INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/379,539 filed October 14, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference and should be considered a part of this specification.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

[0002] The invention is directed to a modular vehicle frame, and more particularly to a modular vehicle frame for an electric vehicle.

Description of the Related Art

[0003] Existing electric vehicle frames do not provide adaptability which can result in expensive and inefficient manufacturing of the same. As electric vehicles become more common place, there is a need for more efficient and cost-effective frames for electric vehicles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a modular frame is provided, and more particularly to a modular frame for electric vehicles. The modular frame can be adapted to be compatible with multiple car styles (e.g., sedans, SUVs, etc.) resulting in more efficient manufacturing methods.

[0005] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a modular frame for a vehicle is provided. The modular frame has a central frame that is a single-piece (monolithic, seamless) and defines a passenger cabin with two passenger rows. A first front frame or a second front frame can be coupled to a front of the central frame. A first rear frame or a second rear frame can be coupled to a rear of the central frame. The first front frame and the first rear frame, when coupled to the central frame, can provide the chassis for a first vehicle design (e.g., a sedan). The second front frame and the second rear frame, when coupled to the central frame, can provide the chassis for a second vehicle design (e.g., a sports utility vehicle or SUV).

[0006] In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a modular frame for use with an automobile is provided. The modular frame can have a monolithic central frame that provides a passenger cabin for the vehicle having two passenger rows. The modular frame can also have a first front frame of a first size or a second front frame of a second size that is different than the first size. The modular frame can also have a first rear frame of a first size or a second rear frame of a second size that is different than the first size. The central frame can couple to one of the first front frame and the second front frame and couple to one of the first rear frame and the second rear frame to define a chassis structure for the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIGS. 1-4 illustrate a front perspective, rear perspective, side and bottom view of an example automobile including a modular frame.

[0008] FIGS. 5 A and 5B illustrate a side view and a perspective view, respectively, of another example of an automobile including a modular frame, showing the vehicle body as transparent to facilitate illustration of the modular frame.

[0009] FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate perspective views of an example of a modular frame with multiple configurations.

[0010] FIG. 7A illustrates a top perspective view of an example of a modular frame’s central frame.

[0011] FIG. 7B illustrates a side view of the central frame shown in FIG. 7A.

[0012] FIG. 7C illustrates a bottom perspective view of the central frame shown in FIGS. 7A-7B.

[0013] FIG. 7D illustrates a top view of the central frame shown in FIGS. 7A-7C.

[0014] FIGS. 8A-8C illustrate a top perspective, side and top plan view of an example of modular frame’s front frame.

[0015] FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate a top perspective, cross-sectional side and top plan view of an example of modular frame’s rear frame.

[0016] FIGS. 10 A- 10C illustrate a top perspective, side and bottom perspective view of an example of a battery pack for use with a modular frame for the electric vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The modular frame can be incorporated into a variety of automobiles. For example, and a shown in FIGS. 1-4, the modular frame can form the chassis of an automobile 100, such as an electric vehicle. As will be described in further detail below, the modular frame can include one or more modular components and support other components, such as a battery pack.

[0018] FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate an example of an automobile 200 including a modular frame 210 that forms the chassis of the automobile 200. The automobile 200 can be similar (e.g., identical) to the automobile 100 in FIGS. 1-4. The modular frame 210 can support the automobile’s various mechanical components and the automobile’s body, support the weight of the automobile, and/or protect internal automobile components and passengers in the event of a crash.

[0019] FIG. 6A illustrates an example of a modular frame 300. The modular frame 300 can include a central frame 310, a front frame 320, and a rear frame 330. The central frame 300 can be a single piece (e.g., monolithic, seamless) frame that defines the frame for the passenger cabin (as shown in FIGS. 5A-5B). In the illustrated implementation, the central frame 310 provides two passenger rows Rl, R2, and the resulting cabin can accommodate up to five passengers (e.g., two in the front passenger row Rl and two or three in the rear passenger row R2). The single piece central frame 300 can advantageously provide a continuous load path (e.g., in a collision) and accommodate complex door line arrangements, and also provides good visibility. Advantageously, forming the modular frame 300 allows replacement of only one component (e.g., the front frame 320, the rear frame 330) in the even of a collision, without having to replace other frame components.

