Automobile vehicle

Claim 2

A vehicle having a front end and a rear end and comprising a front pair of road wheels and a rear pair of road wheels respectively adjacent said front end and said rear end, a passenger compartment constituted by a rigid unit extending substantially between said front and rear pairs of wheels, a front part between said front end and said passenger compartment, a rear vehicle part between said rear end and said passenger compartment, a transverse rigid member extending adjacent one of said ends, a pair of energy absorbing shoes integral with said transverse rigid member and respectively located substantially mid-way of the height of one of said pairs of wheels and substantially in longitudinal alignment with said one pair of wheels and between said one pair of wheels and the adjacent one of said ends of the vehicle, each shoe being capable of deforming plastically under the action of a predetermined violent shock so as to absorb a substantial part of the energy involved in the shock, each shoe being constituted by a sheet metal box structure.

Claim 3

A vehicle having a front end and rear end and comprising a front pair of road wheels, a rear pair of road wheels respectively adjacent but spaced from said front end and said rear end, the two front wheels being substantially contained in two vertical longitudinal planes of the vehicle in which planes the two rear wheels are also substantially contained, a vehicle body comprising a rigid cell defining a passenger compartment, two rigid longitudinal members combined with the cell and substantially contained in said two planes and extending between the corresponding front wheel and rear wheel, said longitudinal members having end portions in close proximity to but spaced from the front wheel and rear wheel whereby the wheels are capable of being supported by the rigid longitudinal members longitudinally of the vehicle upon impact on the wheels sufficient to displace the wheels toward the corresponding rigid longitudinal member, said longitudinal members being substantially contained in a third plane containing axes of rotation of the two pairs of wheels, a reinforcing shock-absorbing structure contained substantially in each of said longitudinal planes and substantially in said third plane, each shock-absorbing structure comprising means defining a first surface in close proximity to but spaced from one of said wheels in the corresponding longitudinal plane and means defining a second surface adjacent the corresponding end of the vehicle, each of said shock-absorbing structures being fixed in position relative to said vehicle body and capable of reinforcing the crush resistance of said body in the longitudinal direction but free to undergo a permanent plastic deformation so as to bring the second surface closer to the first surface upon impact on the shock-absorbing structure in a longitudinal direction of high magnitude which is lower than the magnitude of impact that would be required on the end of the vehicle to crush the rigid longitudinal member in the longitudinal plane of the shock-absorbing structure through the medium of the corresponding wheel.

Claim 4

A vehicle having a front end and rear end and comprising a front pair of road wheels, a rear pair of road wheels respectively adjacent but spaced from said front end and said rear end, the two front wheels being substantially contained in two vertical longitudinal planes of the vehicle in which planes the two rear wheels are also substantially contained, a vehicle body comprising a rigid cell defining a passenger compartment, two rigid longitudinal members combined with the cell and substantially contained in said two planes and extending between the corresponding front wheel and rear wheel, said longitudinal members having end portions in close proximity to but spaced from the front wheel and rear wheel whereby the wheels are capable of being supported by the rigid longitudinal members longitudinally of the vehicle upon impact on the wheels sufficient to displace the wheels toward the corresponding rigid longitudinal member, said longitudinal members being substantially contained in a third plane containing axes of rotation of the two pairs of wheels, a reinforcing shock-absorbing structure contained substantially in each of said longitudinal planes and substantially in said third plane, each shock-absorbing structure comprising means defining a first surface in close proximity to but spaced from one of said wheels in the corresponding longitudinal plane and means defining a second surface adjacent the corresponding end of the vehicle, each of said shock-absorbing structures being fixed in position relative to said vehicle body and capable of reinforcing the crush resistance of said body in the longitudinal direction but free to undergo a permanent plastic deformation so as to bring the second surface closer to the first surface upon impact on the shock-absorbing structure in a longitudinal direction of high magnitude which is lower than the magnitude of impact that would be required on the end of the vehicle to crush the rigid longitudinal member in the longitudinal plane of the shock-absorbing structure through the medium of the corresponding wheel.

Claim 5

A vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein each reinforcing structure comprises a wall portion defining said first surface and a wall portion defining said second surface and kinetic energy-absorbing means interposed between and interconnecting the two wall portions.

