Lightweight Construction Chassis

Abstract

A vehicle chassis for a land vehicle, particularly for a motorhome or recreational vehicle, includes a front chassis module, particularly a traction unit, and a rear chassis module. The front chassis module is connected to the rear chassis module via at least one flange in order to form the vehicle chassis. The rear chassis module includes load-bearing components made of lightweight construction material. The rear chassis module includes at least two sub-modules; a frame module and an axle pan module that are combined to form the rear chassis module such that the frame module is connected to the front chassis module and the axle pan module is connected to the frame module.

Claims

1. A vehicle chassis for a land vehicle wherein the vehicle chassis comprises: a front chassis module and a rear chassis module, wherein the front chassis module is connected to the rear chassis module by means of at least one flange means for forming the vehicle chassis, and wherein the rear chassis module comprises load-bearing components of lightweight construction material, wherein the rear chassis module comprises at least two sub-modules, wherein a frame module and an axle pan module are combined to form the rear chassis module in such a manner that the frame module is connected to the front chassis module and the axle pan module is connected to the frame module.

2. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the load-bearing components are at least partially constructed from a composite material.

3. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame module has at least two load-bearing frame elements, wherein the frame elements connect the front chassis module to the axle pan module.

4. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axle pan module is constructed as a self-supporting pan.

5. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rear chassis module comprises at least one additional sub-module wherein the additional sub-module is connected to the axle pan.

6. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axle pan module is constructed to be free from longitudinal beams in the inner space.

7. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axle pan module is constructed to receive and secure a rigid axle.

8. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axle pan module is constructed to receive and secure individual wheel suspensions.

9. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one sub-module is/are constructed in such a manner that standardized receiving members between the modules enable the modules to be freely connected to each other.

10. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one sub-module is/are constructed in terms of their material nature and/or geometry in such a manner that all the forces acting on the sub-module are received in a controlled manner and can be transmitted via standardized connections to adjacent sub-modules.

11. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front chassis module is a power car.

12. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 2, wherein the composite material is a laminate.

13. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 4, wherein the axle pan module is a laminate pan made of a composite material.

14. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 5, wherein the additional sub-module is a rear module.

15. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 2, wherein the frame module has at least two load-bearing frame elements, wherein the frame elements connect the front chassis module to the axle pan module.

16. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 2, wherein the axle pan module is constructed as a self-supporting pan.

17. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rear chassis module comprises at least one additional sub-module wherein the additional sub-module is connected to the axle pan.

18. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 2, wherein the axle pan module is constructed to be free from longitudinal beams in the inner space.

19. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 2, wherein the axle pan module is constructed to receive and secure a rigid axle.

20. The vehicle chassis as claimed in claim 2, wherein the axle pan module is constructed to receive and secure individual wheel suspensions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The invention is explained below in greater detail with reference to a schematically illustrated embodiment, in which:

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the three sub-modules of the rear chassis module which are joined to each other;

[0027] FIG. 1a is a schematic exploded view of the rear chassis module shown in FIG. 1; and

[0028] FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded view of the components of a chassis that includes the rear chassis module shown in FIGS. 1-1a and a front chassis module.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] In detail, FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a rear chassis module 1. The rear chassis module 1 is illustrated once as an assembled illustration 2 in FIG. 1 and once with the modules thereof spatially separated from each other in FIG. 1a. The rear chassis module 1 comprises in this instance a frame module 3, an axle pan module 4 and a rear module 5.

[0030] Both the frame module 3 and the axle pan module 4 comprise side walls 6a, 6b and 7a, 7b. When viewed in the longitudinal direction, the modules frame module 3 and axle pan module 4 have U-shaped cross sections which are limited at the left side of the vehicle and at the right side of the vehicle by the side walls 6a, b and 7a, 7b.

[0031] The axle pan module 4 has in a schematically illustrated manner an axle receiving member 8 on which the axle and the wheel suspension are guided. The axle pan module 4 is connected at the front side 10 thereof to the frame module 3 at the rear side 11 thereof. As a result of the integral static construction of the axle pan module 4, a defined introduction of force to the frame module 3 is always formed at the transition 10-11, regardless of which sizing or type of axle or chassis is provided in the axle receiving member 8.

[0032] At the front end of the frame module 3, a flange means 12a, 12b is provided at each longitudinal side on the side wall 6a, 6b and is used to fit the rear chassis module 1 to a front chassis module, for example, a power car.

[0033] At the rear end of the axle pan module 4, a rear module 5, illustrated schematically in this instance, is connected via protruding receiving members 13a, 13b. The rear module has a U-shaped cross sectional profile which is rotated through 90° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle since it is generally used to form a rear garaging unit which is intended to be loaded from the side. The rear module 5 is in this instance provided with statically reinforcing longitudinal channels 14a and 14b which introduce the load of the rear module 5 in a defined manner into the receiving members 13a and 13b and consequently into the axle pan module 4.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a chassis 19. A front chassis module 20, which is constructed in this instance as a power car chassis, is connected to a rear chassis module 21. Flange means 22a and 22b for fitting the rear chassis module 21 can be secured to the front chassis module 20. The rear chassis module 21 comprises, as described in FIG. 1, an axle pan module 24 and a rear module 25. The frame module 25 is in this instance illustrated in a modified illustration. In this instance, it comprises an underbody 26, on which load-bearing frame elements 27a, 27b, 27c and 27d are arranged. The underbody 26 and the load-bearing frame elements 27a to 27d form the frame module 23. In a state at least partially overlapping the frame module 23 and the axle pan module 24 and possibly the rear module 25, there is provided a walking floor 28 which covers the chassis in terms of its structure.

[0035] The frame elements 27a to 27d extend in this instance through the region of the frame module 23, but do not protrude into the inner region of the axle pan module 24. A protrusion which is statically ineffective for the axle pan module for the purposes of securing is in this instance insignificant. The axle pan module 24 itself is self-supporting and consequently statically adequately sized to transmit in a defined manner forces which occur at the axle or the chassis via the fitting to the frame elements 27a to 27d which determine the static property of the frame module 23. In this manner, the sizing and fitting to the frame elements 27a to 27d can be configured in a standardized manner, regardless of which chassis or axle construction is used.

[0036] As a result of the modular construction, the possibility is now afforded of adapting both the frame module 23 and the axle pan module 24 or the rear module 25 in terms of its sizing in accordance with the desired model of the vehicle which is intended to be constructed. For example, the frame module 23 may vary in terms of its length over a wide range and consequently have an influence on the wheelbase of the vehicle. The axle pan module 24 may, as already described above, also be formed either to receive a rigid axle or to receive a single wheel suspension or dual axles without on the whole adaptations to the frame module 23 or the rear module 25 having to be carried out.

[0037] In this manner, with a simple modular configuration of the sub-components of the rear chassis module, a large number of desired embodiments of chassis can be provided.