H-Shaped Vehicle Frame for Low Floor Entry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Communication seat-type vehicles face challenges in balancing the ease of passenger entry and exit with the need to maintain the rigidity of the vehicle body frame, particularly when accommodating elderly passengers or those in wheelchairs, and carrying heavy loads like engines and steering mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle body frame is designed with H-shaped and inverted trapezoidal structures at the front and rear portions, which secures rigidity while allowing for a thinner floor frame, thus lowering the floor surface and enhancing ease of entry and exit by shortening the floor frame in the front-rear direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the rod members constituting the floor frame are thickened to secure the rigidity of the floor frame, then the rigidity of the vehicle body frame is improved, but the floor surface of the cabin space is heightened, making it difficult to get in and out from the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a H-shaped frame structure that adds a vertical dimension to the load-bearing path. By positioning the ceiling frame higher than the floor frame and connecting them through vertical pillars, the structure transfers loads from the driving source and steering mechanism through the ceiling frame to the floor frame, allowing the floor frame itself to be thinner while maintaining overall rigidity. This dimensional restructuring resolves the contradiction between floor frame rigidity and floor surface height.
2Strength
If the vehicle body frame is designed to support heavy loads like driving source and steering mechanism, then the structural rigidity is secured, but the floor surface height increases, reducing ease of entry and exit
Solution Approach 1:
The H-shaped frame structure elevates the ceiling frame to a height above the floor frame, creating a vertical load transfer path. Heavy loads from the driving source and steering mechanism are borne by the ceiling frame and transmitted through vertical pillars to the floor frame, rather than being directly supported by a thickened floor frame. This allows the floor surface to remain low while maintaining structural rigidity for heavy loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The ceiling frame and floor frame of the H-shaped structure serve multiple functions: the ceiling frame supports heavy loads (driving source, steering mechanism) and provides structural rigidity, while also defining the upper boundary of the cabin space. The floor frame supports the low floor surface for easy entry/exit while receiving load transfers from the ceiling frame through vertical pillars. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between supporting heavy loads and maintaining low floor height.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication seat-type vehicle having communication seats arranged at locations to allow the passengers seated thereon to talk face-to-face, four wheels including two front wheels and two rear wheels, a driving source configured to apply driving force to at least one of the four wheels, a steering mechanism configured to steer at least one of the four wheels, and a vehicle body frame which is at least partially provided between front ends of the two front wheels and rear ends of the two rear wheels in the vehicle front-rear direction, and in which a cabin space is provided to accommodate the passengers. The vehicle body frame has a front H-shaped frame structure including a ceiling frame, a floor frame provided directly below the ceiling frame, a front H-shaped frame including two front pillars and a front intermediate transverse frame connecting the two front pillars, and a rear frame including two rear pillars.