Vehicle impact energy absorption and suspension system

Claim 2

An impact energy absorption system for vehicles comprising a vehicle body, frame means for said vehicle body, said frame means comprising steel side rail means extending beneath said vehicle body, said frame means having front and rear end portions, laterally extending bumper means rigidly and directly connected to said front end portion of said frame means and in front of said vehicle body, first body mount means operatively connecting a front end of said body to said front end of said frame means to permit said body to move longitudinally relative to said frame after impact of said bumper means, second body mount means operatively connecting the rear end of said body to the rear end portion of said frame means, said second body mount means having resilient vibration damping means to dissipate vibratory energy in said frame means and said body, said second body mount means further having mechanical connector means operatively connecting said body and said frame means for positively limiting the longitudinal movement of said rear end of said body relative to said frame means after impact of said bumper means to compressively load said frame means from one end thereof to thereby effect the resilient deflection of said side rail means which absorbs and stores impact energy.

Claim 3

An impact energy absorption system for a vehicle comprising a vehicle body, a vehicle frame having a pair of longitudinal side rails extending beneath the vehicle body, horizontally extending bumper means external of said vehicle body rigidly and directly connected to one end of each of said side rails, first and second pairs of body mount means for operatively connecting said side rails to the underside of said body to isolate said body from said frame, first connector means connecting said first pair of body mount means to said side rails at a first location at one end of said vehicle body to permit the longitudinal movement of said body relative to said side rails, second connector means connecting said second pairs of said body mount means to said side rails at a second location spaced from said first location and near the other end of said body so that said side rails are compressively loaded by said body on predetermined impact of said bumper means and in response to movement of said body longitudinally relative to said side rails to effect the deflection of each of said side rails so that impact energy will be absorbed and stored.

Claim 4

An impact energy absorption system for a vehicle comprising a vehicle body, a vehicle frame having a pair of longitudinal side rails extending beneath the vehicle body, horizontally extending bumper means external of said vehicle body rigidly and directly connected to one end of each of said side rails, first and second pairs of body mount means for operatively connecting said side rails to the underside of said body to isolate said body from said frame, first connector means connecting said first pair of body mount means to said side rails at a first location at one end of said vehicle body to permit the longitudinal movement of said body relative to said side rails, second connector means connecting said second pairs of said body mount means to said side rails at a second location spaced from said first location and near the other end of said body so that said side rails are compressively loaded by said body on predetermined impact of said bumper means and in response to movement of said body longitudinally relative to said side rails to effect the deflection of each of said side rails so that impact energy will be absorbed and stored.

Claim 5

An impact energy absorption system for vehicles comprising a vehicle body, a vehicle frame having longitudinally extending and spaced side rails of high strength metal disposed beneath the vehicle body, laterally extending bumper means external of said vehicle body rigidly and directly connected to one end of each said side rails, body mount means operatively connecting said side rails to the underside of said body to isloate said body from the meChanical vibration of said frame, and additional body mount means operatively connecting said body to one end of said side rails, said additional body mount means having rigid fastener means extending through said vehicle body and said rail means for limiting the longitudinal movement of one end of said body relative to said frame after vehicle impact so that said side rails are compressively loaded only at said one end and deflected by impact forces exerted through said rigid fastener means so that impact energy is absorbed and stored.

Claim 6

An impact energy absorption system for vehicles comprising a vehicle body, a vehicle frame having longitudinally extending and spaced side rails of high strength metal disposed beneath the vehicle body, laterally extending bumper means external of said vehicle body rigidly and directly connected to one end of each said side rails, body mount means operatively connecting said side rails to the underside of said body to isloate said body from the meChanical vibration of said frame, and additional body mount means operatively connecting said body to one end of said side rails, said additional body mount means having rigid fastener means extending through said vehicle body and said rail means for limiting the longitudinal movement of one end of said body relative to said frame after vehicle impact so that said side rails are compressively loaded only at said one end and deflected by impact forces exerted through said rigid fastener means so that impact energy is absorbed and stored.