[0020] In some implementations, the modular frame 300 can couple to and support rear frames 330 and front frames 320 of different sizes. For example, front frames 320a, 320b can have different dimensions (e.g., length, width, height). Similarly, rear frames 330a, 330b can have different dimensions (e.g., length, width, height). Because the central frame 310 can support different front frames 320a, 320b and different rear frames 330a, 330b, the central frame 310 can beneficially help reduce productions costs and increase production efficiency as multiple automobile designs can be achieved using the same central frame 310.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 6B, the front and rear frames 320b, 330b can be attached to the center frame 310 to provide the chassis for one automobile design. Although not shown, the front and rear frames 320a, and 330a can also be attached to the center frame 310 to provide the chassis for another automobile design. The front frames 320a, 320b and the rear frames 330a, 330b can be attached to the center frame 310 using any suitable attachment techniques and/or methods. For example, and without limitation, the front frames 320a, 320b and the rear frames 330a, 330b can be welded, riveted, bolted, and/or glued to the central frame 310. In some implementations, the front frame 320b and rear frame 320b can have smaller dimensions (e.g., smaller length, width and/or height) than the front frame 320a and rear frame 330a. When attached to the center frame 310, the smaller front frame 320b and rear frame 330a can support the body of, for example, a smaller automobile, such as a sedan. When attached to the center frame 310, the larger front frame 320b and the rear frame 330b can support the body of, for example, a larger automobile such as a sport utility vehicle (SUV).

[0022] FIGS. 7A-7D illustrate various views of a central frame 310’ of a modular frame, such as the modular frame 300. The central frame 310’ can include a front end 311a’ (e.g., front firewall) and a back end 311b’ (e.g., rear firewall). In some cases, the central frame 310’ can include composite materials, aluminum, high strength steel, carbon fiber, and/or a combination thereof. Such materials can result in a strong/stiff, yet lightweight, construction. In one implementation, the central frame 310’ is made of (e.g., exclusively made of, only has) carbon fiber. In another implementation, the central frame 310’ can be made of a combination of carbon fiber and aluminum. In one implementation, the central frame 310’ can be manufactured (e.g., into a single piece) using a molding process. In another implementation, the central frame 310’ can be manufactured (e.g., into a single piece) via a casting process.

[0023] The central frame 310’ can include openings 314’ along a front portion of the central frame 310’. The openings 314’ can provide communication between an interior portion of the central frame 310’ (e.g., the passenger cabin portion) and an exterior portion (e.g., front exterior portion) of the central frame 310’. For example, a steering column (not shown), cabling and other components can pass through one of the openings 314’ from the interior portion of the central frame 310’ to the exterior portion (e.g., front exterior portion) of the central frame 310. The central frame 310’ can also include side pillars 317a’, 317b’ that can define pillars for the door openings and can also absorb energy in the event of a side collisions. The central frame 310’ can also define a recess 316’, as shown in FIG. 7C. The recess 316’ can include a first recess portion 316a’ and a second recess portion 316b’. The recess 316’ can be formed on a ground facing side 311c’ of the central frame 310’. The recess 316’ can receive and secure a battery pack e.g., the battery pack 340’ shown in FIGS. 10A- 10C). The recess 316’ can match or substantially match the dimensions and/or shape of the battery pack. In one example, the second recess portion 316b’ can have a length RL of approximately 535 mm, a width RW of approximately 1360 mm and a depth DI of approximately 105 mm. The first recessed portion 316a’ can have a width BW of approximately 1525 mm and a depth D2 of approximately 115 mm. However, the recess 316’ can have other suitable dimensions.

[0024] With continued reference to FIGS. 7A-7D, in one example the central frame 310’ can span an upper length UL of approximately 2570 mm and span a lower length BL of approximately 1900 mm between the front end 311a’ and rear- end 311b’. The front end 311a’ and rear end 311b’ can be angled between the bottom and top of the central frame 310’. A front opening 315a’ (e.g., for the front passenger row) can have a width FL of approximately 830 mm and a rear- opening 315b’ (e.g., for the rear passenger row) can have a width RL of approximately 740 mm. The side pillars 317a,’, 317b’ can have a height H of approximately 590 mm. In one example, the side pillars 317a’, 317b’ taper from a bottom end (e.g., having a width of about 200 mm) to a top end (e.g., having a width of about 130 mm). With reference to FIG. 7D, the inner space of the central frame 310’ (e.g., that provides the passenger cabin with two rows) has a inner span IL1 of approximately 2440 mm, a cabin space length IL2 of approximately 2100 mm, and a cabin width IW of approximately 1420 mm. The central frame 310’ can have other suitable dimensions.

[0025] FIGS. 8A-8C illustrate various views of a front frame 320’ of a modular frame, such as the modular frame 300. In some implementations, the front frame 320’ can be made of aluminum using different techniques such as casting, welding, extrusion, sheet metals, etc. The front frame 320’ can include a front end 321a’, a rear end 321b’, a front crossbeam 323’, and shock towers 325a’, 325b’. The front crossbeam 323’ can act as an energy absorber in the event of a collision and provide structural support to the front frame 320’. In some cases, the front frame 320’ can be attached to the central frame 310’. For example, the front end 311a’ of the central frame 310’ can couple to a rear end 321b’ of the front frame 320’. The front frame 320’ can be attached to the central frame 310’ using any suitable attachment techniques and/or methods. For example, and without limitation, the front frame 320’ can be welded, riveted, bolted, and/or glued to the central frame 310’.

