Passenger car

Details Passenger car Passenger car

1999-08-27

2001-04-24

Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Bodies

Body shell

C296S064000, C296S063000, C296S177000, C296S203030

Reexamination Certificate

active

06220654

ABSTRACT:

The invention relates to a passenger car with a supporting structure which has at least two longitudinal members of frame.
That principle is already known from the Monochock, in which a hollow profile forming a longitudinal member of frame with only a small opening for the passengers ensures rigidity and passenger protection, and from the Zündapp Janus, in which the seats rest against a transverse tunnel.
With conventional passenger cars approved for road traffic, the cell can, in the event of frontal and rear impact, not pass on forces from the crumple zones where they are created, but diverts them around the door openings to the floor assembly and to the roof. Diversion of the forces entails the use of more materials and thus increases the weight. In the event of a side impact, the door openings also prove to be dangerous weak points for passenger safety and substantially reduce the rigidity of the vehicle. With the monocoques, whilst there is more provision for passenger safety, the structure which in this case is open at the top requires still more torsional rigidity of the longitudinal member of frame and the smallest possible opening in order not to impair this. Normal entry and exit and the release of passengers from an overturned vehicle is made more difficult. This is why the monocoque is used predominantly for racing.
A structure is also known from the Zündapp Janus {circle around (R)} with a transverse tunnel in the centre of the vehicle and a side surface with no interruptions due to doors. The cross-member of frame is open at the bottom and therefore not torsionally rigid. This structure obtains its torsional rigidity by including the vehicle roof in the structure. As the vehicle has closing front and back doors, incorporation of a crumple zone presents problems with this principle.
This invention seeks to achieve improved passenger safety and greater rigidity with minimum consumption of material as compared with conventional PKWS (passenger cars).
This objective is fulfilled by a passenger car of the type mentioned above, in which the longitudinal members of frame are joined together in the middle by means of a torsionally rigid cross-member of frame which is constructed as a large-volume, tubular profile and accommodates at least parts of the drive unit, while the longitudinal members at the side bend upwards from a floor panel, and in order to increase the flexural rigidity of the longitudinal members around the cross-member, the vertical extension of the longitudinal members is sufficiently great that the top edge is at least at the height of the seat-surface of the driver's seat. The construction according to the invention means that the forces generated in a collision are transmitted in a straight line by the supporting structure. The supporting structure can be made especially robust at points where forces are generated and its torsional rigidity is not restricted by the size of the doors.
The advantages attainable by the invention lie particularly in the functional integration to the greatest extent possible of the structural elements of the transmission, the chassis, the seats and the seat belts, both when running and in the event of impact from different directions. Getting in and out is uncomplicated. Release of passengers after an accident, especially if the vehicle overturns, is ensured.
A passenger car according to the invention offers a high degree of rigidity when running and cell-strength in the event of frontal and side impact with minimum consumption of materials. As the roof is not a load-bearing element of the structure, the entry opening can be extended upwards and the vehicle can also be used as a convertible without additional weight.
Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.


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