Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Structural detail
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-21
2001-12-11
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Structural detail
C296S029000, C296S190050, C296S203020
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328377
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved structure for an intermediate joint which joins a front and a rear portion of a side member used in a vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-287269 teaches joining a front and a rear member to form a front side member for use in automotive vehicles. The front member is made of an extruded thin plate, while the rear member is made of an extruded thick plate. A strut housing reinforcement and a suspension bracket are so attached to the front side member as to cover a connection of the front and rear members in order to increase the strength of the connection. This structure serves to distribute various impacts acting on the front side member over parts joining a strut housing, etc. to support the front side member securely. Further, when the automotive vehicle is involved in a front-end collision, the front member made of the extruded thin plate is subjected to plastic deformation to absorb physical energy oriented in a direction of axial compression completely.
The above structure of the front side member, however, has a drawback in that it is difficult to standardize the structure for common use in different types of automotive vehicles because the body size, body structure, and type of suspension are different between the vehicles.
Increasing the degree of reinforcement of the suspension bracket to a desired level against a vertical bending moment exerted on the suspension bracket from the front side member requires increasing the overall thickness of the suspension bracket, which, however, results in a great increase in weight of the structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an intermediate joint for a side member which may be used in different types of automotive vehicles and which has the strength or rigidity improved without increasing the overall weight of the side member.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an intermediate joint of an automotive side member including a front and a rear member which comprises: a front connecting portion receiving therein a portion of the front member of the side member to establish connection with the front member, the front member being made of a cylindrical member having an uniform cross section; a rear connecting portion receiving therein a portion of the rear member of the side member to establish connection with the rear member, the rear member being made of a cylindrical member having an uniform cross section; and an intermediate coupling portion made of a cylindrical member, joining the front and rear connecting portions together. The intermediate coupling portion is so formed physically as to have a degree of rigidity greater than those of the front and rear connecting portions.
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patent: 3633934 (1972-01-01), Wilfert
patent: 4355844 (1982-10-01), Fantini Muzzarelli
patent: 5346276 (1994-09-01), Enning et al.
patent: 5393095 (1995-02-01), Kreis et al.
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patent: 5868457 (1999-02-01), Kitagawa
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patent: 6068330 (2000-05-01), Kasuga et al.
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patent: 004139329 (1992-06-01), None
patent: 10-287269 (1998-10-01), None
Makita Masashi
Sato Manabu
McDermott & Will & Emery
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
Pape Joseph D.
Patel Kiran B.
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