Claim 7

An impact energy absorption system for vehicles comprising a vehicle body, a box-like frame having a pair of longitudinally extending resilient side rails of high strength steel operatively disposed beneath said vehicle body, first bumper means rigidly and directly connected to the front end of said side rails, second bumper means rigidly and directly connected to the rear end of said side rails, resilient energy absorption cushion means operatively mounted between said first bumper means and said vehicle body, said side rails having a first pair of openings adjacent to said front end of said side rails and a second pair of openings adjacent to the rear end of said side rails, first body mount means operatively connecting said front of said body to the front of said side rails, said first body mount means having first rigid fastener means connected to said vehicle body extending through said first pair of openings to permit the longitudinal movement of said body forwardly relative to said side rails on front end impact and to limit the longitudinal movement of said body rearwardly relative to said side rails on rear end impact, said side rails having a second pair of openings adjacent to the rear end of said side rails, second body mount means operatively connecting the rear of said body to the rear of said side rails, said second body mount means having second rigid fastener means connected to said vehicle body and extending through said second pair of openings to limit the forward movement of said body relative to said side rails and to permit the rearward movement of said vehicle body relative to said side rails so that said second body mount means compressively loads and deflects said side rails on impact of said front bumper to thereby absorb and store impact energy and so that said first body mount means compressively loads and deflects said side rails on rear impact of said rear bumper to thereby absorb and store energy.

Claim 8

An impact energy absorption system for vehicles comprising a vehicle body, a box-like frame having a pair of longitudinally extending resilient side rails of high strength steel operatively disposed beneath said vehicle body, first bumper means rigidly and directly connected to the front end of said side rails, second bumper means rigidly and directly connected to the rear end of said side rails, resilient energy absorption cushion means operatively mounted between said first bumper means and said vehicle body, said side rails having a first pair of openings adjacent to said front end of said side rails and a second pair of openings adjacent to the rear end of said side rails, first body mount means operatively connecting said front of said body to the front of said side rails, said first body mount means having first rigid fastener means connected to said vehicle body extending through said first pair of openings to permit the longitudinal movement of said body forwardly relative to said side rails on front end impact and to limit the longitudinal movement of said body rearwardly relative to said side rails on rear end impact, said side rails having a second pair of openings adjacent to the rear end of said side rails, second body mount means operatively connecting the rear of said body to the rear of said side rails, said second body mount means having second rigid fastener means connected to said vehicle body and extending through said second pair of openings to limit the forward movement of said body relative to said side rails and to permit the rearward movement of said vehicle body relative to said side rails so that said second body mount means compressively loads and deflects said side rails on impact of said front bumper to thereby absorb and store impact energy and so that said first body mount means compressively loads and deflects said side rails on rear impact of said rear bumper to thereby absorb and store energy.

Claim 9

The energy absorption system defined in claim 4, said first pair of openings being first elongated longitudinally extending slots adjacent to the front end of said side rails, said first rigid fastener means being secured to said vehicle body and extending through said first slots adjacent to the rear end thereof, said second pair of openings being elongated second slots longitudinally extending in the rear end of said side rails, said second rigid fastener means being secured to said vehicle body and extending through said second slots adjacent to the front end thereof to permit the compressive loading of said side rails by said body means in response to a front end impact of said first bumper means.

Claim 10

In an impact energy absorption system for vehicles comprising a vehicle body, a vehicle frame having longitudinally extending side rails operatively disposed beneath the vehicle body and adapted to act as buckling columns to absorb impact energy, horizontally extending bumper means disposed outwardly from said vehicle body and rigidly connected to one end of said side rails, first and second pairs of body mount means, said first pair of body mount means operatively connecting said one end of said vehicle body to said side rails to permit said vehicle body to move longitudinally relative to said side rails, said second pair of body mount means operatively connecting the other end of said vehicle body to said side rails, said second pair of body mount means having rigid fastener means connected to said body and eXtending through said side rails to anchor one end of said vehicle body to said side rails to prevent the longitudinal movement of said one end of the vehicle body relative to said frame and to compressively load said frame from one end thereof remote from said bumper means in response to impact of said bumper means so that said side rails will buckle and absorb impact energy.

Claim 11

In an impact energy absorption system for vehicles comprising a vehicle body, a vehicle frame having longitudinally extending side rails operatively disposed beneath the vehicle body and adapted to act as buckling columns to absorb impact energy, horizontally extending bumper means disposed outwardly from said vehicle body and rigidly connected to one end of said side rails, first and second pairs of body mount means, said first pair of body mount means operatively connecting said one end of said vehicle body to said side rails to permit said vehicle body to move longitudinally relative to said side rails, said second pair of body mount means operatively connecting the other end of said vehicle body to said side rails, said second pair of body mount means having rigid fastener means connected to said body and eXtending through said side rails to anchor one end of said vehicle body to said side rails to prevent the longitudinal movement of said one end of the vehicle body relative to said frame and to compressively load said frame from one end thereof remote from said bumper means in response to impact of said bumper means so that said side rails will buckle and absorb impact energy.