Underbody mounted rim engagement member

A vehicle includes a vehicle body that includes a rocker fixed to an underbody. The rocker and the under body at least in part define a front wheel well of the vehicle. A rim engagement member is cantilevered from the underbody and extends into the wheel well. The rim engagement member snags a rim of a front wheel of the vehicle and directs movement of a front wheel of the vehicle away from intrusion into a floor and/or dash of the vehicle.

BACKGROUND

During an offset frontal impact of a vehicle, the direction the impact is offset from major structural components of the vehicle. Offset front impacts can be simulated with a small offset rigid barrier (SORB) frontal crash test. For example, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) sets a standard for a SORB frontal crash test in which the vehicle impacts a rigid barrier at 40 miles/hour with 25% of an outer portion of the vehicle overlapping the rigid barrier.

During the front impact, the wheel may be oriented with a front portion of the wheel being positioned outboard relative to a rear portion of the wheel. In this position, the wheel may be trapped between a bumper beam of the vehicle and a rear of a wheel well of the vehicle. As the bumper beam moves toward the rear of the wheel well, the bumper and/or other components of the vehicle may force the wheel to intrude into a passenger compartment of the vehicle, e.g., through a floor or dash of the vehicle. Intrusion of the wheel into the floor or dash of the vehicle is a metric recorded in the IIHS SORB frontal crash test. There remains an opportunity to design components of the vehicle to prevent the wheel from intruding into the passenger compartment during an offset front impact.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, a vehicle10includes a rocker12and an underbody14fixed to the rocker12. The rocker12and the underbody14at least in part define a wheel well16. A rim18is disposed in the wheel well16. A rim engagement member20is cantilevered from the underbody14and extends into the wheel well16.

During a front impact of the vehicle10, the rim18may be forced rearward toward the underbody14. The rim18may engage the rim engagement member20during movement of the rim18toward the underbody14. In this situation, the rim18catches on the rim engagement member20, and the rim engagement member20may to guide the movement of the rim18to limit or prevent intrusion of the rim18into a floor, dash, and/or passenger compartment of the vehicle10. The rim engagement member may absorb at least part of the force generated from the front impact. Specifically, when the rim18engages the rim engagement member20, the rim engagement member20may absorb force from the rim18and may transfer force to other vehicle10components, e.g., the underbody14, the rocker12, etc.

As shown inFIG. 2, a body32of the vehicle may include the rocker12and the underbody14. The body32, for example, may be a unibody construction, i.e., a unitary body construction, as opposed to a body-on-frame construction. The unibody construction includes a unitary body. The body-on-frame construction includes a separate frame, including longitudinal rails, to which separate body is fixed. In other words, the rocker12and the underbody14are formed as a unitary body.

The rocker12may extend along a longitudinal axis A. The wheel well16may be a front wheel well, and the rocker12may extend from the wheel well16to the rear wheel well22. The rocker12may include an end24that faces the wheel well16and that at least in part defines the wheel well16. The rocker12may be formed of any suitable material, e.g., aluminum, steel, etc. The vehicle10may include a pair of rockers12, with one of the rockers12disposed on a left side of the vehicle10and one of the rockers12disposed on a right side of the vehicle10.

The vehicle body32may include a body member26that is spaced from the rocker12and that extends along the wheel well16. The body member26is a component of the unibody construction set forth above. The body member26, for example, may be a beam of the front end of the vehicle body32, as shown inFIGS. 2-5. The rocker12may be disposed inboard of the wheel well16. The body member26may be spaced from the rocker12and the underbody14may extend from the rocker12to the body member26. The body member26may be formed of any suitable material, e.g., aluminum, steel, etc.

With continued reference toFIG. 2, the underbody14may extend from the rocker12in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis A. The underbody14may extend from one of the rockers12to the other of the rockers12.

The underbody14may include a surface28that faces the wheel well16and at least in part defines the wheel well16. The surface28may be slanted in a vehicle10rearward direction from the body member26to the rocker12. The surface28supports the rim engagement member20. As described above and as shown inFIGS. 3-5, the underbody14may absorb force from the rim18during the front impact. For example, the rim engagement member20may transfer force from the rim18to the underbody14. The underbody14may deform to absorb force from the rim18. The underbody14may be configured to be deformed by the rim18or other components of the vehicle10during the front impact. For example, the material type and/or shape of the underbody14may be designed to encourage such deformation. The underbody14may be formed of any suitable material, e.g., steel, aluminum, etc.

The underbody14may include a torque box30presenting the surface28, i.e., the rim engagement member20may be fixed to the surface28of the torque box28. The torque box30may be disposed between the body member26and the rocker12. The torque box30may abut the rocker12and may extend in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis A. In this manner, the torque box30may connect the body member26to the rocker12. The torque box30may at least in part define the wheel well16.