[0026] FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate various views of a rear frame 330’ of a modular frame, such as the modular frame 300. The rear frame 320’ can include a front end 331a’, a rear end 331b’, a crossbeam 334’, and openings 335’. The rear crossbeam 334’ can act as an energy absorber in the event of a collision and provide structural support to the rear frame 330’ . One or more mechanical components (e.g., suspension struts) can at least partially extend through the openings 335’. In some cases, the rear frame 330’ can be attached to the central frame 310’ . A rear end 31 lb’ of the central frame 310’ can couple to the front end 331a’ of the rear frame 330’. The rear frame 330’ can be attached to the central frame 310’ using any suitable attachment techniques and/or methods. For example, and without limitation, the rear frame 330’ can be welded, bolted, and/or adhered to the central frame 310’.

[0027] FIGS. 10A-10C illustrate various views of a battery pack 340’ which can be removably coupled to the modular frame 310’. The battery pack 340’ can include a high voltage battery. As mentioned above, the recess 316’ of the central frame 310’ can receive the battery pack 340’. The battery pack 340’ can include a first body portion 346a’ and a second body portion 346b’ that has a greater height than the first body portion 346a’. The first and second body portions 346a’ 346b’ can match or substantially match the shape and/or dimensions of the first and second recesses 316a’, 316b’, respectively. When attached to the central frame 310’, a ground facing side 341’ of the battery pack 340’ can be flush with the ground facing side 311c’ of the central frame 310’ so at to provide a planar and/or smooth surface for the bottom of the automobile, such as the automobile 100 (see FIG, 4) . Beneficially, this can improve the automobile’s draft coefficient resulting in improved aerodynamics (e.g., lower air turbulence on the underside of the vehicle) and improved energy efficiency.

[0028] While certain embodiments of the inventions have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the systems and methods described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the present inventions is defined only by reference to the appended claims.

[0029] Features, materials, characteristics, or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment, or example are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described in this section or elsewhere in this specification unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The protection is not restricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments. The protection extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

[0030] Furthermore, certain features that are described in this disclosure in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations, one or more features from a claimed combination can, in some cases, be excised from the combination, and the combination may be claimed as a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

[0031] Moreover, while operations may be depicted in the drawings or described in the specification in a particular order, such operations need not be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Other operations that are not depicted or described can be incorporated in the example methods and processes. For example, one or more additional operations can be performed before, after, simultaneously, or between any of the described operations. Further, the operations may be rearranged or reordered in other implementations. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in some embodiments, the actual steps taken in the processes illustrated and/or disclosed may differ from those shown in the figures. Depending on the embodiment, certain of the steps described above may be removed, others may be added. Furthermore, the features and attributes of the specific embodiments disclosed above may be combined in different ways to form additional embodiments, all of which fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Also, the separation of various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations. and it should be understood that the described components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single product or packaged into multiple products.

[0032] For purposes of this disclosure, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features are described herein. Not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure may be embodied or earned out in a manner that achieves one advantage or a group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

[0033] Conditional language, such as “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements, and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.

[0034] Conjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, and Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with the context as used in general to convey that an item, term, etc. may be either X, Y, or Z. Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require the presence of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z.

[0035] Language of degree used herein, such as the terms “approximately,” “about,” “generally,” and “substantially” as used herein represent a value, amount, or characteristic close to the stated value, amount, or characteristic that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “approximately”, “about”, “generally,” and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within less than 10% of, within less than 5% of, within less than 1% of, within less than 0.1% of, and within less than 0.01% of the stated amount. As another example, in certain embodiments, the terms “generally parallel” and “substantially parallel” refer to a value, amount, or characteristic that departs from exactly parallel by less than or equal to 15 degrees, 10 degrees, 5 degrees, 3 degrees, 1 degree, or 0.1 degree. [0036] The scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited by the specific disclosures of preferred embodiments in this section or elsewhere in this specification, and may be defined by claims as presented in this section or elsewhere in this specification or as presented in the future. The language of the claims is to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to the examples described in the present specification or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive.

[0037] Of course, the foregoing description is that of certain features, aspects and advantages of the present invention, to which various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Moreover, the devices described herein need not feature all of the objects, advantages, features and aspects discussed above. Thus, for example, those of skill in the art will recognize that the invention can be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or a group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. In addition, while a number of variations of the invention have been shown and described in detail, other modifications and methods of use, which are within the scope of this invention, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure. It is contemplated that various combinations or subcombinations of these specific features and aspects of embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the discussed devices.