Patent ID: 8960776
Filing Date: 2015-02-24
Classification: B62D,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A vehicle frame system for use on a plurality of unibody vehicle types having varying longitudinal bed lengths, comprising: at least a first vehicle type having a unibody frame including a first front frame assembly, a first floor frame assembly and a first rear frame assembly, said first rear frame assembly including at least one longitudinal frame member having a first longitudinal length, and said first floor frame assembly including a first floor center frame member and a pair of first floor side sill members flanking said first floor center frame; and at least a second vehicle type having a unibody frame including a second front frame assembly, a second floor frame assembly and a second rear frame assembly, said second rear frame assembly including at least one longitudinal frame member having a second longitudinal length, said second floor frame assembly including a second floor center frame member and a pair of second floor side sill members flanking said second floor center frame member, wherein one or more of said longitudinal frame members of said first and second rear frame assemblies has a cross-sectional profile that remains constant along at least a longitudinal portion thereof allowing said one or more members to be cut at a first location along said longitudinal portion corresponding to said first longitudinal length when included in said first rear frame assembly and at a second location along said longitudinal portion corresponding to said second longitudinal length when included in said second rear frame assembly, wherein each of said first and second rear frame assemblies includes a pair of side members extending from said pair of first and second side sill members of said respective first and second floor frame assemblies, wherein a frame joint between each rear frame side member and each side sill member includes an upper wall of said rear frame side member overlapping an upper wall of said side sill member along a region of said side sill member and a lower wall of said rear frame side member overlapping a lower wall of said side sill member along the same region of the side sill member, and wherein a common front frame assembly is secured to each of said first floor frame assembly of said at least a first vehicle type and said second floor frame assembly of said at a second vehicle type, said common front frame assembly connected directly to each of said pair of first and second floor side sill members and said first and second center frame members.