Patent ID: 6926350

Claim:
A space frame for a motor vehicle, said space frame comprising: a pair of laterally spaced, longitudinally extending side rail structures; a pair of forward-most upright structures each being connected to a respective side rail structure, thereby forming a pair of A pillars; a pair of roof rail structures, a forward end of each roof rail structure being connected to an upper end of an associated A pillar; and a rearward ring assembly connected at upper portions thereof with said roof rail structures and at bottom portions thereof with said rail structures, said rearward ring assembly comprising (a) a tubular hydroformed inverted U-shaped upper member, said upper member having a cross portion and a pair of leg portions extending downwardly from opposite ends of said cross portion, (b) a pair of tubular hydroformed side members, said side members each having first and second ends, each said side member being connected at said first end thererof with a free end of a respective leg portion of said upper member, and (c) cross structure rigidly connected in ring-forming relation between said second ends of the side members, said side rail structures, said A pillars, said roof rail structures and said rearward ring assembly generally defining a space frame interior region, said rearward ring assembly providing a rearward opening into said interior region, and said side members having lower portions thereof disposed closer to one another than upper portions thereof, said side members having lower portions thereof disposed more rearwardly in a longitudinal frame direction in relation to upper portions thereof, wherein said inverted hydroformed U-shaped upper member and said hydroformed side members together form an inverted U-shaped assembly, said inverted U-shaped assembly defining a pair of rearward-most pillars, each said rearward-most pillar having an essentially straight upper end portion extending downwardly from an associated juncture with said cross portion, an essentially straight lower end portion, and an inwardly angled central portion so that said straight upper end portions define a relatively wide upper portion of said rearward opening and said straight lower end portions define a relatively narrow lower portion of said rearward opening, further including a laterally extending rearward connecting structure connected between rearward portions of said side rail structures and wherein said cross structure of said rearward ring assembly is connected to said rearward connecting structure such that said cross structure extends laterally between said side rail structures, said lower end portion of each said rearward-most pillar being connected to said rearward first connecting structure and extending generally upwardly with respect thereof.