Vehicle with center unit and frame rails
A vehicle with a center unit, a first frame rail, and a second frame rail located on opposite sides of a center plane and wherein the center unit is located at least partially between the first frame rail and the second frame rail in transversal direction, and a connector being connected to first anchor portion of the vehicle and to second anchor portion of the vehicle and extending between the first anchor portion and the second anchor portion, the first anchor portion rigidly connected to first frame rail and second anchor portion being rigidly connected to the center unit or to the second frame rail, the vehicle having initial state with initial distance between first anchor portion and second anchor portion, the vehicle also being adapted to assume deformed state with deformed distance between first anchor portion and second anchor portion, the deformed distance being greater than the initial distance.
1 . A vehicle comprising a center unit, a first frame rail, and a second frame rail;
the vehicle having a vehicle longitudinal extension in a vehicle longitudinal direction, a vehicle transversal extension in a vehicle transversal direction, and a vehicle vertical extension in a vehicle vertical direction, the vehicle longitudinal direction corresponding to an intended direction of travel of the vehicle when travelling straight ahead, the vehicle vertical direction corresponding to a direction of a normal to a planar surface supporting the vehicle and the vehicle transversal direction being perpendicular to each one of the vehicle longitudinal direction and the vehicle vertical direction, the vehicle further comprising a center plane extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction and in the vehicle vertical direction and being located in a transversal center of the vehicle;
wherein the first frame rail and the second frame rail are located on opposite sides of the center plane and wherein the center unit is located at least partially between the first frame rail and the second frame rail in the transversal direction;
wherein the vehicle comprises a connector being connected to a first anchor portion of the vehicle and to a second anchor portion of the vehicle and extending between the first anchor portion and the second anchor portion, the first anchor portion being rigidly connected to the first frame rail and the second anchor portion being rigidly connected to the center unit or to the second frame rail;
the vehicle having an initial state with an initial distance between the first anchor portion and the second anchor portion, the vehicle also being adapted to assume a deformed state with a deformed distance between the first anchor portion and the second anchor portion, the deformed distance being greater than the initial distance;
the connector having an initial tensile stiffness in a direction between the first anchor portion and the second anchor portion when the vehicle is in the initial state, the connector having a deformed tensile stiffness in the direction between the first anchor portion and the second anchor portion when the vehicle is in the deformed state, the initial tensile stiffness being smaller than the deformed tensile stiffness;
wherein the connector comprises a first connector portion connected to the first anchor portion and a second connector portion connected to the second anchor portion;
the first connector portion and the second connector portion being adapted to assume a disengaged condition, in which the first connector portion is spaced from, and thus not in contact with, the second connector portion, when the vehicle is in the initial state; and
the first connector portion and the second connector portion being adapted to assume an engaged condition, in which the first connector portion and the second connector portion are in contact, when the vehicle is in the deformed state.
2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a ratio between the initial tensile stiffness and the deformed tensile stiffness is less than 0.1.
3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle has a vehicle deadweight, a tensile strength of the connector in the direction between the first anchor portion and the second anchor portion being less than 300%.
4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle has a vehicle deadweight, a tensile strength of the connector in the direction between the first anchor portion and the second anchor portion being greater than 10%.
5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the connector has a load transmitting ratio between a maximum tensile load transmittable via the connector and a maximum compression load transmittable via the connector, the load transmitting ratio being at least 50.
6 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises a cable.
7 . The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the cable is slacked in the initial state.
8 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises a first connector portion connected to the first anchor portion and a second connector portion connected to the second anchor portion, the connector being such that:
the first connector portion and the second connector portion are separated by an initial separation distance when the vehicle is in the initial state; and
the first connector portion and the second connector portion are separated by a deformed separation distance when the vehicle is in the deformed state;
wherein a ratio between the deformed separation distance and the initial separation distance is less than 0.5.
9 . The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the first connector portion is connected to the first anchor portion via a first connector arm and wherein the second connector portion is connected to the second anchor portion via a second connector arm.
10 . The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the first connector portion and the first connector arm form a unitary component and wherein the second connector portion and the second connector arm form a unitary component.
11 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the connector can only transfer a load between the first anchor portion and the second anchor portion when the first connector portion and the second connector portion assume the engaged condition.
12 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein one of the first connector portion and the second connector portion at least forms part of a connector loop enclosing a connector portion area, the other one of the first connector portion and the second connector portion extending into the connector portion area at least when the first connector portion and the second connector portion assume the disengaged condition.
13 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the connector forms an angle having an absolute value being in the range of 0°-70°, with a transversal plane extending in the transversal direction and in the vertical direction.
14 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the connector forms an angle in the range of 30°-70° with the transversal plane extending in the transversal direction and in the vertical direction.
15 . The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the connector forms an angle having an absolute value being in the range of 0°-20° with the transversal plane extending in the transversal direction and in the vertical direction.
16 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a distance difference between the deformed distance and the initial distance is greater than 2 mm.
17 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a distance difference between the deformed distance and the initial distance is smaller than 25 mm.
18 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first frame rail is located further from the center plane in the deformed state than in the initial state.
19 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises an electric motor for propelling the vehicle, the center unit comprising a battery assembly for supplying electric energy to the electric motor.