The torque box30may reinforce the body32against forces generated by vehicle10operation, such as twisting forces generated by vehicle10during operation, and transfer the force to the vehicle body32, e.g., the underbody14, the body member26, the rocker12, etc. The torque box30may support the rim engagement member20and may receive the force from the front impact transferred from the rim engagement member20. The torque box30may transfer the force to other vehicle10components, e.g., the rest of the underbody14, the rocker12, etc.

A wheel34of the vehicle10is disposed in the wheel well16and may include the rim18and a tire36mounted to the rim18. The wheel34may be spaced from the underbody14, the rim engagement member20, and the body member26. The rim18may be formed of any suitable material, e.g., steel, aluminum, etc.

The rim18may include a pair of flanges38spaced from each other. Specifically, the rim18may include a middle portion40extending between the flanges38. The flanges38and the middle portion40each extend circumferentially about the rim18.

The rim engagement member20may be disposed on the underbody14between the body member26and the rocker12. Specifically, as shown in the figures, the rim engagement member20may be disposed on the torque box30between the body member26and the rocker12. The rim engagement member20is spaced from the rocker12, i.e., is spaced inboard from the rocker12. The rim engagement member20may also be spaced from the body member26.

The rim engagement member20may extend from the underbody14in a direction along the longitudinal axis A and toward the rim18, i.e., spaced from and in parallel with the longitudinal axis A. The rim engagement member20may include an inboard side42and an outboard side44, each of which extends from the underbody14toward the rim18. Each of the inboard side42and the outboard side44may be of any suitable length. Specifically, as shown inFIGS. 2-3the inboard side42and the outboard side44may be different lengths such that the rim engagement member20tapers, as described further below.

The rim engagement member20may include an end46that is opposite, e.g., that faces away from, the underbody14and spaced from the rim18. The end46may be shaped to engage the rim18as the rim18moves toward the rim engagement member20. Specifically, the end46may slant toward the rocker12and/or the body member26, i.e., the end46may taper from the inboard side42to the outboard side44. As shown inFIG. 3, the tapered position of the end46of the rim engagement member20may align with the middle portion40when the rim18moves toward the rim engagement member20.

As shown inFIGS. 3-5, the rim engagement member20may be rigid relative to the rim18, i.e., the rim18may be flexible relative to the rim engagement member20. In other words, the rim18may deform relative to the rim engagement member20when the rim18contacts the rim engagement member20during a front impact. As such, the rim engagement member20may snag the rim18during the front impact and direct movement of the rim18, as shown inFIGS. 3-5.

The rim engagement member20may be mounted to the underbody14any suitable manner, e.g., fastening, welding, etc. Specifically, the rim engagement member20may be fixed to the underbody14, i.e., may move with the underbody14during frontal impact, as shown inFIGS. 3-5. The rim engagement member20may deform the underbody14during the frontal impact as the rim18is forced into the rim engagement member20.

The rim engagement member20may be formed of any suitable material. For example, the rim engagement member20may be formed of metal, e.g., boron steel, steel, etc. As another example, the rim engagement member20may be formed of a polymeric material, e.g., nylon, nylon composite, etc.

As shown inFIGS. 3-5, the rim engagement member20may be configured to, e.g., positioned along the underbody14, sized, and shaped to, engage the rim18between the flanges38. As shown inFIGS. 2-5, the wheel34moves toward the underbody14along an arced path during the front impact, and contacts the rim engagement member20along the arced path.

With reference toFIG. 2, the wheel34is spaced from the rim engagement member20during typical operation of the vehicle10. As shown inFIG. 3, as the wheel34moves along the arced path, the middle portion40of the rim18is aligned with the rim engagement member20during the front impact. In other words, the rim18is aligned with the rim engagement member20between the flanges38.

As shown inFIG. 4, as the wheel34continues to move in a vehicle10-rearward direction during the front impact, the rim engagement member20snags the rim18to direct movement of the rim18away from intrusion into the floor and dash of the vehicle10. Specifically, as the wheel34moves along the arced motion, the middle portion40of the rim18may first engage the rim engagement member20. As the wheel34continues to move, the middle portion40slides along the rim engagement member20, and the rim engagement member20engages, i.e., snags the flange38of the rim18. When the middle portion40and the flange38engage the rim engagement member20, the rim engagement member20may remain stationary relative to the rim18and the underbody14, and the movement of the rim18is guided by the rim engagement member20.

As shown inFIG. 5, as the front impact continues, the rim engagement member20continues to guide the rim18and transfers force from the rim18to the underbody14. The underbody14may deform to absorb energy from the rim18and/or to guide the rim18away from intrusion into the floor and dash.