Patent ID: 8496268

Claim:
A chassis for use in an automotive vehicle, comprising: a central backbone structure including a closed section tubular structure; an engine; a first structure comprising a first sub-frame that supports the engine and is coupled to one end of the backbone structure; a first energy absorbing crash structure including a first pair of laterally extending frame members that are rigidly fixed to the first structure on a first end and rigidly fixed to a first bumper beam on a second end; a second structure coupled to the opposite end of the backbone structure and including a transaxle; a second energy absorbing crash structure including a second pair of laterally extending frame members that are rigidly fixed to the second structure on a first end and rigidly fixed to a second bumper beam on a second end; wherein the engine and the transaxle are stressed by ride and handling loads and wherein the central backbone structure is rigidly attached to the engine and to the transaxle such that the ride, handling and impact crash loads are transmitted between the first and second structures solely by the central backbone structure.