hoyt, Kenneth L., Valukonis, Jonas, Corcoran, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schonberg, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siemens, Torrance L.
• Application Number:
  US05/295,378
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 180/64R,64L,91,82R 280/106 293/63 248/9
• US Class Current: 180/232
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 5/00 Arrangement or mounting of internal-combustion or jet-propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/34 destroyed upon impact, e.g. one-shot type
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/152 Front or rear frames
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/155 Sub-frames or underguards

Abstract

This disclosure relates to an impact absorbing system for a motor vehicle. In the preferred embodiment, the system includes a unique energy absorbing frame and engine mounting construction. The frame has a plurality of plastically deformable energy absorbing sections. A vehicle body is supported on the frame. Break-away engine mounts connect the vehicle'"'"''"'"'s engine to the frame. When an impact load is exerted against the forward end of the frame, the inertia load of the engine will cause frangible elements in the break-away mounts to fracture and the engine to separate from the frame. With this construction, the inertia load of the engine will not be imposed upon the energy absorbing frame sections whereby those sections need support only the inertia load of the vehicle body.

Claims

1. An energy absorbing system for a motor vehicle comprising:

a vehicle frame assembly having plastically deformable energy absorbing frame sections, a vehicle body and body mounting means supporting said body on said frame assembly, a vehicle engine and one-way break-away engine mounting means connecting said engine to said frame assembly, said engine mounting means and said body mounting means being constructed to support said engine and said body, respectively, on said frame assembly during normal vehicle operating conditions, said engine mounting means including frangible means and abutment means, said frangible means being constructed to fracture and permit the forward displacement of said engine with respect to said frame assembly under the effects of a rearwardly directed impact force imposed upon said frame assembly that equals a predetermined magnitude, said body mounting means being constructed to support said body on said frame assembly under the effects of a rearwardly directed impact force on said frame assembly that at least equals said predetermined magnitude whereby said energy absorbing frame sections support the mass of said vehicle body but not the mass of said engine when a rearwardly directed force of said predetermined magnitude is imposed upon said frame assembly, said abutment means being operatively interposed between said engine and said frame assembly and constructed to support said engine on said frame assembly against a force tending to displace said engine rearwardly with respect to said frame assembly that at least equals said predetermined magnitude.

2. An energy absorbing system for a motor vehicle comprising:

a vehicle frame assembly having plastically deformable energy absorbing sections, a vehicle body supported on said frame assembly rearwardly of said energy absorbing sections, a vehicle engine and break-away mounting means connecting said engine to said frame assembly, said mounting means comprising a plurality of brackets secured to said engine, said brackets having rearwardly opening slots, fastener means disposed in said slots and secured to said frame, frangible means operatively interposed between said fastener means and said brackets, said frangible means being constructed to fracture under a load exceeding a predetermined minimum value tending to cause the forward displacement of said engine with respect to said frame assembly, said fastener means being constructed to support said engine against rearward displacement with respect to said frame assembly when subjected to a load substantially exceeding said first mentioned load required to fracture said frangible means.