Claim 6

A vehicle having a front end and a rear end and comprising a front pair of road wheels, a rear pair of road wheels respectively adjacent but spaced from said front end and said rear end, the two front wheels being substantially contained in two vertical longitudinal planes of the vehicle in which planes the two rear wheels are also substantially contained, a vehicle body comprising a rigid cell defining a passenger compartment, two rigid longituinal memBers combined with the cell and substantially contained in said two planes and extending between the corresponding front wheel and rear wheel, said longitudinal members having end portions in close proximity to but spaced from the front wheel and rear wheel whereby the wheels are capable of being supported by the rigid longitudinal members longitudinally of the vehicle upon impact on the wheels sufficient to displace the wheels toward the corresponding rigid longitudinal member, said longitudinal members being substantially contained in a third plane containing axes of rotation of the two pairs of wheels, a reinforcing shock-absorbing structure contained substantially in each of said longitudinal planes and substantially in said third plane, each shock-absorbing structure comprising means defining a first surface in close proximity to but spaced from one of said wheels in the corresponding longitudinal plane and means defining a second surface adjacent the corresponding end of the vehicle, each of said shock-absorbing structures being fixed in position relative to said vehicle body and capable of reinforcing the crush resistance of said body in the longitudinal direction but free to undergo a permanent plastic deformation so as to bring the second surface closer to the first surface upon impact on the shock-absorbing structure in a longitudinal direction of high magnitude which is lower than the magnitude of impact that would be required on the end of the vehicle to crush the rigid longitudinal member in the longitudinal plane of the shock-absorbing structure through the medium of the corresponding wheel, and a rigid member extending transversely of the vehicle adjacent an end of the vehicle and rigidly interconnecting the two shock-absorbing structures, said transverse rigid member being capable of substantially withstanding deformation upon impact on the transverse rigid member which would initiate longitudinal deformation of the shock-absorbing structures.

Claim 7

A vehicle having a front end and a rear end and comprising a front pair of road wheels, a rear pair of road wheels respectively adjacent but spaced from said front end and said rear end, the two front wheels being substantially contained in two vertical longitudinal planes of the vehicle in which planes the two rear wheels are also substantially contained, a vehicle body comprising a rigid cell defining a passenger compartment, two rigid longituinal memBers combined with the cell and substantially contained in said two planes and extending between the corresponding front wheel and rear wheel, said longitudinal members having end portions in close proximity to but spaced from the front wheel and rear wheel whereby the wheels are capable of being supported by the rigid longitudinal members longitudinally of the vehicle upon impact on the wheels sufficient to displace the wheels toward the corresponding rigid longitudinal member, said longitudinal members being substantially contained in a third plane containing axes of rotation of the two pairs of wheels, a reinforcing shock-absorbing structure contained substantially in each of said longitudinal planes and substantially in said third plane, each shock-absorbing structure comprising means defining a first surface in close proximity to but spaced from one of said wheels in the corresponding longitudinal plane and means defining a second surface adjacent the corresponding end of the vehicle, each of said shock-absorbing structures being fixed in position relative to said vehicle body and capable of reinforcing the crush resistance of said body in the longitudinal direction but free to undergo a permanent plastic deformation so as to bring the second surface closer to the first surface upon impact on the shock-absorbing structure in a longitudinal direction of high magnitude which is lower than the magnitude of impact that would be required on the end of the vehicle to crush the rigid longitudinal member in the longitudinal plane of the shock-absorbing structure through the medium of the corresponding wheel, and a rigid member extending transversely of the vehicle adjacent an end of the vehicle and rigidly interconnecting the two shock-absorbing structures, said transverse rigid member being capable of substantially withstanding deformation upon impact on the transverse rigid member which would initiate longitudinal deformation of the shock-absorbing structures.

Claim 8

A vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the transverse rigid member constitutes a bumper of the vehicle.

Claim 9

A vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the passenger compartment and the longitudinal members have, in the immediate vicinity of each wheel of one of said pairs of wheels corresponding to the shock-absorbing structures, a shape which partially envelops the wheel in said longitudinal planes.

