Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Structural detail
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-22
2001-02-27
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Structural detail
C296S186300, C296S203030, C296S205000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193306
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a support assembly and more particularly, to a support assembly which is adapted for use in combination with a convertible type vehicle and which provides additional support to the vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Vehicles are typically manufactured using a predetermined platform or underbody. Vehicle's having different designs or structures are often manufactured on the same platform or underbody. For example and without limitation, one vehicle design or version is commonly referred to as a sedan type vehicle, and is manufactured and/or formed with a solid and/or rigid roof that typically remains attached and/or connected to the body of the vehicle. A second platform design or version is commonly referred to as the convertible type vehicle, and is manufactured and/or formed with a relatively pliable and selectively removable roof.
The rigid roofs of sedan type vehicles tend to perform a “bridging” function which provides added support to the portion of the vehicle body which is disposed between the front and rear wheel wells (e.g., the “center portion” of the vehicle). Convertible type vehicles do not benefit from the aforementioned “bridging” function, as their selectively removable roofs are typically soft and/or flexible and do not provide the structural support afforded by the rigid roofs of sedan type vehicles. Without additional support, the bodies of convertible type vehicles are excessively compliant and tend to undesirably “twist” and/or bend when the vehicle is being driven, thereby adversely effecting the quality of the vehicle's “ride” which is experienced by the occupants of the vehicle.
Consequently, added support members and devices have been integrated into convertible type vehicles to increase the torsional stiffness and rigidity of convertible vehicles. The additional support members and/or devices are designed to absorb and/or divert torsional and/or bending forces and/or loads away from the center portion of the vehicle and to translate and/or transfer the forces and/or loads to other portions of the vehicle, such as portions which are in relative close proximity to the wheels of the vehicle. In this manner, these torsional and/or bending forces and/or loads are absorbed by portions of the vehicle frame that have a greater load bearing capacity (e.g., portions in close proximity to the vehicle's wheels).
These prior support members, systems, devices and methods used within convertible vehicles suffer from some drawbacks. For example and without limitation, when both a convertible type and a sedan type vehicle are to be manufactured on or from the same platform or underbody, these added support members or systems undesirably lengthen and complicate the manufacturing process. Particularly, the supports often cause the convertible assembly process to substantially differ from the sedan assembly process since these supports require substantial modifications to be made to the platform or underbody in order for the supports to be operatively used and/or deployed upon and/or within the convertible type vehicle, thereby complicating the overall vehicle assembly procedure and eliminating the benefits of using the same platform for a sedan and a convertible type vehicle. Moreover, the sedans and convertibles cannot be readily, practically, and interchangeably assembled, thereby further increasing the overall manufacturing cost and time.
Therefore, a need exists for a system and/or assembly which offers added support to convertible type vehicles and which does not require substantial modifications to be made to the platform and/or underbody of the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of the present invention to provide a vehicle support assembly which overcomes the various and previously delineated drawbacks of prior vehicle support assemblies and systems.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a vehicle support assembly which allows a convertible type vehicle to be assembled in a relatively similar manner to a sedan type vehicle while providing the convertible type vehicle with additional support between the front and rear wheel wells.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide a vehicle support assembly which allows a convertible type vehicle to be assembled using the same platform or underbody as a sedan type vehicle without requiring substantial modification to the platform or underbody.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a support assembly is for use within a vehicle is provided. The vehicle is of the type having an underbody, and a body assembly including a front wheel well and a rear wheel well. The support assembly includes a support member extending substantially between the rear wheel well and the front wheel well; an upper flange which projects orthogonally from the support member and which is fixedly connected to the support member, to the body assembly, and to the underbody; and a lower flange which projects orthogonally from the support member and which is fixedly connected to the support member, to the body assembly, and to the underbody, the lower flange cooperating with the upper flange to fixedly secure the support member to the body assembly and the underbody, thereby providing support to the vehicle between the front wheel well and the rear wheel well.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for providing support to a vehicle body is provided. The vehicle body includes a floor side inner member and a floor side outer member. The method includes the steps of: providing a generally elongated support member; disposing the generally elongated support member between the floor side inner member and the floor side outer member; and fixedly coupling the generally elongated support member to the floor side inner member and the floor side outer member, thereby providing support to the vehicle body.
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Ford Global Technologies Inc.
Pape Joseph D.
Patel Kiran
LandOfFree
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