Patent ID: 8480130

Claim:
A cradle for mounting an engine in a vehicle having wheels located outboard of the cradle, said cradle comprising: left and right side members spaced laterally apart from one another on opposite sides of the engine and inboard of the wheels; a rear cross member having right and left ends attached respectively to the left and right side members; a front cross member having left and right ends attached respectively to the left and right side members; left and right vehicle body mounts provided respectively on the left and right ends of the front cross member for bolting to the vehicle body; left and right deflector devices mounted respectively on the cradle adjacent the left and right body mounts and forwardly of the vehicle wheels, each of the left and right deflector devices including an impact receiving member that projects outwardly from the cradle to receive an impact load that is offset outboard from the body mounts, said impact receiving member projecting outwardly from the cradle and extending rearwardly at an angle of between 30 degrees and 45 degrees from the front cross member and having an end positioned adjacent or outboard of the vehicle wheel, and a brace member that extends between the cradle and the impact receiving member to brace the impact receiving member and provide a load path transferring the impact load into the cradle, one of said impact receiving member and said brace member having a semicircular receptacle that closely surrounds the body mount.