Claim 10

A vehicle having a front end and a rear end and comprising a front pair of road wheels, a rear pair of road wheels respectively adjacent but spaced from said front end and said rear end, the two front wheels being substantially contained in two vertical longitudinal planes of the vehicle in which planes the two rear wheels are also substantially contained, a vehicle body comprising a rigid cell defining a passenger compartment, two rigid longitudinal members combined with the cell and substantially contained in said two planes and extending between the corresponding front wheel and rear wheel, said longitudinal members having end portions in close proximity to but spaced from the front wheel and rear wheel whereby the wheels are capable of being supported by the rigid longitudinal members longitudinally of the vehicle upon impact on the wheels sufficient to displace the wheels toward the corresponding rigid longitudinal member, said longitudinal members being substantially contained in a third plane containing axes of rotation of the two pairs of wheels, a pair of reinforcing shock-absorbing structures locacted in front of said front pair of wheels and a pair of reinforcing shock-absorbing structures located at the rear of said rear pair of wheels, each reinforcing shock-absorbing structure being substantially contained in a corresponding one of said longitudinal planes and substantially contained in said third plane and comprising means defining a first surface in close proximity to but spaced from the corresponding wheel in the corresponding longitudinal plane and means defining a second surface adjacent the corresponding end of the vehicle, each of said shock-absorbing structures being fixed in position relative to said vehicle body and capable of reinforcing the crush resistance of said body in the longitudinal direction but free to undergo a permanent plastic deformation so as to bring the second surface closer to the first surface upon impact on the shock-absorbing structure in a longitudinal direction of high magnitude which is lower than the magnitude of impact that would be required on the end of the vehicle to crush the rigid longitudinal member in the longitudinal plane of the shock-absorbing structure through the medium of the corresponding wheel.

Claim 11

A vehicle having a front end and a rear end and comprising a front pair of road wheels, a rear pair of road wheels respectively adjacent but spaced from said front end and said rear end, the two front wheels being substantially contained in two vertical longitudinal planes of the vehicle in which planes the two rear wheels are also substantially contained, a vehicle body comprising a rigid cell defining a passenger compartment, two rigid longitudinal members combined with the cell and substantially contained in said two planes and extending between the corresponding front wheel and rear wheel, said longitudinal members having end portions in close proximity to but spaced from the front wheel and rear wheel whereby the wheels are capable of being supported by the rigid longitudinal members longitudinally of the vehicle upon impact on the wheels sufficient to displace the wheels toward the corresponding rigid longitudinal member, said longitudinal members being substantially contained in a third plane containing axes of rotation of the two pairs of wheels, a pair of reinforcing shock-absorbing structures locacted in front of said front pair of wheels and a pair of reinforcing shock-absorbing structures located at the rear of said rear pair of wheels, each reinforcing shock-absorbing structure being substantially contained in a corresponding one of said longitudinal planes and substantially contained in said third plane and comprising means defining a first surface in close proximity to but spaced from the corresponding wheel in the corresponding longitudinal plane and means defining a second surface adjacent the corresponding end of the vehicle, each of said shock-absorbing structures being fixed in position relative to said vehicle body and capable of reinforcing the crush resistance of said body in the longitudinal direction but free to undergo a permanent plastic deformation so as to bring the second surface closer to the first surface upon impact on the shock-absorbing structure in a longitudinal direction of high magnitude which is lower than the magnitude of impact that would be required on the end of the vehicle to crush the rigid longitudinal member in the longitudinal plane of the shock-absorbing structure through the medium of the corresponding wheel.

Claim 12

A vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein the passenger compartment and the longitudinal members have, in the immediate vicinity of each wheel of each of said pairs of wheels, a shape which partially envelops the wheel in said longitudinal planes.

Claim 13

A vehicle as claimed in claim 2, further comprising in each part of the passenger compartment located in the vicinity of a wheel of one of said pairs of wheels corresponding to the shock-absorbing structures ,a supplementary energy absorbing structure capable of deforming plastically and thereby absorb energy under the action of a predetermined violent shock exerted on the supplementary structure by the wheel.

Claim 14

A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first surface of each shock-absorbing means extends above and below said third plane.

Claim 15

A vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein each shock-absorbing structure is a box-shaped structure.