Suspended floor assembly
A vehicle has improved energy absorbing capability and occupants have increased blast survivability. The vehicle includes a suspended floor assembly. The floor assembly may be suspended by, at least in part, one or more suspensions arms that have an extendable portion. The floor assembly may also have a yaw plane energy absorber between the floor assembly and a wall of the vehicle.
1. A vehicle, comprising:
at least one suspension arm supporting a floor assembly in the vehicle; and at least one yaw plane energy absorber between the floor assembly and a wall of the vehicle.
2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the suspension arm and yaw plane energy absorber are a monolithic component with a vertical energy absorbing region partially decoupled from a yaw plane energy absorbing region.
3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the suspension arm and yaw plane energy absorber are separate components in mechanical communication with one another.
4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the suspension arm comprises an extendable portion.
5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the extendable portion comprises at least one of a hydraulic damper, a pneumatic damper, a magneto-theological damper, a friction damper, a wire bender, a bumper, an inversion tube, and a coil spring.
6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the suspension arm is partially decoupled from the yaw plane energy absorber.
7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein at least one yaw plane energy absorber comprises a shear panel.
8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the shear panel comprises a deformable metal panel.
9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the deformable metal panel is slotted or perforated.
10. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the shear panel is shaped to include a curve or a bend.
11. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the suspension arm is mounted to the vehicle by a flexible mounting apparatus.
12. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a sacrificial blast deflector.
13. A military vehicle, comprising:
a hull;
a floor assembly suspended from the hull;
at least one suspension arm connecting the floor assembly to the hull; and
a yaw plane energy absorber between the floor assembly and the hull.
14. The military vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the suspension arm comprises an extendable portion.
15. The military vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the extendable portion comprises at least one of a hydraulic damper, a magneto-theological damper, a friction damper, a wire bender, a bumper, an inversion tube, and a coil spring.
16. The military vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the suspension arm is partially decoupled from the yaw plane energy absorber.
17. The military vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the yaw plane energy absorber comprises a shear panel.
18. The military vehicle of claim 13 further comprising a sacrificial blast deflector.
19. A vehicle, comprising:
at least one extendable suspension arm supporting a floor assembly in the vehicle;
a deformable shear panel between the floor assembly and a wall of the vehicle; and the suspension arm and the shear panel being partially decoupled.