Tower Structure for Vehicle Bed Vibration Isolation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional vehicle frames do not effectively space the load-carrying bed from the frame rails, leading to direct mounting and potential vibration and load transfer issues, which can affect the comfort and durability of the vehicle.

Innovation Solution

A tower structure is integrated into the vehicle frame, connecting the side panel structures to the frame rails and supporting the load-carrying bed, thereby spacing the bed floor from the frame rails and providing a more secure and stable mounting system.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the bed floor is mounted directly to the frame rails, then the mounting system is simple and the frame rail height can be approximately the same as the bed floor height, but vibrations and loads are directly transferred from the frame to the bed, affecting comfort and durability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemounting system simplicityVSAvoidvibration and load transfer

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces body mounts as intermediary elements between the frame rails and the bed floor. These body mounts include resilient material that absorbs vibrations and loads, preventing direct transfer from the frame to the bed. The body mounts act as a mediator that decouples the direct connection while maintaining structural support.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates resilient material within the body mounts to provide beforehand cushioning. This resilient material is pre-installed to absorb and dampen vibrations and loads before they can be transferred from the frame rails to the bed floor, protecting the bed structure in advance of harmful vibrations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If body mounts are used to secure the vehicle body to the frame, then vibrations and loads are absorbed, but the bed floor remains closely adjacent to the frame rails with only slight spacing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevibration absorptionVSAvoidspacing between bed floor and frame rails

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the mounting system into distinct components: frame rails, body mounts, and bed floor support structure. By introducing the tower structure as an additional segment between the frame rails and the bed floor, the system achieves both vibration absorption through body mounts and increased spacing through the tower structure's height.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Length of moving object

If the bed floor is positioned directly adjacent to the frame rails, then the overall vehicle height is reduced, but the bed structure lacks effective spacing and direct mounting causes durability issues

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle heightVSAvoidbed structure durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The tower structure serves as an intermediary element that provides effective spacing between the frame rails and the bed floor. This intermediate structure maintains necessary distance for durability and vibration isolation while being integrated into the overall vehicle height design, preventing excessive height increase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS7401849B2Tower structure supporting bed on frame

Publication Date: 2008.07.22 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A vehicle frame includes a pair of spaced frame rails and at least one cross member connecting the frame rails. A tower structure is on one of the spaced frame rails for supporting a floor of a load-carrying bed spaced above the frame rails.