Vehicle body

Claim 1

IN A MOTOR VEHICLE, AN UNDERBODY STRUCTURE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF RECTANGULARLY-SHAPED RIGID PLATFORM MEMBERS DISPOSED IN SPACED SIDE BY SIDE JUXTAPOSED RELATIONSHIP INTERMEDIATE THE WHEEL HOUSINGS OF SAID VEHICLE, EACH OF SAID PLATFORM MEMBERS BEING A SELF-CONTAINED SELF-SUPPORTING UNIT HIGHLY RESISTANT TO LATERAL AND TORSIONAL BENDING MOMENTS AND INCLUDING AN UPPER PANEL PROVIDING A FLOOR PORTION AND A LOWER CORRUGATED MEMBER SECURED THERETO TO RIGIDIFY SAID PANEL, A TUNNEL CAP DISCLOSED BETWEEN AND SECURED TO THE JUXTAPOSED SIDE EDGE PORTIONS OF EACH OF SAID PLATFORM MEMBERS TO COMPLETE THE FLOOR FOR SAID VEHICLE AND PROVIDE A SELF-SUPPORTING COMBINED UNDERBODY AND FLOOR FOR SAID VEHICLE, SAID CAP BEING THE SOLE CONNECTING MEANS BETWEEN THE JUXTAPOSED SIDES OF SAID PLATFORM MEMBERS AND BEING LESS RESISTANT TO LATERAL AND TORSIONAL BENDING MOMENTS THAN SAID PLATFORM MEMBERS, THE APPLICATION OF A BENDING MOMENT TO ONE OF SAID PLATFORM MEMBERS TENDING TO TWIST SAID ONE MEMBER ABOUT ITS OWN AXIS BEING RESISTED SOLELY BY SAID ONE MEMBER, THE APPLICATION OF A FORCE TO SAID UNDERBODY STRUCTURE TENDING TO SHIFT THE JUXTAPOSED SIDE EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID PLATFORM MEMBERS OUT OF THEIR NORMAL PLANAR RELATIONSHIP RESULTING IN THE APPLICATION OF BENDING MOMENTS TO SAID TUNNEL CAP AND BEING RESISTED THEREBY, AND FRONT AND REAR FRAME EXTNSIONS DISPOSED AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID EXTENSIONS INCLUDING A PAIR OF SIDE WALL STRUCTURES, ONE OF SAID STRUCTURES BEING SECURED TO AN END OF ONE OF SAID MEMBERS AND THE OTHER OF SAID STRUCTURES BEING SECURED TO THE SAME END OF THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS.