Vehicle with exoskeleton

Abstract

To provide a vehicle having an exoskeleton exterior panel that provides crash resistance.SOLUTION: An exterior panel 502 may be formed from a monolithic metal sheet and attached to an exterior portion of the vehicle frame, and the exterior panel does not comprise an additional support structure. At least one component may be directly attached to the exterior panel, and the exterior panel may bear the load of the at least one component. Methods of manufacturing the vehicle are also described.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a vehicle frame mounted crash-resistant suspension. Exoskeleton exterior vehicle panels that provide properties and can be load-bearing . [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional vehicles, such as automobiles, generally have exterior panels, interior panels, and fused interior panels. and a plurality of punched reinforcements attached to the door. The plurality of punched reinforcements are then attached to the exterior panel. The steering assembly contains a safety device that protects the occupant from side or rear impacts from other vehicles. To help prevent intrusion, anti-intrusion bars, which are typically thick, durable steel or aluminum bars, are used. Conventional panel assemblies may contain conventional outer panels that are Since this is rare, an anti-intrusion bar is included to provide crash protection.

[0003] However, such additional components that make up the panel assembly may be subject to additional manufacturing processes. Moreover, they add additional cost and time to the overall system. This increases the assembly requirements for installing and maintaining components mounted within the system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] For purposes of summarizing the disclosure and the advantages achieved over the prior art, certain objectives and advantages of the disclosure are set forth below. Advantages are described herein. Not all such objects or advantages may be realized in any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, The present invention does not necessarily achieve any of the objects or advantages that may be taught or suggested herein. It is possible to achieve or optimize an advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without It may be embodied or carried out as follows.

[0005] All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the invention disclosed herein. These and other embodiments are described in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention is not limited to any particular preferred embodiment disclosed herein. Not limited to.

[0006] In one aspect, a vehicle is described having a vehicle frame. The vehicle is made of a monolithic metal sheet. An outer panel formed of a sheet metal and attached to the exterior of the vehicle frame, and a and at least one component attached to the outer panel. The outer panels support the load of the component and do not provide any additional support structure.

[0007] In some embodiments, the monolithic metal sheet is made of steel, aluminum, and the like. In some embodiments, the metal is selected from the group consisting of: The at least one component includes at least one hinge, at least one handle, and at least one At least one bolt, motor, interior trim panel, windshield, and In some embodiments, the additional support structure is selected from the group consisting of: , further metal panels, support beams, punched reinforcements, anti-intrusion bars, and combinations thereof. The compound is selected from the group consisting of:

[0008] In some embodiments, the outer panel provides side impact protection to the vehicle. In some embodiments, the exterior surface of the outer panel is paint-free. , Door panels, Roof panels, Hood panels, Fender panels, Trunk panels, Lift In some embodiments, the gate panel is a gate panel, ... In some embodiments, the exterior panel is a door panel. Prepare for.

[0009] In another aspect, a method for manufacturing an automobile is described. The method includes using a monolithic metal sheet. The method includes the steps of: forming a monolithic metal sheet using an initial monolithic metal sheet; and cutting the initial monolithic metal sheet to obtain a cut monolithic metal sheet. forming a groove on the cut monolithic metal sheet; and forming the cut monolithic metal sheet into a monolithic metal sheet. forming a metal sheet; and forming at least one component. Attaching the elements directly to the monolithic metal sheet to form an outer panel; Attaching the side panel to the exterior of the vehicle body, the outer panel being fitted with a further support structure. The method includes the steps of:

[0010] In some embodiments, the initial monolithic metal sheet is a rolled metal sheet. In some embodiments, the monolithic metal sheet is not heat treated. The side panels are not bonded to other metal panels. In some embodiments, the cutting is performed by laser cutting. This is how it is carried out. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of components in a conventional prior art door assembly.

[0012] [Diagram 2] 1 shows a prior art door assembly including a conventional B-pillar assembly.

[0013] [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a pickup truck with an outer panel exoskeleton.

[0014] [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view of an embodiment of a pickup truck with an outer panel exoskeleton.

[0015] [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of one embodiment of a door with an exoskeleton outer panel.

[0016] [Figure 6] 1 illustrates one embodiment of a door assembly including an exoskeleton version of the B-pillar.

[0017] The embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages are best understood by reference to the following detailed description. It is well understood that like references may be used to identify like elements shown in one or more of the figures. Numbers are used and representations in the figures are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the present disclosure, It should be understood that this is not intended to limit the disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The present disclosure may be understood by reference to the following detailed description. For purposes of illustration, certain elements of the various drawings may not be drawn to scale and may be depicted diagrammatically or in a schematic manner. It may be represented conceptually or otherwise precisely as to a particular physical form of an embodiment. Please note that the above information may not correspond exactly to the actual situation.

[0019] Embodiments relate to vehicles, and in particular to automobiles (e.g. In some embodiments, the exterior panel is a conventional vehicle. crashworthiness similar to or greater than that provided by anti-intrusion bars in In some embodiments, the exterior panel contributes to the primary structural performance of the vehicle. For example, In some embodiments, the exterior door panel has structural capabilities that provide protection from side impacts to the door area. In some embodiments, the vehicle includes an electric motor. In the present invention, the vehicle is a truck, for example, an all-electric propulsion system connected to a battery pack. It is a pickup truck equipped with

[0020] In contrast to the embodiments of the present disclosure, FIG. 1 illustrates the complexity of the components used in a conventional door 100. As can be seen, the outer door panel 102 covers the anti-intrusion bar 104. The anti-intrusion bar 104 provides resistance to side impacts to people inside the vehicle. The inner surface of the door frame 104 includes an intermediate panel 106 that supports the load of one or more door components, and a door frame 108 that supports the load of one or more door components. and an interior trim panel 108 which is used to cover the interior workings of 100.

[0021] FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional B-pillar of a vehicle located between or adjacent to a pair of doors. 2 shows a prior art door assembly 200 including a frame 202 having an outer side. , which includes two door openings. The outer portion of the frame 202 is attached to an inner B-pillar support 204. and is fitted with a middle B-pillar support 206 using a set of brackets to form a single As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a conventional vehicle outer panel The modules are constructed with multiple components to provide structural support, carry component loads, and provide crashworthiness. A number of further components are required.

[0022] The embodiments of the present disclosure are designed such that the exterior panels of the vehicle also contribute to the structural performance of the vehicle. Such exterior panels of a vehicle are called "exoskeletons." 3 and 4 show the outer panel. FIG. 1 is a diagram of a pickup truck embodiment with an exoskeleton configuration. This embodiment eliminates the anti-intrusion bar and instead uses a durable Therefore, the exterior panel described herein is a one-piece exterior panel (e.g., a door panel). The skeleton configuration eliminates the inner door structure and protection system and is fitted with a single external exterior panel. In this configuration, the hinges and latches for opening and closing the door and the window are Door components such as the door handle and motor are mounted directly to the exterior panel. This approach reduces the size of the vehicle. Side doors, roof, hood, fenders, and trunk (or liftgate) assemblies The exoskeleton approach offers significant savings in manufacturing footprint and cost. This could result in significant savings.

[0023] One example embodiment of a vehicle exoskeleton structure is configured to react to door opening and closing loads. In some embodiments, the door comprises, among other things: Over opening, slam closure, torsional load acting on the door, reaction force at the seal, and In other embodiments, the window may be mounted on other exterior surfaces of the vehicle. The facing parts also use the exoskeleton concept. For example, in a typical conventional vehicle, the vehicle The welded closed vertical section between the side doors of the vehicle is damaged by the impacting vehicle. It reacts against side impact forces on the body and evenly resists vertical loads on the roof. and seat belt loads on front seat occupants among other smaller forces. In contrast, the structure of the vehicle body side acts as a beam to react to the load. A closed section (generally one or more sections welded to one or more outer stamped sections) It is customary for the casing to have a thin decorative outer panel welded to the upper inner punched section. However, the disclosed embodiments are similar to conventional structures where the external structural reinforcement is more complex. A single structural panel that provides the same load benefits but also serves a cosmetic function in the customer-facing area of ​​the vehicle. This relates to an exoskeleton configuration made from:

[0024] Accordingly, a vehicle is disclosed having a vehicle frame, where the vehicle includes an outer panel. In some embodiments, the exterior panel is attached to the exterior of the vehicle frame. In some embodiments, the exterior panel is adapted to be attached to the vehicle due to its composition and / or construction characteristics. In some embodiments, the outer panels provide side impact protection to the vehicle. In some embodiments, the outer panel is a monolithic metal sheet or In some embodiments, the metal sheet is formed from a monolithic metal sheet. The plate comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of steel, aluminum, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the corrosion resistance of the monolithic metal sheet is achieved by the application of a corrosion-resistant coating. Allows the exterior panels of a vehicle to be utilized without the application of adhesives (e.g., paint). In an embodiment, the exterior surface of the outer panel does not include paint.

[0025] The outer panels provide crashworthiness to the vehicle without the additional support structures required in conventional vehicles. In some embodiments, the outer panel does not include any additional support structure. In some embodiments, the additional support structure may be additional metal panels, support beams, or beams. The support is selected from the group consisting of a pull-out brace, an anti-intrusion bar, and combinations thereof.

[0026] The outer panel is configured so that additional components may be attached to and supported by the outer panel. In some embodiments, at least one component may have sufficient structural support. In some embodiments, at least one component is attached to the outer panel. In some embodiments, the outer panel is attached directly to the panel. In some embodiments, the at least one component supports or substantially supports the load of the at least one component. The other component includes at least one hinge, at least one handle, and at least 1 bolt, motor, interior trim panels, windshield, and combinations thereof The compound is selected from the group consisting of:

[0027] In some embodiments, the vehicle is an automobile. In some embodiments, the automobile is a truck. In some embodiments, the exterior panel is a door panel. roof panels, hood panels, fender panels, trunk panels, liftgate panels In some embodiments, the outer The side panels are the door panels.

[0028] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of one embodiment of a door 500 with an exoskeleton outer panel 502. The outer panel 502 is adapted to be attached directly to the vehicle body via hinges (not shown). The exterior door panel is provided with an electric window assembly 512 and a motor 514. 10 are adjacent to each other. The electric window assembly 510 is secured in place by an internal latch mechanism (not shown). The exterior panel 502 is attached directly to the interior trim panel 508 of the door 500. It is used to cover the internal workings. The outer panel 502 is made of a durable material (e.g. The anti-intrusion bar 104 and the intermediate panel are made of a material such as steel, aluminum or other metal. A conventional vehicle door assembly, such as the door shown in FIG. Interior intrusion prevention bars or other devices to protect passengers from side door collisions found on UMBRELLA element is not necessary.

[0029] FIG. 6 shows an example of a door assembly 600 with an exoskeleton version of the B-pillar. 6 shows an embodiment of a door assembly 600. The door assembly 600 includes an exterior portion of a frame 602 that includes two door openings. Further, the outer portion of the frame 602 is formed with a frame to form a structural protection unit. Only a single internal B-pillar support 604 attached to the exterior of the frame 602 is required. The structural strength and impact resistance of the door assembly 600 provides a protective barrier from side impacts. The outer portion of the frame 602 is designed and constructed from a material such as aluminum or steel. Therefore, the door assembly 600 is configured such that the outer side of the frame 602 is The middle B-pillar support in Figure 2 already contains sufficient structural support to protect the occupants in a crash. There is no need for a second B-pillar section such as support 206.

[0030] Some advantages of the exoskeleton configuration to the manufacturing process include: This includes reducing the assembly line required to join various reinforcements before joining them together. In configuration, this concept involves one or more frames where the body side structure is joined to the underbody structure. In some embodiments, the exterior panel of the vehicle may be The panel is designed to replace both the structural inner and outer reinforcements in a single panel. It can be calculated.

[0031] A method for manufacturing a vehicle, such as an automobile, is also disclosed. A metal sheet is provided, and at least one component is attached directly to the monolithic metal sheet. These are then attached to form an outer panel which is then attached to the exterior of the vehicle body. In embodiments, no additional support structure is added to the outer panel. The outer panel is not bonded to other metal panels.

[0032] The monolithic metal sheet is prepared by preparing an initial monolithic metal sheet and Cutting the metal sheet to form a cut monolithic metal sheet; It may be manufactured by shaping a metal sheet to form a monolithic metal sheet. In some embodiments, the monolithic metal sheet is in the shape of a door panel. In some embodiments, the monolithic metal sheet is in the form of an outer portion of the frame. In some embodiments, the initial monolithic metal sheet is a rolled metal sheet. The nolitic metal sheet is not heat treated. In some embodiments, the cutting is by laser cutting. This is how it is carried out.

[0033] Although specific embodiments have been described, these are presented by way of example only. The disclosure is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The described novel methods and systems may be embodied in a variety of other forms. Various omissions, substitutions, and substitutions may be made in the systems and methods described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The appended claims and their equivalents are intended to cover the scope of the present disclosure. It is intended to cover such forms or modifications as would come within the scope and spirit of the present invention.

[0034] Any feature, material, characteristic or group described in connection with a particular aspect, embodiment or example may be , any other aspect, embodiment, or example described in this section or elsewhere in this specification. Unless incompatible therewith, the present specification is to be understood as applicable. All of the features disclosed in the accompanying claims, abstract and drawings, and / or All of the steps of any method or process so disclosed are equivalent to such features. and / or any combination except for those in which at least some of the steps are mutually exclusive. Protection is not limited to the details of any of the foregoing embodiments. Protection is not available for any of the foregoing claims, abstracts, and drawings disclosed herein. Any novel one or any novel combination of the features described herein, or any such feature, Any novel one or any novel step of any method or process disclosed This ranges from a wide variety of combinations.

[0035] Moreover, certain features that are described in this disclosure in the context of separate implementations may also be used in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented in combination. can be carried out separately or in any suitable subcombination in multiple implementations. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in particular combinations, One or more features from a combination recited in the claims may, in some cases, be combined. Combinations may be deleted from the list and combinations may be divided into subcombinations or It may be claimed as a variation of the above.

[0036] Moreover, although acts may be depicted in the figures or described herein in a particular order, that Such actions may not necessarily be performed in the particular order or sequential order presented to achieve a desired result. It is not necessary that the method be performed in accordance with the present invention, or that all of the operations be performed. or other operations not described may be incorporated into the example methods and processes. One or more further actions may be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any of the actions listed. Additionally, in other implementations, the operations may be rearranged or reordered. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in some embodiments, the illustrated and / or disclosed The actual steps performed in the process may differ from those shown in the figures. Depending on the circumstances, certain steps among those described above may be omitted and other steps may be added. Moreover, the features and attributes of certain embodiments disclosed above may be incorporated in further implementations. These may be combined in different ways to form forms, all of which are within the scope of this disclosure. Also, the separation of the various system components in the above implementation is consistent across all implementations. It should not be understood that such separation is required, nor should the components and systems described be construed as requiring such separation. The stems can generally be assembled together into a single product or packaged into multiple products. For example, the energy storage systems described herein may be Any of the components for the system may be separately designed to form an energy storage system. They may be attached to or integrated with each other (e.g., packaged together or (attached to each other).

[0037] For purposes of this disclosure, certain aspects, advantages and novel features have been described herein. Not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the present disclosure is not intended to be limiting. It is understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, and may be modified in any manner without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. It may be embodied or implemented to achieve any one or group of advantages as described herein.

[0038] "Can," "could," "might" Conditional language such as "may" or "may" is used without Generally, unless otherwise understood within the context of use, specific embodiments are It is understood that certain embodiments include certain features, elements and / or steps while other embodiments do not. Thus, such conditional language is generally intended to convey features, elements, that the elements and / or steps are somehow required in one or more embodiments; or One or more embodiments may include, with or without user input or prompts, these features: It is understood that elements and / or steps may not be included or performed in any particular embodiment. This is not meant to necessarily include logic for determining whether

[0039] Conjunctions such as the phrase "at least one of X, Y, and Z" are used to link clauses together unless otherwise noted. Commonly used to convey that an item, term, etc. can be either X, Y, or Z. Such conjunctions are therefore generally understood to be in the context of Requiring the presence of at least one of is not intended to imply.

[0040] As used herein, "approximately" and "about ), "generally," and "substantially Language to the extent used herein, such as "y"), still performs the desired function or represents a value, amount, or characteristic that approximates the stated value, amount, or characteristic that achieves a desired result. For example, "approximately," "about," and "generally" The terms "generally" and "substantially" The term may be used in amounts of less than 10%, 5%, 1% or more of the stated amount depending on the desired function or result. This can refer to amounts of less than 0.1%, and less than 0.01%.

[0041] Headings contained herein, if any, are for convenience only and do not include any part of the disclosure herein. It does not necessarily affect the scope or meaning of the apparatus and methods described herein.

[0042] The scope of the present disclosure is limited to the specific disclosure of preferred embodiments in this section or elsewhere herein. The disclosures are not intended to be limiting, and are not intended to be construed in any way in accordance with the teachings set forth in this section or elsewhere in this specification. The invention may be defined by the claims, as presented or as they may be presented in the future. The claim language should be interpreted broadly based on the language used in the claims. and is not limited to the examples described herein or during the prosecution of the application, and the examples are non-exclusive. should be interpreted.

Claims

1. A vehicle having a vehicle frame, An exterior portion formed from a monolithic metal sheet and attached to the exterior portion of the vehicle frame. Side panels and At least one component attached directly to the outer panel, The outer panel provides additional support structure. At least one component having no body; A vehicle equipped with:

2. The monolithic metal sheet may be made of steel, aluminum, or a combination thereof.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of:

3. The at least one component may include at least one hinge, at least one hand, a bolt, at least one bolt, a motor, an interior trim panel, a windshield, and 10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of:

4. The further support structure may be further metal panels, support beams, stamped reinforcements, anti-intrusion bars.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of:

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the outer panel provides side impact protection to the vehicle.

6. 10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the exterior surface of the exterior panel is paint-free.

7. The outer panel may be a door panel, a roof panel, a hood panel, a fender panel, a trunk panel, a A liftgate panel, a rank panel, a liftgate panel, and combinations thereof. The vehicle according to claim 1 .

8. 8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the exterior panel is the door panel.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising an electric motor.

10. 1. A method of manufacturing a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of: Providing a monolithic metal sheet, comprising: The monolithic metal sheet is Providing an initial monolithic metal sheet; Cutting the initial monolithic metal sheet to form a cut monolithic metal sheet. and Shaping the cut monolithic metal sheet to form the monolithic metal sheet. and At least one component is attached directly to the monolithic metal sheet to form an outer panel. forming a Attaching the exterior panel to an exterior portion of a vehicle body, the exterior panel being further no support structure is added; A method comprising:

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the initial monolithic metal sheet is a rolled metal sheet.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the monolithic metal sheet is not heat treated.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the outer panel is not joined to other metal panels.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the cutting is performed by laser cutting.

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